DoorWorthy

Who needs a trade name registration (DBA) in Hawaii?

Issued by Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, at step 1 of 6 in the opening sequence: set up the business.

Every kind of business in Hawaii

The Hawaii table lists this for every kind of business.

Needed whenever the business trades under any name other than the owner’s legal name or the LLC’s registered name. Registration is statewide, there is no county filing and no newspaper notice, and a lapsed name is open to anyone.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 1 of 6: Set up the business

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division.

Sources and dates

Business Registration Division form T-1 (application for registration of trade name, revised November 2025); HRS chapter 482. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.