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Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
Launchwise Review

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Launch guide · Washington · foreign registration

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Washington (2026)

Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
For a 2026 launch in Washington, Launchwise Review grades foreign registration services this way: Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing earns the top grade here: $199 on top of the state fee, a free first year as registered agent and the same price in any state.
1
Number one here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for founders working in several states

$199 for the service and the state fee besides; agent service is $149 a year from the second year

Our mark 9.5 out of 10

Top grade, Mainstay Filing: the Washington registration costs $199, the first registered agent year is free, and later years are $149.

Once the free first year ends, the agent is $149 a year, in any state.

It runs $100 above WA Registered Agent.org across three years; the extra paperwork it handles is worth that to us.

In the price

  • Registration paperwork prepared and sent in
  • Registered agent service costs nothing in year one
  • Anything served on the company scanned the same business day at no fee

Pros

  • Registered agent service is free the first year
  • Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day, free
  • $199 for the service, with the state fee added
  • One price in every state

Less good

  • The agent costs $149 a year after year one, $50 above WA Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing launch review
2
Best for a Washington-only company

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

Service $199, state fee extra; the agent then costs $99 each year

Our mark 9.0 out of 10

Next up is WA Registered Agent.org: $199 beyond the state fee gets the company into Washington, with the agent renewing at $99.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

In the price

  • Filing with the state
  • The first year of registered agent service

Pros

  • Second-year agent price: $99
  • Registers the company for $199, state fee extra
  • The first year as your registered agent is free

Less good

  • Washington only; the home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the WA Registered Agent.org launch review

The 2 grades at a glance

Place Company Launch grade Service price Second year Best fit Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.5 $199 $149/yr Founders opening a second state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 WA Registered Agent.org 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal on this page Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The 10-point grades are editorial, built from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

Washington foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total

Company Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Three years, total Agent covered, year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
WA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Prices were copied from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Add Washington's $180 registration fee to any row; it is not in the totals.

Why this order

What made the call in Washington was launch paperwork handled. The grading method sets cost to launch and stay at 26%, launch paperwork handled at 26% and renewal behavior, state match and price transparency at 48% combined.

Adding a second state means dealing with two states, and one provider at one price in both earned the stronger coverage grade, ahead of WA Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Opening in Washington as a foreign LLC: fee, form and office

Your registration goes to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, on the Foreign Registration Statement. Budget $180 for the state. Have certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document in hand too, dated within 60 days of filing; Washington asks for it.

Calendar item for later: the annual report at $70, due last day of your registration month.

Before you file, get these together

  • Certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, issued within 60 days of your filing date.
  • Your company's exact legal name and the date it was formed at home.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; every company graded on this page can serve.
  • The $180 state fee, ready to pay with the filing.
  • A calendar reminder for the annual report and its $70 fee.

Quick answers about Washington foreign registration services

When does an LLC from elsewhere have to register in Washington?

Once it does business there.

What should I budget to bring an existing LLC into Washington?

The state fee is $180; add a service fee of $199.

Do I need a document from my home state first?

Yes, order certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document and file within 60 days of its date.

Does the foreign LLC still need a registered agent?

Yes. Keep a registered agent with a street address in the state for as long as the company is registered there.

Which foreign registration services are graded on this page?

Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199), top grade first.

Which service is the best way to register a foreign LLC in Washington?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 beyond the state's fee in whichever state you enter, with year-one registered agent service free.

More from us

Sources and dates

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