Short answer. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division. Registering gives notice of the name but doesn't grant ownership of it. Cost: $50, not refundable; renewal is also $50. Five years from the date of the certificate, as long as the name stays in actual use. Renew within the six months before the term ends.
At a glance
- Called
- trade name
- Where to file
- State office
- Filing fee
- $50, not refundable; renewal is also $50.
- Local fees vary
- No local filing
- How long it lasts
- 5 years
- Newspaper notice
- Not required
Renewal, with dates
Five years from the date of the certificate, as long as the name stays in actual use. Renew within the six months before the term ends.
Setting up the books for the new name? A free bookkeeping health check.
For a registration filed on Sunday, November 8, 2026:
- Sole proprietor or partnership: expires Saturday, November 8, 2031; renewal window opens Thursday, May 8, 2031
No newspaper notice
HRS 482-2 (application and $50 fee) and 482-3 (recording, five-year registration and renewal) set out the steps for a trade name; neither section has a newspaper publication requirement.
Your own date: open the calculator set to Hawaii.
Not stated on the pages we read: online filing.
Official sources
- Hawaii DCCA BREG: Trade name application instructions (T-1) (checked November 2026)
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 482-2: Certificate (trade names) (checked November 2026)
- Hawaii Revised Statutes 482-3: Registration; renewal (trade names) (checked November 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the pages above. Fees and forms change, and a county or town office can add its own steps, so confirm with the filing office before you file. We don't file DBAs or trade names for anyone.
Questions people ask
Where is a DBA filed in Hawaii?
It's called a trade name. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division. Registering gives notice of the name but doesn't grant ownership of it.
What does it cost to register a business name in Hawaii?
$50, not refundable; renewal is also $50.
How long does a Hawaii trade name last?
Five years from the date of the certificate, as long as the name stays in actual use. Renew within the six months before the term ends.
Is a newspaper notice part of filing in Hawaii?
No. HRS 482-2 (application and $50 fee) and 482-3 (recording, five-year registration and renewal) set out the steps for a trade name; neither section has a newspaper publication requirement.
All states: DBA registration by state · Georgia · Illinois