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Last Updated: April 18, 2025
If you’re looking for an excellent Washington LLC service, choose ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 800,000+ businesses since 2017!
If you want a socially conscious Washington LLC service with a service discount, choose ZenBusiness.
Northwest Registered Agent charges $225 (plus state fee) for LLC filing services. That said, Northwest’s personalized customer support is a feature that could make their prices worth paying for some entrepreneurs.
Overall, Northwest does have some points in its favor. However, keep in mind that it charges $225 (plus your state’s required fee) for its LLC filing services.
Want to learn more? See this Northwest LLC review.
LegalZoom is one of the biggest names in the industry, with millions of customers served and frequent advertising efforts. LegalZoom provides an LLC filing package for free (plus the state’s fee).
LegalZoom is a huge company, so while it offers extended support hours, the quality of its customer support may vary a bit from representative to representative.
Want to learn more? See this LegalZoom LLC review.
Incfile/Bizee offers LLC formations for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee. Incfile and ZenBusiness have some similar characteristics, but there are also some significant differences that set the two apart.
If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in Washington and ZenBusiness doesn’t feel right for some reason, Incfile/Bizee could be worth a closer look.
Want to learn more? See this Incfile/Bizee LLC review.
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In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are quite a few other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a Washington business. You cannot form an LLC in Washington without filing the Certificate of Formation, the document that officially registers your business within the state.
After that, you’ll have to file an Initial Report, which is due within 120 days of forming your business. This simple filing just updates the state about your business’s standing. The filing fee is just $10. Another important filing is the business license application, required for all entities in the state. The application fee is $90.
Every year, you’ll also be expected to submit the Annual Report. This report, much like the Initial Report, updates the state about certain basic but vital information about your business, such as your registered agent and business address. The filing fee is $60. Read more about Washington costs – Washington LLC costs.
We invite you to take a look at our comprehensive guide to forming a limited liability company in Washington. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, ensuring that you don’t miss any crucial elements.
One of the most important steps in forming a Washington LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should search through the Secretary of State’s corporation search to make sure your desired name is available. For more information on conducting a business name search in Washington, check out Washington business search on the topic.
You can fill out or download the Certificate of Formation on the State Corporation Commission’s website.
In Washington, an LLC’s ongoing maintenance requirements include the annual report. This filing is due each year by the end of your LLC’s anniversary month, and there is a $60 filing fee.
Chances are, you’ll require at least one license or permit to operate your LLC in compliance with Washington state law. For more information about business licenses and more in this state, check out the state’s highly convenient Business Licensing Wizard.
The Secretary of State should be able to process your LLC’s formation within two business days if you file online. That’s because online orders are automatically expedited, and you can expedite a paper filing for an additional $50. Otherwise, paper filings usually take a couple of weeks.
If you want more details about what these companies can offer in this state, or you’d like to take a look at some other options, check out our complete guide to Washington registered agents.
Unfortunately, not all businesses last forever. If the time comes when you need to close your LLC’s doors, you’ll need to do so in a manner consistent with the state’s regulations. That’s why we wrote our guide to Washington LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.
If your LLC already exists in another state, you don’t actually need to “form” it in Washington. Instead, you’ll need to foreign qualify the business in this state. This process is somewhat similar to LLC formation, but there are some crucial differences as well. Take a look at our guide to foreign qualifications in Washington for more information.
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 800,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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