Hawaii Secretary of State

Hawaii's Secretary of State is the head of the state’s Commerce and Consumer Affairs Department (DCCA). The official is responsible for the state service and program administration and is appointed by the state Governor.

Currently, the Secretary of State (henceforth SOS) has the responsibility of business registration regulation, as well as consumer protection. Moreover, when it comes to professional and occupational licensing, the SOS is the one overseeing the whole process.

As the SOS is in charge of business registration and licensing, let's dive into the specifics of starting your company here.

How to Start a Business?

Starting a business in Hawaii may not be an easy process to handle. Yet, if you follow some basic steps in planning and meet the SOS requirements, you will succeed.

So, first of all, you are to choose your enterprise structure. Decide whether the business you want to enlist will be a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation.

Secondly, you are to decide on the company’s name. Make sure to run a quick Hawaii Secretary of State business search to check if the name you want is available for pickup. If you have reached so far, you must obtain a permit from DCCA and register for taxes.

Take into account that based on your company’s type, you may need additional permits. If you complete all these steps, congratulations, you are all set up.

Naming Your Business

Your firm name is the most vital factor you must consider. The first thing customers notice when dealing with any corporation is its name. Thus, pick it up wisely. Consider memorable phrases that are the exact fit for your target market.

Yet, only titling your enterprise on your own is not the case. You are to run a secretary of state Hawaii business search and check the availability of your desired name. The lookup is available on the DCCA website.

If the phrase you want to pick up is available, you are to enlist the latter in DCCA. Besides filling in an application form, you have to provide some documentation (i.e ID, Social Security Number, etc), as well as complete the required payments.

Note that if you operate a corporation under a different name from your one, you should file it as a DBA (Doing Business As).

Verify the Availability of the Domain

To start a firm online, you must first make sure that the domain you want is available. Your domain should be short and simple, just like the name of your firm.

Select a domain extension that is appropriate for your organization and location, such as .biz, .hawaii, etc. After choosing one, reserve it with the registrar of domains.

Verify the Availability of the Social Media Title

In the current world of social media blooming, the company name is quite important. Choose it wisely and make it work for social media as well. Thus, whenever you run a lookup and find the exact match for your enterprise, verify the availability on social media before submitting the documents.

Register Your LLC

In Hawaii, LLC is a widely used structure, as it offers personal asset protection for the owners. Registering your LLC is not an overwhelming process. You are to go through some documentation and complete the required payments.

Here are the most essential steps you need to follow to comply with all the requirements:

• You must first select a distinctive and unique name for your LLC. Conduct a Hawaii secretary of state entity search to determine whether it complies with the DCCA criteria.
• Secondly, you are to appoint a registered agent who will receive the legal documents on the LLC’s behalf.
• All the data has to be filed to the Articles of Organization with the DCCA and must include LLC’s name, registered agent, and members. In addition, you have to provide a $50 fee cheque.
• After you have got the confirmation, your next step will be obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This is applicable only if you have more than one employee.
• Finally, other documents that are obligatory to handle your registration are the operating agreement and annual report. Don’t forget to register for the taxes including General Excise Tax (GET) and Use Tax.

It is worth noting that LLCs have to meet other criteria as well, such as obtaining necessary licenses and permits and adhering to local zoning laws. Before you enlist your company, it’s recommended to consult a lawyer and an accountant to make sure you comply with all state and federal laws.

Hawaii Business License

Currently, HI requires business permits for all types of companies, including sole proprietors. Some of them have special requirements for getting permits such as enterprises related to the environment or health and safety.

However, it is important to note that licensing and permit criteria are subject to change. Therefore, it is recommended to check for updates and renewals regularly to avoid penalties and fines.

Furthermore, some firms may be subject to federal regulations. Thus, it is critical to check with the appropriate federal agencies to ensure compliance.

Keeping Your Entity in Corporate Compliance

It is essential to ensure that you comply with HI regulations if you own a company. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your company complies.

• Record with the HI Department of Taxation for taxes such as general excise tax (GET) and use tax.
• Obtain and renew all necessary permits for your firm.
• Don’t forget about your annual report and zoning as well as environmental laws.

Whenever you fail to keep your entity in corporate compliance DCCA has the authority to fine you.

How Do You Check if a Company is Registered in Hawaii?

To verify a company in HI, you can run a quick lookup at the HI Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs website. The latter is in charge of the registration and regulation of entities in HI. Thus, when entering the website, you will see a tab open that mentions “Business Registration”, and then you can head to the Business Search.

You should conduct a lookup by entering the firm name or ID number. That’s all. Your results are right on the screen, including the registration number and entity status.