How to Conduct a Hawaii Business Entity Search

The Hawaii business entity search, sometimes called the business name search, is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the businesses registered with the state. Whether you’re a veteran business owner who needs to get a Certificate of Good Standing from the Business Registration Division or a soon-to-be entrepreneur who wants to check available business names, this search is a go-to resource.

But how do you use the search? How is it different from the registered agent search? If you’ve never used database tools like this before, the search can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve assembled step-by-step instructions on using Hawaii’s business search tools to help you streamline the process as much as possible. We’ll also talk through some important business name guidelines and what you should do after searching a business name.

Let’s get started.

Hawaii Department of Commerce Contact Information

Mailing Address: PO Box 40 Honolulu, HI 96810	Physical Address: 335 Merchant St., Room 201 Honolulu, HI 96813
Telephone: 808-587-3222	Website: https://cca.hawaii.gov/

Hawaii Business Name Guidelines

When you’re starting a business, one of the most important things you’ll do is pick your business name. And like other states, Hawaii has several rules about naming your business. 

First, your name needs to be different from the names of other registered companies in Hawaii, including both domestic and foreign corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and so on. This is one of the simplest but most important naming standards. 

That said, uniqueness isn’t the only naming guideline to adhere to. Here are a few other rules your Hawaii business name should follow: 

• Your business name needs to include a designator. For example, corporations need to include a word like “corporation,” “incorporated,” or “limited.” Abbreviations of these words are also accepted. Meanwhile, LLCs need to include the phrase “limited liability company” or the abbreviation “LLC” with or without punctuation. You can also abbreviate “limited” as “ltd.” and “company” as “co.”
• Your name cannot state or imply that you’re conducting business activities that aren’t permitted by law or by your company formation documents.
• Your name must be written in English letters.

If you’re in a licensed trade or profession, keep in mind that you’ll need to meet any naming rules that your industry has in place, too. If your business name doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to pick a new one. 

Search Hawaii businesses by name

The Business Registration Division of the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs only offers two search tools: a business name search and a registered agent search. We’ll cover the registered agent search later, but in this section, we’ll focus on the name search method.

Step 1: Set up your search

To get started, you’ll need to navigate to the business entity search homepage, pictured below.

Here, you can choose between two different search modes. The default option, the “Begins with” search, will retrieve business entity names with the same first few words as your search terms. For example, if you searched “Smith” using this filter, you’d see business names like “A Smith Designs” or “Smith Academy of Salon Professionals.”

The second option is a “Contains” search. This setting will retrieve company names that include your search term somewhere in the name. Going back to our “Smith” example, this setting would pull up results like “24/7 Locksmith Honolulu.”

Choose the search mode that best suits your search terms, and then type them into the search bar. Then, click “Search.”

Step 2: Review your search results

In a few seconds, the search will retrieve the names of all Hawaii business entities that match your search terms. For example, here’s what our search results looked like when we searched “Smith.”

At the very top of the page, you may see a menu to filter your results further, such as limiting the results to active entities only or a specific business type, such as a Hawaii LLC. If your search yields a long list of results (like ours did), you can select one or more of these filters and click “Apply filter(s)” to shorten that list.

Whether the list is short or long, you’ll see the full company name, record type, file number, and business status for each matching business. If you’d like to learn more about a particular business, trade name, or service mark registration, click on its name.

On this second page, you can see more detailed information about the company, including its duration (term), how it’s managed (LLCs), registration date, state of organization, mailing address, and the name and address of its registered agent. You may also purchase forms, such as a Certificate of Good Standing or certified copies of a business document.

Further down the page, you can review the company’s annual report filing history, ownership details, and formation documents.

Can I use this tool to check name availability?

Technically, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs doesn’t offer a dedicated name availability search tool. They also have an explicit disclaimer under the business search, warning that you shouldn’t use the search as a definitive method to see if your desired name is available.

And that’s true; the only way to know for sure if a name is available is to inquire directly with the Business Registration Division and await their response.

That said, you can use this search as a preliminary way to see if you have a unique business name. To get started, head to the search homepage. Set the search mode to “Contains,” and then type in the full name you’re hoping to use (leave off entity designators like “Inc.” or “LLC”). Next, click “Search.”

Ideally, you’ll receive a message that reads, “No businesses found matching your search.” If that happens, there’s a fair chance your name isn’t claimed by an existing business. Just remember, this isn’t a guarantee; the database isn’t 100% up to date at all times.

But if there is a match, the search will list the name or names that conflict with yours. You can review these results to check if there’s truly a conflict; for example, if the only matching business is an expired name reservation, then you can probably use the name yourself. In contrast, if an active LLC were using your desired name, then you’d need to tweak your name or pick a new one.

Search Hawaii businesses by registered agent

You can also research businesses’ Hawaii registered agents using the agent search tool provided by the Hawaii Business Registration Division.

Unlike the business name search, the agent search isn’t completely free. You can view a list of the registered agents who match your search and the number of businesses they represent without paying any money. But if you want to see more detailed information than that, you’ll need to pay $2 plus $0.05 per entity represented by the agent in question.

To get started, simply navigate to the agent search homepage. Then, type the registered agent’s name into the search bar and click “Search.”

On the results page, you’ll see a list of every agent that matches your search terms and the number of businesses they represent. You’ll also see the price to purchase their affiliated records (plus the base $2 fee). For example, here’s what we saw when we did an agent search for “Smith.”

If you want to purchase any of these records, check the box for the correct agent. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Log in to Purchase” button. From there, you’ll input your Hawaii Business Express login information and purchase documents from your account.

What to Do After Searching Business Names in Hawaii

After you’ve come up with a name and searched it, you’re probably feeling like you’ve done a lot of legwork. You’d hate for that hard work to go to waste, right? Here are some steps you can take to protect your Hawaii business name and make the most of it. 

Reserve your Hawaii business name (optional)

If you’ve picked the perfect business name but you’re not quite ready to file your business formation paperwork, Hawaii allows you to reserve a business name.

You can request a name reservation by filing the Application for Reservation of Name form with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. This form currently has a $10 filing fee. 

After your paperwork is filed and approved, your name reservation will be valid for 120 days. This step is optional, and you should only pursue it if you’ve picked a name but aren’t ready to file your formation paperwork yet.

Form an LLC or register your business

One of the best ways to protect your business name is to register your business. After you register a business under your chosen name, no one else in the state will be able to register their own company with the same name. 

Registering a Hawaii business is an important legal process. Learn more about starting a Hawaii LLC. 

Get a domain name that matches

You want your customers to find your business website easily. That means you need a domain name that matches your business name as closely as possible. A matching domain will help your brand maintain consistency both in person and online.

If you’re struggling to come up with a domain name (or the one that matches your name is already taken), try using a domain name generator. A generator can help you come up with a domain that matches your brand image. 

Set up your business online

Today, you can’t run a business without a good digital footprint. A good business website is a decent starting point. But don’t stop there; set up social media accounts like a Facebook page, a TikTok profile, and an Instagram account. Make sure your business name is included on each account so your brand is consistent across your online presence.

Last but not least, set up a Google Business Profile for your business (or claim it if it already exists). This profile will help you direct customers to your website or your store location. Plus, it’ll help you respond to customer reviews and build a good brand reputation in the Aloha State.

Trademark your business name (optional)

If you want the most robust protections for your business name, you could pursue trademark registration. Trademarks can be registered at the state or federal level (with federal protections being the strongest). 

Getting a trademark can be pretty complicated and time-consuming. If you go this route, it’s highly recommended to work with a trademark attorney.