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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 3 · Washington

Foreign LLC Registration in Washington (2026): 5 Moves and the 2 Best Services

Best picks for registering an LLC from another state in Washington in 2026, in order: Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199). The primer runs 5 moves: the filing, the $180 fee and what you owe after.
From the Founder Primer desk

Key facts

Filing fee
$180
Per sos.wa.gov, as of October 2026
Certificate to attach
60 days
How old it can be
Report fee
$70
Annual report
Three years of state fees
$320
State charges only
Moves
5
First to last

What you will be able to do

  • When registration is required
  • The filing, its fee and its office
  • The recurring filing
  • Who we would hire to file

The Washington shortlist

Five published criteria set the order; read them on how we score.

Top mark $199 plus the $180 state fee, then $149 a year

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and more

In Washington, Mainstay Filing is number one: $199 plus state fees to register, with the registered agent free for the first year.

The three-year premium over WA Registered Agent.org is $100; the 38% weight on to-dos cleared outweighs it.

Year two onward, the agent runs $149 annually, and that holds in every state.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • Registered agent free in year one
  • Any state, one price
In its favor
  • Same fee in every state
  • Year-one agent included
  • $199 to register
Against it
  • $50 more a year for the agent
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Local option $199 plus the $180 state fee, then $99 a year

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for adding only Washington

WA Registered Agent.org lands second: $199 plus state fees to register; the agent is paid through year one.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 above the state fee
Against it
  • A one-state service
Visit WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Marks and prices together

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $149/yr $497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 WA Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Every row owes the $180 state fee as well.

Registering with Washington, move by move

  1. Move 1

    When registration is required

    Operating here through an LLC formed elsewhere means foreign registration.

    Where this comes from: Per sos.wa.gov, as of October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Get the home-state certificate

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

    Order it last so it is fresh when you file.

  3. Move 3

    Appoint a registered agent in 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.

    All of our picks act as the registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Per app.leg.wa.gov, as of October 2026

  4. Move 4

    Finish and lodge the Foreign Registration Statement

    The registration is the Foreign Registration Statement plus $180, addressed to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division.

    Where this comes from: Per sos.wa.gov, as of October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Look at the recurring filing

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

Costs, move by move

Line Recipient Cost
Foreign registration Paid to the state $180
Annual report Paid to the state $70
Filing service (optional) Service $199 in the first year
State fees for three years Paid to the state $320

These are the official Washington fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the year-two and year-three reports and any minimum tax.

Why this order

To-dos the price takes off you decided first place in Washington. It is 38% of the mark; the rest is founder outlay over three years, year-two price, fit with the state's rules and pricing you can read at once.

WA Registered Agent.org has the smaller renewal, yet reaching several states carried more weight.

Common questions

What does Washington charge a foreign LLC?

$180 at the state office. Our picks add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Find the Foreign Registration Statement, which 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?

Move 5 has it: the annual report for $70.

Which services are in this lesson?

2 services get marks: Mainstay Filing at $199 and WA Registered Agent.org at $199.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus the state fee, with year one of the registered agent free and $149 a year after. Then WA Registered Agent.org.

Next primer

Sources, so you can check us

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