The numbers
The Washington Secretary of State takes $200 at formation[2], and the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division bills $70 for each Annual Report[3]. For ongoing state fees, 35 states charge less and 14 charge more.
To have it handled in Washington, Mainstay Filing charges $199 a year plus the $200 state fee at cost[1].
Updated October 29, 2026. Fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.
The fee table
| Filing | Fee | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation (Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company) | $200 | Once | [2] app.leg.wa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Annual Report | $70 | Every year | [3] ccfs.sos.wa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Late filing penalty | $25 | If late | [4] app.leg.wa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Change of registered agent | $0 | When filed | [5] sos.wa.gov, updated October 29, 2026 |
Fees paid to Washington agencies only; card and portal charges and expedite options are not included.
In the formation year the state bill is $200. Each later year adds $70.
When the Washington report is due
Every Washington LLC files the Annual Report every year. The details, as the state sets them:
- Filing: Annual Report
- Filed with: Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division
- Fee: $70, every year[3]
- Deadline: Last day of the entity's anniversary month[4]
- How to file: online or on paper
- Late fee: $25
Filing after the deadline adds $25. An LLC that keeps missing it loses good standing, and Washington law then allows the state to end its registration[4].
Service costs on top of state fees
The state does not charge for naming a registered agent, but a commercial agent charges every year. Owners who live in Washington qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. Washington law also lets the company be named as its own registered agent.
Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year for Washington registered agent service[1]. For $199 a year it also forms the company, applies for the EIN and files the Annual Report when due. Both prices stay the same at renewal.
We also read 7 other services' Washington prices on October 20, 2026. They started at $0 and went up to $249 for year one, with renewals of $125 to $249.
Washington against nearby states
Averaged per year, Washington's ongoing state cost is $70. Against a 50-state median of $30, 35 states charge less and 14 charge more. Next door, Idaho costs less per year.
| State | Formation | Report | Per year (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $200 | $70 / yr | $70 |
| Idaho | $100 | $0 / yr | $0 |
| Oregon | $100 | $100 / yr | $100 |
Filing-office fees only, per each state's own fee schedule as of August 12, 2026; biennial fees are shown halved in the last column.
Washington's small businesses
Washington had 165,410 employer firms and 533,681 nonemployer businesses in the Census Bureau's 2022 counts. Of the business locations that opened in Washington between April 2019 and March 2020, 42.2% were still open in March 2025.
Questions
How much is the Washington LLC Annual Report?
$70, every year[3]. It is due last day of the entity's anniversary month.
What happens if a Washington LLC misses the deadline?
Washington charges a $25 late fee. The LLC loses good standing with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, and continued non-filing can end in administrative dissolution or revocation.
Can a service handle these Washington filings?
Yes. Mainstay Filing's $199 yearly price covers the Washington formation filing, registered agent service and the EIN application[1]. The $70 Annual Report fee is passed through when it is filed.
Is Washington an expensive state for an LLC?
For the $200 formation fee, 42 states charge less and 6 charge more. After formation it averages $70 a year; 35 states charge less and 14 charge more.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- RCW 25.15.071 (certificate of formation), filed under Article 2 of chapter 23.95 RCW; fee set by WAC 434-112-085(7)(a) ('Public organic record — One hundred eighty dollars'). app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=25.15.071. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: Annual Report rules and fee. ccfs.sos.wa.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- RCW 23.95.255 (annual report); RCW 23.95.515 (license fees, $70 LLC after 2026 SHB 2248 increase); RCW 23.95.610 (administrative dissolution). app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=23.95.255. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Statement of Change/Designation of Registered Agent fee. www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/fee-scheduleexpedite. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses 2022 and Nonemployer Statistics 2022. www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html. Updated October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.