2 Best Registered Agents in Washington (2026), No Fluff
Washington, 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and WA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) are our picks for registered agents, in that order. Prices start at $99 to $149 for the first year and reach $297 to $447 by year three.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
Do you have to?
Yes, it's the law
What the law calls it
Registered agent
Going rate
$99 to $149 per year
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing then WA Registered Agent.org
Who we'd use in Washington
The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Who we'd call first
1. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that might grow
Annual price $149, renewal price $149
Mainstay Filing wins the top spot: the price doesn't change by state, $149 a year, and renewal is $149.
You'd save $150 over three years with WA Registered Agent.org, as long as the LLC never leaves Washington.
What you get
A real address in the state, on file
Three government letters a year scanned at no cost
Not only for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too
Pluses
One price in all fifty states
$149 a year, flat at renewal
What's not
$50 a year more than WA Registered Agent.org
You'll still file the reports
#2Washington specialist
2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for an LLC that'll stay in the state
Annual price $99, renewal price $99
WA Registered Agent.org takes second place: a company that never leaves Washington pays $297 over three years.
What you get
In-state address
Legal papers scanned online
Pluses
Under Mainstay Filing on yearly price
$99 a year, flat at renewal
What's not
A second state means a second agent
Doesn't file the annual report
Side by side
#
Company
First year
Then
Three-year total
What you get
1
Mainstay Filing
$149
$149/yr
$447
A real address in the state, on file; three government letters a year scanned at no cost; Not only for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whoever you pick.
The questions that matter
Do I have to name a registered agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
The law: RCW 23.95.415. app.leg.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Who can be the agent?
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.
If you qualify, name yourself and you won't pay an agent.
What does an agent cost?
You're looking at $99 to $149 a year for the services we'd use, $297 to $447 across three years.
Naming a different agent won't change any state fee.
What does an agent actually do?
It takes delivery of lawsuits and official state mail for the LLC at an address in Washington.
Ask how fast the agent tells you when something shows up, so you don't blow a deadline. What's service of process?
What else does the state bill every year?
Set aside $70 each year for the annual report. Put the state's date on your calendar: last day of the entity's anniversary month.
sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Why this order?
On jobs the price actually covers (30% of the score), Mainstay Filing wins.
65% of the score comes from money out the door in three years and jobs the price actually covers.
Only the first pick works in all fifty states, and that matters the day you register somewhere else.
sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Registered agent
Yes, it's the law
app.leg.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Annual report
$70 every year
sos.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
State fees, years one to three
$340
Our sum of the rows above
The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.
More questions
Can I name myself?
Yes, as long as you meet the state's rules on who can serve and on the address, both shown above.
What address does an agent need?
The address has to be a physical street address in Washington. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes are not accepted.
What do the picks cost over three years?
Over three years you're looking at $447 at Mainstay Filing, $297 at WA Registered Agent.org
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.
Who should I use for a registered agent in Washington?
Go with Mainstay Filing first, then look at WA Registered Agent.org.