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2 Best Foreign Registration Services in Washington (2026): Who to Ask First

Wondering about foreign registration services in Washington, for 2026 our order is WA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199). The state fee is $180, the same for everyone, and three years of service fees run $397 to $497.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

The short answers

State fee to register
$180
Home-state certificate?
Yes (60 day age limit)
Once registered
$70, annual report
Our pick
WA Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Our Washington answer, best first

Prices come from each company's own pricing. Here is how we choose.

1Ask this one first

1. WA Registered Agent.org: best for adding only this state

Registering costs $199, then $99 a year for the agent

WA Registered Agent.org is the one to ask first in Washington because three years of its service fees come to $397.

For a company that stays put, the lower three-year price than Mainstay Filing earns it the top spot.

What the price covers

  • Washington registration filing
  • A year of agent service to start

Good news

  • First-year agent service is covered
  • Service fee of $199
  • Then $99 annually

The catch

  • Serves Washington alone, so the home state needs another agent
Go to WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

Registering costs $199, then $149 a year for the agent

Why Mainstay Filing in second place? The fee is $199 in every state, and the first registered agent year is included.

Why is it not higher? Three years cost $100 more than at WA Registered Agent.org, and price is what we weigh most.

The registered agent is free in year one and $149 a year after, in any state.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • Registered agent, no charge the first year
  • One service fee for all fifty states

Good news

  • $199 on top of Washington's fee
  • First agent year is covered
  • Fifty states covered

The catch

  • Pay $50 more a year for the agent
Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks side by side

#CompanyFirst yearAt renewalThree years in allWhat the price covers
1WA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397washington registration filing; A year of agent service to startGo to WA Registered Agent.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497the registration filing; registered agent, no charge the first year; one service fee for all fifty statesGo to Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever you pick.

What owners want to know

When must an out-of-state LLC register here?

Register with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division before your LLC starts doing business in Washington.

sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

How much does registration cost?

Registering costs $180 at the state, plus $199 if you hire help.

By year three the state will have collected $320. sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Which form do I file, and with whom?

The Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division handles it: submit the Foreign Registration Statement there and the LLC is registered once accepted.

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

Is there a filing that repeats?

Afterward comes a annual report at $70.

When the filing is due, per the state: last day of your registration month.

Why is the list in this order?

On what you pay over three years, worth 33%, WA Registered Agent.org comes out ahead.

Two questions carry most of the weight, what you pay over three years (33%) and chores the price takes care of (29%), and three smaller ones follow.

Pick WA Registered Agent.org over Mainstay Filing and keep $100 across three years.

How we choose

What does Washington require to register?

QuestionThe answerOfficial source
Fee to register$180sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Certificate from homeYes, 60 dayssos.wa.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Annual report$70sos.wa.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
State fees, years one to three$320Our sum of the rows above
How was the bottom line figured? Add the filing fee, the next two reports and the minimum tax if the state has one. Anything with no fixed price, a newspaper notice for instance, is described above and kept out of the sum.

Still wondering?

Do I still need an agent in my home state?

Expect to name one in each state. Mainstay Filing is active in all fifty, so it can serve the pair together.

What do the picks cost over three years?

For three years you would pay $397 at WA Registered Agent.org, $497 at Mainstay Filing, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

Official Washington sources back the state side, and posted company prices back the service side.

Does the law require a service?

No. What the law asks for is a filing, and it does not say who has to send it.

Can I hire someone to register the LLC?

Each of them submits it for you, and the state fee is not affected by that choice.

Who should I ask first about a foreign registration service in Washington?

WA Registered Agent.org, because registering costs $199 over the state fee, with the agent covered in year one, then $99 a year. After that, Mainstay Filing.

Where did we look this up?

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