How to Register a Trademark in Hawaii (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Hawaii · Last updated August 12, 2026
A Hawaii state trademark or service mark is registered with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division, under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 482. The state filing fee is $50 per classification, and a Hawaii registration lasts five years from the date of filing, renewable in five-year periods. State registration only protects a mark inside Hawaii, so most businesses selling beyond the islands register federally with the USPTO instead. Hawaii has adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act at HRS Chapter 482B and recognizes a statutory right of publicity under HRS Chapter 482P.
How much does it cost to register a trademark in Hawaii?
The Hawaii DCCA charges $50 per classification to register a trademark or service mark under HRS Chapter 482. A separate application and $50 fee are required for each class you want covered. Renewal costs another $50 for each additional five-year period. This is far cheaper than the $350-per-class USPTO federal fee.
How long does a Hawaii state trademark registration last?
Under HRS Section 482-25, a Hawaii trademark registration lasts five years from the date of filing. You can renew it for additional five-year periods by filing a renewal application and a $50 fee within the six months before it expires. This is shorter than the ten-year federal term at the USPTO.
Does a Hawaii trademark protect me outside the islands?
No. A registration with the DCCA Business Registration Division only protects your mark within Hawaii. It gives no rights in other states and cannot stop mainland or online use. If you sell beyond Hawaii or ship across state lines, a federal USPTO registration is the tool that provides nationwide priority.
Where do I file a state trademark in Hawaii?
You file with the DCCA Business Registration Division using Form T-2 for a trademark or Form T-3 for a service mark. The application asks for the mark, the goods or services, the classification, and the date of first use. Only one classification may be listed per application, so multi-class marks need multiple filings.
Hawaii's HRS Chapter 482 and the DCCA Business Registration Division
Hawaii administers state trademarks and service marks through the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division, under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 482, titled Trademarks, Prints, and Labels. HRS Section 482-22 sets the minimum information an application must contain, and Section 482-25 fixes the term at five years from the date of filing, renewable in five-year increments for a $50 fee filed within six months before expiration. Hawaii uses distinct forms for each mark type. Form T-2 covers a trademark used on goods and Form T-3 covers a service mark, and each application may state only one classification, so a brand used across multiple classes requires a separate $50 filing for each. Beyond trademarks, Hawaii has adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act at HRS Chapter 482B, giving businesses a statutory misappropriation remedy, and in 2009 it enacted the Hawaii Publicity Rights Act at HRS Chapter 482P, one of the more detailed state right-of-publicity statutes, which treats a person's name, voice, signature, and likeness as a property right that survives death for a fixed period.
Relevant Laws
HRS Chapter 482, Trademarks, Prints, and Labels
Hawaii's trademark statute governing state registration of trademarks and service marks with the DCCA. Section 482-22 sets application requirements and Section 482-25 sets the five-year term.
DCCA Business Registration Division, Trade Name, Trademark, or Service Mark
The official Hawaii filing office page for state trademark and service mark registration, with Forms T-2 and T-3, the $50 per-class fee schedule, and filing instructions.
HRS Chapter 482B, Uniform Trade Secrets Act
Hawaii's adoption of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, providing remedies for misappropriation of trade secrets, including actual loss and unjust enrichment damages.
HRS Chapter 482P, Publicity Rights
The Hawaii Publicity Rights Act, enacted in 2009, recognizing a property right in the commercial use of a person's name, voice, signature, and likeness, surviving death for a fixed period.
Regional Variances
Hawaii state registration vs. federal USPTO registration
Hawaii (DCCA, HRS Chapter 482)
$50 per classification, one class per application, five-year term renewable for $50 under HRS Section 482-25. Protection is limited to Hawaii and does not authorize the reg symbol.
Federal (USPTO, Lanham Act)
$350 per class, multiple classes allowed in one application, ten-year term. Gives nationwide priority, the reg symbol, and federal-court enforcement across all states.
Common law (use alone)
Rights arise automatically from actual use in Hawaii, limited to your real trading area. Free, but hardest to enforce and no registration certificate to point to.
