Skip to content
Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 3 · Washington

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

My advice for 2026: when bringing an LLC into a second state in Washington, start with Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199), best first. Washington wants $180 from a foreign LLC, and the 5 stages below show you how to file.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Key facts up front

State filing fee
$180
Verify it at sos.wa.gov, which we opened in October 2026
Home-state certificate
60 days
Age limit
Yearly filing
$70
Annual report
What the state collects in three years
$320
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
Stage count
5
Each one explained

You will walk away able to

  • Whether Washington registration applies to your LLC
  • What you file and what it costs
  • What staying registered costs
  • Who we would phone to file

If you would rather hand it off

Ranked on the scoring page: three-year cost (32%), work taken off your desk (32%), year-two price, fit with Washington rules and honest pricing.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a string of registrations

Our first callService $199, renewal $149 a year

Mainstay Filing takes first place, and the reason is that you pay $199 on top of the state fee, the registered agent costs nothing in year one, and after that it is $149 a year.

Three years run $100 higher than at WA Registered Agent.org, and you get more of the work done in return.

After the included year, count on $149 per year for the agent, wherever you register.

What you get

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • Your first year of registered agent is free
  • Covers all fifty states

What works

  • Year-one agent is covered
  • Ready for your next state too
  • A $199 service charge

What to watch

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a lean Washington filing

One-state planService $199, renewal $99 a year

WA Registered Agent.org comes in second: $199 plus the state fee to register, and $99 every year afterward.

What you get

  • The filing is done for you
  • Agent service for one year comes with the price

What works

  • A small $99 renewal
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • A free first agent year

What to watch

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

Scores and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2WA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each price is copied from the company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Washington's $180 registration fee is still owed in every row.

Registering with Washington, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    When registration is a must

    Quick definition: a foreign LLC is one formed in a different state. Washington wants it registered before it operates here.

    Check it yourself: Verify it at sos.wa.gov, which we opened in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    Order the home-state certificate

    Request certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, issued in the past 60 days.

    A recent certificate is the safe choice, so order late.

  3. Stage 3

    Name 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.

    Our picks each fill the registered agent role.

    Check it yourself: Verify it at app.leg.wa.gov, which we opened in October 2026

  4. Stage 4

    Your next job is the Foreign Registration Statement

    The form and the $180 fee travel together to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division.

    Check it yourself: Verify it at sos.wa.gov, which we opened in October 2026

  5. Stage 5

    What comes next

    Write down the annual report and its $70 fee (last day of your registration month).

Washington costs by stage

StageGoes toAmount
Foreign registrationThe state$180
Annual reportThe state$70
A filing service (optional)The provider$199 to start
State total across three yearsThe state$320
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

How we scored the Washington picks

edged out on work taken off your desk, which counts for 32%.

With the LLC working in two states, reach settled the order.

Short answers

What does Washington charge an out-of-state LLC?

$180 as the official fee. The services here charge $199 extra.

Which form do I file to register?

One form does the job, and the recipient is 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?

The annual report is what keeps the registration alive, at $70.

Which services are in this lesson?

The picks, best score first: Mainstay Filing and WA Registered Agent.org.

Which service should handle the registration?

Go with Mainstay Filing: the Washington registration is $199 plus the state's own charge, and the first year of the registered agent is already covered. Then WA Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

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