How to Change Your Hawaii Business Name

How to Get a New Business Name

A business name change in Hawaii requires preparation. We break down the general steps for you below. 

1. Choose a new business name

You might think that choosing a new business name is the easy part of the process, but most Hawaii entrepreneurs find it to be a challenging part of a business name change. After all, your business name reflects your business’s identity. Take this opportunity to select a name that best reflects your mission and products. You may even want to tailor your name to better demonstrate your commitment to the community you work in.

However, there are some rules about how to change a business name in Hawaii. In general, your business’s new name needs to:

• Contain words or abbreviations that indicate what kind of business you’re running (e.g., LLC, corporation, LP, etc.)
• Be distinguishable from names already actively in use by other businesses

These rules are straightforward. However, checking that your business’s new name is unique from others can be more difficult. We simplify this process for you with our Business Name Checker.

Once you’ve confirmed that your name is unique, you’re ready to file that name change paperwork. If the name is registered to someone else, a name check can provide information about the use of the name. Knowing how the name is being used and its last activity can help you if you want to pursue the name for your own use.

2. Gather information for filing your amendment

Part of a business name change in Hawaii is updating your formation documents to reflect that change. That’s where we come in to help with your paperwork. To file Articles of Amendment to change your Hawaii corporation or LLC business name, you’ll need to gather key business information. Typically, the Hawaii Secretary of State will need to know: 

• The business’s exact current name
• The new business name and date the business adopted the name change
• The signature of an appropriate party

The form to complete is short and sweet. It’s easy to change your business name in Hawaii if you have good governance in place and your company information handy. Our comprehensive suite of business services offers Hawaii companies ways to keep documents organized, making amendments like these easier.

3. File your Hawaii amendment

You can file the amendment online through the Secretary of State’s Hawaii Business Express portal. You can also file by mail. When filing online, you can pay by any major credit card. When filing by mail, you’ll need to pay by check only.

Changing your business name is important work, and it can be essential to the future health of your business. But you don’t have to do the work to make a business name change in Hawaii on your own. We can handle this task for you with our Amendment Filing Service. 

After You Change Your Business Name

Making a business name change in Hawaii is only the first step in freshening up your image. There are other essential considerations after you legally change your business name. These include:

• Changing your business name on contracts, loans, and financial accounts
• Changing the name on any employment contacts or major vendor agreements
• Reviewing and updating marketing materials like business cards, stationery, website materials, logos, and more

Make sure to budget time and money to handle these updates. That way, you’re well-positioned to transact under your new business name once you’ve filed for a business name change in Hawaii. You’ll want to begin operating under your new name immediately upon approval.

We can help

We can help make changes to your business easy with our Amendment Filing Service. And if you’re an early-stage entrepreneur or making a full-scale business change and don’t have a business entity formed yet, our Hawaii LLC and Hawaii Corporation Formation Services can get you up and running fast.

We can also help you keep your business legally compliant with our Worry-Free Compliance Service. Our award-winning, flagship corporate compliance service includes up to two amendment filings per year.