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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 3 · Washington

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

Pop quiz answer for Washington in 2026: WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199) are the services to use for registering an LLC from another state, best grade first. Registering takes 5 assignments and a $180 state fee, with $70 due on each later report.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Class overview

Registration fee$180Source for this: sos.wa.gov, October 2026
Good-standing proof60 daysHow old it may be at filing
Annual report$70Annual report
Three-year state cost$320Without any service fee
Assignment count5One by one

By the end you will know

  • Whether Washington registration applies to your LLC
  • The official form and fee
  • What staying registered costs
  • Which services we recommend and why

If you want someone else to file

Tuition over three years leads, then homework done, year-two tuition, Washington fit and readable fees (grading page).
Top of the class

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a small yearly agent fee

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

In Washington, WA Registered Agent.org sits at the top of the class: the Washington registration is filed for $199 with a year of agent service, and the plan renews at $99.

Mainstay Filing loses to it on three-year tuition, and tuition is a big slice of the grade.

Covered by the tuition

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • First year of agent service costs nothing extra
  • The agent renews at $99

Weak spots

  • Serves Washington alone
Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for both states

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing lands in second place: a $199 service fee plus Washington's own fee, then $149 a year for the agent.

Add up three years: it comes to $100 more than WA Registered Agent.org.

From year two you pay $149 a year for the agent, wherever you register.

Covered by the tuition

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • One fee wherever you register

Strengths

  • A $199 service charge
  • First year of the agent is included
  • Ready for the next state too

Weak spots

  • WA Registered Agent.org charges $50 less for the agent

All the tuition in one table

#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 come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. Every row also owes the $180 state fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Does the rule apply to you?

    When an LLC from elsewhere starts operating in Washington, foreign registration is the way in.

    Textbook page: Source for this: sos.wa.gov, October 2026

  2. Assignment
    2

    Request the certificate your home state issues

    You need certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, from the last 60 days.

    Ask for the certificate shortly before filing day.

  3. Assignment
    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.

    The grade list covers this role.

    Textbook page: Source for this: app.leg.wa.gov, October 2026

  4. Assignment
    4

    Draw up the Foreign Registration Statement

    Finish the Foreign Registration Statement, tuck in $180, and send everything to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division.

    Textbook page: Source for this: sos.wa.gov, October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Keep the registration alive

    Once registered, a foreign LLC sends in the annual report ($70), last day of your registration month.

What this class costs

EntryPayeeAmount
Registration feeState agency$180
Annual reportState agency$70
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 in year one
State total across three yearsState agency$320
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax makes the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

Why WA Registered Agent.org is first

What decided it was tuition across three years, which carries 30% of the grade.

WA Registered Agent.org wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Washington questions

Which fees does Washington take from a foreign LLC?

$180 for the filing. The graded services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

The Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division takes this form from foreign LLCs.

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?

Once you are registered, the LLC owes the annual report, billed at $70 each time.

Which services are in this lesson?

WA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing; prices are in the table above.

Which service should handle the registration?

Pick WA Registered Agent.org: a service fee of $199 and an agent renewal of $99 a year. Then Mainstay Filing.

Keep learning

Textbook pages and extra reading

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