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LLC 101 Guide

Section 2 · Washington

The Washington Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 2 Best Agents

Short answer for 2026: if you want help naming a registered agent in Washington, go with WA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ranked best first. Work through the 6 tasks and your registered agent will be appointed the right way.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Legally required
Yes
Source: app.leg.wa.gov, read in October 2026
Agent price range
$99 to $149 a year
From company pricing pages
Annual report
$70 a year
Source: sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026
Unit tasks
6
One by one

Unit goals

  • The legal requirement
  • Who is eligible and the address test
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents at the top of the class

Services we recommend in Washington

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year cost and assignments completed count most.

Top of the class

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that live only in Washington

Start with this one$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

WA Registered Agent.org comes out first, and the reason is that a one-state plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99.

Mainstay Filing costs more over three years, so this service takes first.

What the price covers

  • An in-state office address
  • Served documents appear online

What works

  • Price $99; renews at $99
  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may grow into other states

Does most of the work$149 yearly, $149 at renewal

Mainstay Filing takes second place: a $149 yearly agent fee that is identical across all fifty states.

Counted over three years, it trails WA Registered Agent.org by $150.

What the price covers

  • A real street address in the state
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • $149 each year, no increase
  • One price in all fifty states

What to weigh

  • Higher by $50 a year
  • Report filing needs the formation package
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All the prices in one table

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1WA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Washington charges the same either way.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    Learn the requirement

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

    Source: Source: app.leg.wa.gov, read in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Who can take the role

    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. This is in RCW 23.95.415.

  3. Task 3

    Pick an address that complies

    The address has to be a physical street address in Washington. P.O. boxes and private mailboxes are not accepted.

    Every recommended service provides the Washington office address.

  4. Task 4

    Decide who will hold the role

    Owners who qualify can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Task 5

    Get the agent listed publicly

    On a new Washington LLC, the agent goes on the Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company. A later switch is a separate filing with the Washington Secretary of State.

    Source: Source: sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Check the record every year

    The annual report costs $70 every year and is due last day of the entity's anniversary month; any notice about it comes through the registered agent.

    Source: Source: sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026

The bill

EntryGoes toAmount
Registered agent serviceThe service$99 to $149 a year
RenewalThe service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportPaid to the state$70 every year
State amounts come from Washington's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why WA Registered Agent.org is first

Course fee across three years settled first place in Washington. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the other 66% comes from assignments the price completes, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Three years with WA Registered Agent.org add up to $297, which is $150 under Mainstay Filing.

Washington questions

Is a registered agent a must for Washington LLCs?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Maybe. Read tasks 2 and 3 and see whether you meet both rules.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. Switching takes a change filing at the Washington Secretary of State (task 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Washington?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The LLC sends in the annual report for $70 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

WA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: ccfs.sos.wa.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: sos.wa.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source: sos.wa.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for Washington report due date: app.leg.wa.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.wa.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.wa.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for Washington registered agent statute: app.leg.wa.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Figures from WA Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  9. Figures from Mainstay Filing's Washington service page, November 13, 2026