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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

Here's the deal · Washington

2 Best LLC Services in Washington (2026): The Straight Story

If you need LLC formation services in Washington in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199). Whoever you pick, Washington charges $200 to file, and the services run $397 to $597 over three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The short of it

The short of it
What the state charges
$200, once, up front
Every year after
$70 every year
Registered agent
Yes, you have to
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing then WA Registered Agent.org

Who we'd use in Washington

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

#1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for handing off the upkeep

$199 a year, plus the $200 state fee

Mainstay Filing is who we'd use first in Washington, because one yearly price of $199 covers the formation, the registered agent and every annual report.

Here's the catch: WA Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, and you'd do more of the paperwork yourself.

You won't file the annual report yourself. Washington still charges $70, billed at cost.

What you get

  • Formation handled start to finish
  • Registered agent for a whole year
  • Annual report done for you
  • EIN application filed
  • State fees passed through, no markup

Pluses

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • You don't pay extra for the EIN
  • Year two's $199

What's not

  • $100 a year above WA Registered Agent.org after year one
#2 Washington only

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a business that never leaves one state

$199 to form, $99 a year after

WA Registered Agent.org comes in second because three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal.

You're still on the hook for the annual report.

What you get

  • Washington formation filing
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Renewal's $99
  • Formation fee of $199
  • The first agent year's included

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the annual report
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Side by side

#WhoYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalWhat you get
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597formation handled start to finish; registered agent for a whole year; annual report done for you See Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 WA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397washington formation filing; agent service covered for year one See WA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

The questions that matter

How much do I need to start an LLC in this state?

The state takes $200, and a service that files for you in year one adds $199.

Across three years the state collects $340, filing fee included. go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Which form do I file, and where?

The Washington Secretary of State takes the Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company. Once it approves, you've got a company.

Statute: RCW 25.15.071. go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Does the state make me have a registered agent?

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

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.

go check app.leg.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What do I owe after that?

You'll file the annual report every year, and it's $70 each time. Here's the date the state gives: last day of the entity's anniversary month. Don't miss it.

The state's late fee is $25.

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

Do I have to pay somebody?

Yes. Filing it yourself costs only the state's fees: $340 over three years.

That $397 to $597 over three years is what you pay somebody else to deal with the paperwork and the agent role.

Why this order?

Mainstay Filing takes jobs the price actually covers, which counts 30%.

65% of the score comes from money out the door in three years and jobs the price actually covers.

WA Registered Agent.org is cheaper, but you'd be filing the annual report on your own time.

How we judge

Washington formation rules, with sources

WhatDetailCheck it
Fee to form $200go check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Registered agent Yes, you have togo check app.leg.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Annual report $70 every yeargo check sos.wa.gov, last confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three $340The rows above, added up

Every line above links to the state's own page. The total's ours: the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

More questions

Is the EIN application included?

Only Mainstay Filing throws it in. At the others it's $99 (WA Registered Agent.org).

What if I'm late with the report?

Expect a $25 late fee.

What's the three-year damage for each?

Over three years you're looking at $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at WA Registered Agent.org, before state fees.

Where do these numbers come from?

Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price comes from the company's own site.

Is a service required?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

What's the best LLC service in Washington?

Mainstay Filing is first: the annual report gets filed inside the $199 yearly price, along with formation and the registered agent. Then comes WA Registered Agent.org.

What's next

Sources, so you can check

  1. Where Washington Secretary of State, Corporations comes from: ccfs.sos.wa.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  2. Where Washington Secretary of State, Corporations comes from: sos.wa.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  3. Where Washington yearly filing: Annual report comes from: sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  4. Where Washington report due date comes from: app.leg.wa.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  5. Where Washington formation fee: Filing fee comes from: sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  6. Where Washington formation fee: Filing fee comes from: sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  7. Where Washington registered agent statute comes from: app.leg.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  8. Mainstay Filing Washington service page, read November 13, 2026
  9. WA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026