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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Experiment 3 · Washington

Foreign LLC Registration, Washington (2026): 5 Procedures and the 2 Best Services

Result for 2026: registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Washington is best served by WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), ranked in that order. Record $180 to the state and 5 procedures of work.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Key facts

State fee
$180Logged against sos.wa.gov in October 2026
Home certificate
60 daysNo older than
Recurring report
$70Annual report
State fees, three years
$320State charges only
Procedure count
5From first to last

On this sheet

  • Whether Washington registration applies to the LLC
  • How the filing is made
  • What it costs to stay registered
  • How the readings compare

Best reading

If you want someone else to file

Three-year cost and the number of procedures a price performs weigh the most; how we measure lists all five criteria.
Begin here

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a budget registration

$199 plus fees; $99 a year after

WA Registered Agent.org reads highest, and the reason is that $199 above the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

A lower three-year total than Mainstay Filing gives it first place; cost counts 36%.

What the price performs

  • The Washington registration, prepared and filed
  • Agent service for one year

Measured strengths

  • Agent covered for year one
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 plus the state fee

Measured limits

  • Serves only Washington
Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies adding a state

$199 plus fees; $149 a year after

Second: Mainstay Filing, since $199 over the state fee in any state, and year-one agent service reads as free.

Over three years it reads $100 behind WA Registered Agent.org.

From year two the agent reads $149 a year, whichever state is used.

What the price performs

  • Filing with the state
  • No fee for the registered agent in year one
  • A fifty-state service

Measured strengths

  • A service fee of $199
  • Prepared for a further state
  • Registered agent free in year one

Measured limits

  • The agent renews at $149, $50 more than WA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The 2 ranked services side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1WA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices are recorded from each company's own site on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($180) is not counted.

How registration works with Washington

  1. Procedure 1: Determine whether registration applies

    When an out-of-state LLC does business in Washington, it first registers as a foreign LLC.

    Specimen: Logged against sos.wa.gov in October 2026

  2. Procedure 2: Collect the document from the home state

    The filing includes certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, from the previous 60 days.

    TipOrder it last so that it is current at filing.

  3. Procedure 3: Appoint a registered agent for Washington

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical street address in Washington. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes are not accepted.

    TipAny of the ranked services fills the role.

    Specimen: Logged against app.leg.wa.gov in October 2026

  4. Procedure 4: Submit the Foreign Registration Statement

    Delivering that filing completes the registration, and the state bills $180 for it.

    Specimen: Logged against sos.wa.gov in October 2026

  5. Procedure 5: Plan for the recurring filing

    The next obligation is the annual report at $70, last day of your registration month.

What each procedure costs in Washington

Cost itemPaid toAmount
The registration procedurePayable to the state$180
Annual reportPayable to the state$70
Help from a serviceThe service$199 up front
State total over three yearsPayable to the state$320
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax gives the state's three-year total. The specimens below name the page behind each amount.

How the readings worked out

prevailed on measured cost over three years (36% of the reading), with close behind.

Years one to three cost $397 with WA Registered Agent.org, while Mainstay Filing costs $100 more.

Review questions on Washington

What will foreign registration cost in Washington?

$180 in state fees. Service fees: $199.

Which form do I file to register?

The form is the Foreign Registration Statement, and the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division takes delivery of it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, issued within 60 days of filing.

What is due after registering?

Keep the annual report in view; it costs $70.

Which services are in this lesson?

This sheet measures WA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Which service should handle the registration?

Select WA Registered Agent.org: the Washington registration reads $199 with a year of agent service, renewing at $99. Then Mainstay Filing.

Specimens and records

  1. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: primary record at ccfs.sos.wa.gov, last observed August 2026.
  2. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed August 2026.
  3. Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  4. Washington report due date: primary record at app.leg.wa.gov, last observed August 2026.
  5. Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  6. Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  7. Washington registered agent statute: primary record at app.leg.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  8. Washington SOS, register a foreign LLC online: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  9. Washington SOS, fee schedules and priority services: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  10. RCW 23.95.520, activities that are not doing business: primary record at app.leg.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  11. RCW 23.95.505, consequences of not registering: primary record at app.leg.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  12. RCW 23.95.510, foreign registration statement: primary record at app.leg.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  13. Washington SOS, registered agents: primary record at sos.wa.gov, last observed October 2026.
  14. pricing page (WA Registered Agent.org), observed November 13, 2026
  15. Washington service page (Mainstay Filing), observed November 13, 2026