How Hawaii handles related brand-protection laws
Trade secrets
Hawaii adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act at HRS Chapter 482B, allowing recovery of actual loss and unjust enrichment for misappropriation.
Right of publicity
The Hawaii Publicity Rights Act, HRS Chapter 482P (2009), protects name, voice, signature, and likeness as a property right that survives death for a fixed period.
State forms and classes
Hawaii uses Form T-2 for trademarks and Form T-3 for service marks, and each DCCA application may state only one classification.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm use of the mark in Hawaii
Before filing days after startingVerify the mark is actually used on goods or services in Hawaii and record your date of first use anywhere and your date of first use in the state, since Form T-2 and T-3 require both.
Search Hawaii and federal records for conflicts
Before filing days after startingCheck DCCA Business Registration Division records for conflicting Hawaii marks and search the USPTO database for confusingly similar federal marks on related goods or services.
Select the single classification
Before filing days after startingPick the one class that matches what you sell, using classes 1 to 34 for goods and 35 and up for services. File a separate $50 application for each additional class.
File Form T-2 or T-3 with the DCCA
When ready days after startingSubmit the trademark (T-2) or service mark (T-3) application to the Business Registration Division with the mark, goods or services, classification, dates of first use, a specimen, and the $50 per-class fee.
Calendar the five-year renewal
Within 6 months before expiration days after startingUnder HRS Section 482-25 the registration lasts five years from filing. File a renewal application and $50 fee within the six months before it expires, and keep using the mark in Hawaii.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm use of the mark in Hawaii | Verify the mark is actually used on goods or services in Hawaii and record your date of first use anywhere and your date of first use in the state, since Form T-2 and T-3 require both. | - | Before filing |
| Search Hawaii and federal records for conflicts | Check DCCA Business Registration Division records for conflicting Hawaii marks and search the USPTO database for confusingly similar federal marks on related goods or services. | - | Before filing |
| Select the single classification | Pick the one class that matches what you sell, using classes 1 to 34 for goods and 35 and up for services. File a separate $50 application for each additional class. | - | Before filing |
| File Form T-2 or T-3 with the DCCA | Submit the trademark (T-2) or service mark (T-3) application to the Business Registration Division with the mark, goods or services, classification, dates of first use, a specimen, and the $50 per-class fee. | trademark-application | When ready |
| Calendar the five-year renewal | Under HRS Section 482-25 the registration lasts five years from filing. File a renewal application and $50 fee within the six months before it expires, and keep using the mark in Hawaii. | - | Within 6 months before expiration |
Frequently Asked Questions
If you sell only within Hawaii, a $50-per-class DCCA registration under HRS Chapter 482 is cheap and quick. If you ship to the mainland, sell online, or plan to grow, register federally with the USPTO instead, because only a federal registration gives nationwide priority and the right to use the reg mark. Many Hawaii businesses eventually file both.
The DCCA Business Registration Division uses Form T-2 to register a trademark, which is a mark used on physical goods, and Form T-3 to register a service mark, which identifies services. Trade names use a separate Form T-1. Choosing the correct form matters because the classification and the way you show use differ between goods and services.
Yes. Hawaii adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act at HRS Chapter 482B, which lets a business sue for misappropriation and recover actual loss plus unjust enrichment. Separately, the Hawaii Publicity Rights Act at HRS Chapter 482P, enacted in 2009, protects the commercial use of a person's name, voice, signature, and likeness, including for a set period after death.
Only one. A Hawaii DCCA application may state a single classification, so a brand used across multiple classes of goods or services needs a separate application and a separate $50 fee for each class. This differs from the USPTO, where a single application can list several classes at $350 each.
No. The federal reg symbol is reserved for marks registered with the USPTO. A Hawaii state registration under HRS Chapter 482 does not authorize the reg symbol. You may still use TM for a trademark or SM for a service mark to signal your claim, whether or not the mark is registered at the state level.
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