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Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 2 · Washington

Washington Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 2 Best Agents

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for naming a registered agent in Washington are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and WA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. In 6 stages you will know what Washington wants from a registered agent, who can do the job, which address works and how to make the appointment official.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Key facts up front

Must you name one?
Yes
We pulled this from app.leg.wa.gov in October 2026
Yearly cost of the agents we recommend
$99 to $149 a year
From company pricing pages
Annual report
$70 a year
We pulled this from sos.wa.gov in October 2026
Stages in this walkthrough
6
Listed below

By the end you will know

  • The Washington agent rule
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • Naming the agent with the state
  • The agents we picked

Who we would phone in Washington

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we score), and three-year cost and work taken off your desk count most.

Our call

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for every state

Number one pick$149 yearly, no change at renewal

Start with Mainstay Filing; the price is $149 a year whichever of the fifty states you choose.

Next to WA Registered Agent.org the three-year premium is $150, which the 32% weight on work taken off your desk outweighs.

What you get

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • A flat $149 yearly
  • Goes with you to any state

What to watch

  • Costs $50 extra every year
  • It will not file your yearly report
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent fee

In-state service$99 yearly, no change at renewal

Pick number 2 is WA Registered Agent.org, where a one-state plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99.

What you get

  • A Washington street address
  • Online copies of legal papers

What works

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 per year

What to watch

  • Serves Washington alone
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2 services, compared

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2WA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Washington asks the same either way.

Naming a Washington registered agent, stage by stage

  1. Stage 1

    Understand the requirement

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from app.leg.wa.gov in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    See who is eligible

    A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, a noncommercial agent (any person or business with a Washington address), or the holder of a named position in the company. The agent consents in advance. It is written into RCW 23.95.415.

  3. Stage 3

    Use an office address that qualifies

    The address has to be a physical street address in Washington. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes are not accepted.

    Each of our picks supplies a Washington office address.

  4. Stage 4

    Decide who takes the role

    If you pass the tests above you can name yourself. Hiring one of our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Stage 5

    Record the appointment

    A brand-new LLC lists its agent on the Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company, which goes to the Washington Secretary of State. Swapping agents later means filing a change with the same office.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from sos.wa.gov in October 2026

  6. Stage 6

    Check the record each year

    Washington checks the agent's details through the annual report ($70, every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month); letters about it go to your registered agent.

    Check it yourself: We pulled this from sos.wa.gov in October 2026

What the agent costs in Washington

StagePayeeTotal
The agentThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Agent renewalThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState office$70 every year
The state rows come from Washington's published fee schedules (the pages we opened are listed under the table), and each service row comes from that company's own price. Across three years the state row counts the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

On work taken off your desk (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

A single agent for every state topped the one-state plan.

Short answers

Does Washington make every LLC keep a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

An owner can serve when eligible; the tests sit in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. Replacing the agent takes a change filing at the Washington Secretary of State (stage 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Washington?

$99 to $149 per year for the agents listed.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each time, the state bills $70 for the annual report.

Which registered agent would you choose?

The order runs Mainstay Filing and WA Registered Agent.org, with Mainstay Filing first because a steady $149 per year, with nothing to change if you move into another state.

Where we got the facts

  1. For Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, open ccfs.sos.wa.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  2. For Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, open sos.wa.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  3. For Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source, open sos.wa.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  4. For Washington report due date, open app.leg.wa.gov (we last saw it August 2026).
  5. For Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open sos.wa.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  6. For Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, open sos.wa.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  7. For Washington registered agent statute, open app.leg.wa.gov (we last saw it October 2026).
  8. November 13, 2026, Washington service page belonging to Mainstay Filing
  9. November 13, 2026, pricing page belonging to WA Registered Agent.org