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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 3 · Washington

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

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Washington are WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. 5 sections explain the filing, the $180 fee and the duties that follow.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

Fee to register $180 sos.wa.gov, as published October 2026
Certificate to attach 60 days How recent it must be
Report fee $70 Annual report
State cost, years 1 to 3 $320 Registration and reports
Section count 5 Outlined below

Chapter objectives

  • Whether Washington registration applies to an LLC
  • The filing, its fee and its office
  • The cost of staying registered
  • The recommendations and their reasons

If you want someone else to file

The editorial board's five criteria are explained on how we grade and determine the order.

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for one more state

Top recommendation
$199 and the $180 state fee, then $99 annually

WA Registered Agent.org comes first. A service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99.

Cost breaks the tie: three years here total less than at Mainstay Filing.

Price covers

  • Registration paperwork completed
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee

Limitations

  • Serves Washington alone
Visit WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that keep expanding

All fifty states
$199 and the $180 state fee, then $149 annually

Second place is held by Mainstay Filing, since the first-year agent is included, so the Washington registration costs $199 beyond the state fee.

Three years cost $100 above WA Registered Agent.org, and cost counts for 34% of the ranking.

Once the included year is used up, expect $149 per year for agent service wherever the LLC registers.

Price covers

  • Registration filing
  • The registered agent carries no charge in year one
  • The same price in every state

Advantages

  • A service charge of $199
  • No agent fee in year one
  • Ready for a later state as well

Limitations

  • $50 more a year for the agent
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 WA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. Add the $180 state fee to every row.

The Washington registration, in sequence

  1. Section 1

    When Washington requires registration

    Washington requires an out-of-state LLC to register first if it will do business here.

    Reference: sos.wa.gov, as published October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Obtain a certificate from the home state

    Attach certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, from the preceding 60 days.

    Leave it until the other documents are ready.

  3. Section 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.

    Every recommended service provides the registered agent.

    Reference: app.leg.wa.gov, as published October 2026

  4. Section 4

    The state wants the Foreign Registration Statement

    To register, deliver the Foreign Registration Statement to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division with the $180 fee.

    Reference: sos.wa.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Handle Washington's recurring filing

    Item for the calendar: the annual report, fee $70, timing last day of your registration month.

Costs section by section

ItemRecipientAmount
Fee to register Government$180
Annual report Government$70
Optional service The service company$199 in the first year
State total over three years Government$320

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

The reasoning behind the ranking

Tuition over three years decided first place in Washington. It is 34% of the ranking, and the rest comes from chapters the price completes, second-year bill, fit for the state syllabus and clarity of the price list.

By year three WA Registered Agent.org has cost $397, a saving of $100 next to Mainstay Filing.

What readers ask

What does Washington charge a foreign LLC to register?

$180 at the filing office. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

The Foreign Registration Statement is the form needed, and it goes to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division.

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?

Section 5 covers it: the annual report for $70.

Which services are in this lesson?

Three are recommended: WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199).

Which service should handle the registration?

Choose WA Registered Agent.org: $199 beyond the state fee to register, then $99 each year. Next are Mainstay Filing.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

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