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Straight talk · Washington

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Washington (2026) and What Washington Really Requires

Washington, 2026: WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199) are our picks for foreign registration services, in that order. Every option pays Washington $180, then services run $397 to $497 over three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
What the state charges to register
$180
Bring a home-state certificate?
Yes (60 days old, tops)
Once you're registered
$70, annual report
Who we'd use
WA Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Washington picks, best first

Prices come from each company's own page. Here's how we judge.

#1 Our top pick

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for adding this state and no others

Service $199 plus $180 to the state; agent renewal $99

WA Registered Agent.org is who we'd use first in Washington, because $199 files the registration, and from year two the agent's $99.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is the biggest test.

What you get

  • Registration filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $99 a year from year two

What's not

  • Nothing outside this state
Go to WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Works in all 50 states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in several states

Service $199 plus $180 to the state; agent renewal $149

Mainstay Filing takes second place: it's $199 to register, with a free first registered agent year and $149 a year from then on.

WA Registered Agent.org is $100 less over three years, and that's enough to decide the order.

You don't pay for the registered agent the first year. From year two, it's $149 annually wherever you registered.

What you get

  • Your registration filed for you
  • Registered agent, waived for the first year
  • A flat fee in every state

Pluses

  • The first agent year's covered
  • Same fee in every state
  • $199 over the state fee

What's not

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above WA Registered Agent.org
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The numbers

#WhoFirst yearEach year afterThree-year totalWhat you get
1 WA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397registration filed; agent service covered for year one Go to WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497your registration filed for you; registered agent, waived for the first year; A flat fee in every state Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whoever you pick.

What you need to know

When does an out-of-state LLC have to register?

Before your LLC does business in Washington. You register with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, then you start working.

go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026

How much does registering run?

$180 goes to the state. A service is $199 more.

Over three years the state's fees reach $320, counting any recurring report. go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Which form, and who gets it?

You file the Foreign Registration Statement with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, and that single filing registers the LLC.

Attach certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document issued within the last 60 days.

What do I owe once I'm registered?

The state wants a annual report later, and it's $70.

Straight from the state, the deadline is last day of your registration month.

Why this order?

On money out the door in three years (35% of the score), WA Registered Agent.org wins.

Two tests carry most of the weight: money out the door in three years (35%) and jobs the price actually covers (30%).

Do the math: WA Registered Agent.org is $397 for three years, and that's $100 less than Mainstay Filing.

How we judge

What Washington requires to register

WhatThe rule or the numberCheck it
Registration fee $180go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Good standing certificate Yes, 60 daysgo check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Annual report $70go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years $320Our sum of the rows above

Want to check the total? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and any minimum tax. We don't count costs without a set amount.

Still wondering?

Do I still need an agent at home?

Yes. Your home state has its own agent rule, and Mainstay Filing can cover both states from one account.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Over three years you're looking at $397 at WA Registered Agent.org, $497 at Mainstay Filing, services only.

Are the fees official?

Official Washington sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.

Is a service required?

No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.

Will a service file it for me?

Yes. Every pick files it, and the state fee's the same whichever you choose.

What's the best foreign registration service in Washington?

WA Registered Agent.org is first: the service fee's $199, with the first year of agent service included, and renewal is $99. Then comes Mainstay Filing.

Keep reading

Sources, so you can check

  1. Don't take our word on Washington Secretary of State, Corporations: ccfs.sos.wa.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  2. Don't take our word on Washington Secretary of State, Corporations: sos.wa.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  3. Don't take our word on Washington yearly filing: Annual report: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  4. Don't take our word on Washington report due date: app.leg.wa.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  5. Don't take our word on Washington formation fee: Filing fee: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  6. Don't take our word on Washington formation fee: Filing fee: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  7. Don't take our word on Washington registered agent statute: app.leg.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  8. Don't take our word on Washington SOS, register a foreign: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  9. Don't take our word on Washington SOS, fee schedules and: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  10. Don't take our word on RCW 23.95.520, activities that are: app.leg.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  11. Don't take our word on RCW 23.95.505, consequences of not: app.leg.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  12. Don't take our word on RCW 23.95.510, foreign registration statement: app.leg.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  13. Don't take our word on Washington SOS, registered agents: sos.wa.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  14. WA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  15. Mainstay Filing Washington service page, read November 13, 2026