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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Washington

2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Washington (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Washington the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: it files the Washington registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.3 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above WA Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Legal papers served on the company scanned free on the same business day

Strengths

  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than WA Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best value here

2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Washington

8.9 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

WA Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Washington, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • First-year registered agent service included
  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • Second-year agent cost: $99

Watch for

  • Limited to Washington; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. WA Registered Agent.org: the full write-up

The 2 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.3 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 WA Registered Agent.org 8.9 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

Washington foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
WA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Washington's $180 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

What broke the tie

Coverage of the price decided the Washington card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of WA Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Washington: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Foreign Registration Statement to the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, with a $180 state fee. Washington additionally requires certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, dated no more than 60 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($70), due last day of your registration month.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, issued no earlier than 60 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $180, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $70 fee.

Washington foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Washington make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there.

What will foreign registration run in Washington?

Expect $180 for the state plus $199 for the service.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Washington filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence (good standing) or similar document, no older than 60 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199) and WA Registered Agent.org ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Washington?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, as of August 2026
  2. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, as of August 2026
  3. Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Washington report due date, as of August 2026
  5. Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  7. Washington registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  8. Washington SOS, register a foreign LLC online, as of October 2026
  9. Washington SOS, fee schedules and priority services, as of October 2026
  10. RCW 23.95.520, activities that are not doing business, as of October 2026
  11. RCW 23.95.505, consequences of not registering, as of October 2026
  12. RCW 23.95.510, foreign registration statement, as of October 2026
  13. Washington SOS, registered agents, as of October 2026
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: Washington service page for Mainstay Filing
  15. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for WA Registered Agent.org