How to Start an LLC in Washington

What it costs to start an LLC in Washington

The one cost nobody can avoid is the state's filing fee: $200. It goes to Washington whether you file the Certificate of Formation yourself or pay someone to do it. After that, the cost that matters most is the recurring one, because it comes back every year for as long as the LLC exists.

State fees verified October 2026 and charged by the state, not by us. Our fee is separate and optional. If the state's fee changes before we file, we refund or invoice the difference.

So the minimum to form a Washington LLC is $200, paid to the state. With our service it is $299. For how Washington compares with other states, see LLC cost by state.

How to start an LLC in Washington, step by step

Six steps take you from an idea to an LLC that is formed and in good standing. The first three happen before Washington approves anything; the last three start once you have the approved Certificate of Formation.

1. Choose a name and check it's available

Your LLC's name must end with a designator such as "LLC", "L.L.C." or "Limited Liability Company", and it must be distinguishable from every other business already on Washington's records. Words that suggest a regulated business, such as "bank" or "insurance", usually need extra approval.

Search the name in Washington's business records on ccfs.sos.wa.gov before you file. A name that is taken or too close to an existing one is the most common reason a filing comes back. Our guide to LLC name rules covers the details.

2. Name a registered agent

Every Washington LLC needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Washington who accepts lawsuits and state notices on the company's behalf during business hours. The agent's name and address go on the Certificate of Formation and become public.

• Can you be your own agent? Yes, if you have a Washington street address and are there during business hours.
• Consent required. 'Consent to Serve as Registered Agent - REQUIRED FOR ALL TYPES' (paper signature; online consent affirmation).

More on the trade-offs in Do you need a registered agent?

3. File the Certificate of Formation

The Certificate of Formation is the document that creates your LLC. Washington takes it online at ccfs.sos.wa.gov, and the filing fee is $200. It asks for the company name, the registered agent, a mailing address, and the people forming the company. Whoever signs it as organizer does not have to be an owner, which is how filing services sign on your behalf.

What becomes public: Executor(s) name and address; registered agent; governors on the Initial Report.

Once Washington approves the filing, your LLC exists. Keep the approved Certificate of Formation; banks ask for it.

4. Adopt an operating agreement

The operating agreement sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions get made, how profits are split, and what happens if an owner leaves. It is not filed with the state. Even a single-owner LLC benefits from one, because it shows the company is run as a separate business, and banks often ask for it.

You can write your own, use an attorney for complex ownership, or add our $79 self-help template from your order page after checkout. See Do you need an operating agreement?

5. Get an EIN from the IRS

An Employer Identification Number is your LLC's federal tax ID. Banks ask for it to open a business account, and you need it to hire employees. Apply directly with the IRS at irs.gov once Washington has approved your LLC, so the name on the application matches the state record exactly. The IRS does not charge for it.

6. Meet Washington's after-formation requirements

These are the filings and registrations Washington expects after formation. Put each one on a calendar the day your LLC is approved.

• Initial Report (governors, principal office), if not filed with the certificate. When: within 120 days of formation. Cost: $10 (free if filed with formation).
• State business license via DOR Business Licensing Service, required if: gross income >= $12,000/yr, hiring within 90 days, collecting sales tax, using a trade name, or needing city/state endorsements. When: before doing business. Cost: $50 new-business processing fee plus endorsement fees; 2.96% card fee online.
• Annual report. When: by the end of the anniversary month. Cost: $70 ($95 with $25 delinquency fee).

Beyond the state, most new LLCs also open a business bank account and check for state tax registrations and local licenses that fit their line of business. Our checklist, what to do after forming your LLC, walks through them.

How long it takes to form an LLC in Washington

Two clocks run here: the time it takes to get the Certificate of Formation submitted, and the time Washington takes to review it.

• Washington's review: Expedited: generally within 3 working days.
• State expedite: $100 expedite per entity; $150 same-day listed but per the resource page not currently assessed.
• Our submission: standard orders go to the state within 3 business days. Same-day orders (+$50) placed by 2 PM Eastern on a business day are submitted that day.

Our same-day option speeds up our submission, not the state's review. State expedite fees, where Washington offers them, are separate charges paid to the state. More in how long it takes to form an LLC.

Washington LLC requirements at a glance

• A name ending in "LLC" or an equivalent designator, distinguishable from names already on file.
• A registered agent with a Washington street address, who consents to the appointment.
• A Certificate of Formation filed with Washington, with the $200 state fee.
• An operating agreement kept in your records (not filed, but recommended).
• Washington's recurring requirement: $70/year, due end of anniversary month.

File it yourself or have us file it

Both routes give you the same Washington LLC, and the state fee is the same either way. The difference is who does the work and who you call when something comes back.

Filing it yourself

1. Search your name in Washington's records on ccfs.sos.wa.gov.
2. Line up a registered agent and get their consent, which the filing requires.
3. Complete the Certificate of Formation online at ccfs.sos.wa.gov and pay $200 to the state.
4. Watch for approval and save the filed document.
5. Calendar Washington's after-formation deadlines.

Cost: $200. If your details are straightforward and you are comfortable with state forms, this is a perfectly good way to do it.

Having us file it

People choose a service when they want the filing right the first time without learning Washington's form, or when their time is worth more than the fee. For $99 on top of the state fee we:

• check the name against Washington's records before anything is filed;
• prepare the Certificate of Formation from a short online application;
• submit it within 3 business days, or the same business day for +$50;
• email you the approved documents and Washington's next deadlines;
• answer questions by email and phone.

Cost: $299, with the state fee passed through at cost on its own line.

Start your Washington LLC or read more about our Washington LLC filing service.