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Straight talk · Washington

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Washington (2026): Our Honest Take

We'd line up the foreign registration services in Washington for 2026 as Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Everybody pays Washington $180, and three years of service run $397 to $497.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

Quick take

What the state charges
$180
Need a certificate from home?
Yes, attach it (60 days or newer)
Ongoing
$70, annual report
Our picks
Mainstay Filing then WA Registered Agent.org

Our Washington picks

Prices come from each company's own pricing. Here's how we pick.
Best overall

1. Mainstay Filing: best for your second, third and fourth state

First year $199 (state's $180 separate); $149 after

Why Mainstay Filing? Honestly, $199 over the state fee gets you registered, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year after.

That $100 gap to WA Registered Agent.org over three years is what coverage in every state costs.

Once the free year is up, the registered agent renews at $149.

Your money buys

  • Out-of-state registration handled
  • Registered agent, no charge the first year
  • One service fee in all fifty states

The good

  • No change in price by state
  • $199, with state fees on top
  • You skip the registered agent fee in year one

Trade-offs

  • WA Registered Agent.org charges $50 less to renew the agent
Washington only

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

First year $199 (state's $180 separate); $99 after

Second place goes to WA Registered Agent.org, where $199 files the registration, and the agent costs $99 each year after.

Your money buys

  • Registration handled for you
  • Agent included for year one

The good

  • Then $99 a year for the agent
  • A free agent year at the start
  • Registers you for $199 over the state fee

Trade-offs

  • Works in Washington alone, so your home state needs its own agent

At a glance

#WhoFirst yearRenewalThree-year totalWhat you get
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration handled; registered agent, no charge the first year; one service fee in all fifty statesTake a look at Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2WA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397registration handled for you; agent included for year oneTake a look at WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. Your state's own fees are in the checklist below.

What you probably want to know

Do I have to register an LLC from another state?

An out-of-state LLC signs up with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division first and does business in Washington afterward.

check it at sos.wa.gov, October 2026

What should I expect to pay to register?

You'd pay the state $180, plus $199 if you use a service.

Over three years the state itself takes $320, counting any recurring report. check it at sos.wa.gov, October 2026

What gets submitted?

The paper is the Foreign Registration Statement, and it goes to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division.

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

Any ongoing fees?

The state wants a annual report later on, priced at $70.

The state's deadline: last day of your registration month.

What's behind the ranking?

Mainstay Filing leads on work taken off your hands, a 31% check.

Cost across three years (33%) and work taken off your hands (31%) matter most, and three lighter checks sit behind them.

WA Registered Agent.org only covers Washington, so you'd need someone else at home.

How we pick

Washington rules at a glance

ItemAmount or ruleOfficial source
Cost to register$180check it at sos.wa.gov, October 2026
Good standing proofYes, attach it, 60 dayscheck it at sos.wa.gov, October 2026
Annual report$70check it at sos.wa.gov, October 2026
What the state gets in three years$320Our total of the lines above
Each figure above links to the state's official page. The final line is our addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs.

A few more

What about my home state?

Most likely yes. A national provider can look after the home state and this one together.

How do the three-year costs stack up?

Mainstay Filing $497; WA Registered Agent.org $397, not counting state fees.

Where did you get these numbers?

Washington's fee schedules and forms for state costs; each company's price page for service costs.

Do I need to hire a service?

No. The state takes filings straight from owners. A service saves you time and can serve as your agent, but nobody makes you hire one.

Will a company file this for me?

They do. What the state charges is fixed, and only the service fee varies.

Who do you like best in Washington?

Mainstay Filing is on top because its $199 fee is the same in every state, and the first registered agent year comes with it; WA Registered Agent.org follow.

What we used for this page

  1. August 2026: confirmed Washington Secretary of State, Corporations using ccfs.sos.wa.gov
  2. August 2026: confirmed Washington Secretary of State, Corporations using sos.wa.gov
  3. October 2026: confirmed Washington yearly filing: Annual report using sos.wa.gov
  4. August 2026: confirmed Washington report due date using app.leg.wa.gov
  5. October 2026: confirmed Washington formation fee: Filing fee using sos.wa.gov
  6. October 2026: confirmed Washington formation fee: Filing fee using sos.wa.gov
  7. October 2026: confirmed Washington registered agent statute using app.leg.wa.gov
  8. October 2026: confirmed Washington SOS, register a foreign using sos.wa.gov
  9. October 2026: confirmed Washington SOS, fee schedules and using sos.wa.gov
  10. October 2026: confirmed RCW 23.95.520, activities that are using app.leg.wa.gov
  11. October 2026: confirmed RCW 23.95.505, consequences of not using app.leg.wa.gov
  12. October 2026: confirmed RCW 23.95.510, foreign registration statement using app.leg.wa.gov
  13. October 2026: confirmed Washington SOS, registered agents using sos.wa.gov
  14. November 13, 2026: the Mainstay Filing Washington service page
  15. November 13, 2026: the WA Registered Agent.org pricing page