No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee ($399 due at checkout)
Score9.5out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 a year buys the Washington filing, registered agent service and the annual report, and renewal is $199.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the annual report for you. Washington charges $70 every year for it, due last day of the entity's anniversary month, and lateness adds $25; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
Its three-year total exceeds WA Registered Agent.org's by $200; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The formation document prepared and filed on your behalf
- Registered agent service for the year
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Washington's fee is passed along at cost
- Covers the EIN application
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above WA Registered Agent.org's
No.2
Low renewal
2. WA Registered Agent.org: best for a Washington LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: WA Registered Agent.org. The formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Washington every year.
In the price
- Articles prepared and filed
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- A $199 service charge plus the state filing fee
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 2 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.5 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | WA Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | A Washington business holding down its costs | Visit WA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on
How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Washington LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the annual report |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| WA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Washington's $200 filing fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The reasoning for the order
The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled Washington was work taken off the founder.
Washington requires a report every year at a state fee of $70, with $25 added for lateness. Mainstay's price includes the filing and WA Registered Agent.org's does not, and that coverage outweighed WA Registered Agent.org's lower three-year cost.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The Washington LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company with the Washington Secretary of State, budget $200. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Obligations after the Washington filing is accepted
File the annual report every year; the date is last day of the entity's anniversary month. $70 goes to the state. Filing late adds $25. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on Washington LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in Washington?
The state filing fee is $200; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Certificate of Formation - Limited Liability Company, lodged with the Washington Secretary of State.
Does a Washington LLC have to name a registered agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a registered agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in Washington.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the annual report, filed every year, due last day of the entity's anniversary month, at a state fee of $70.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. WA Registered Agent.org adds $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which Washington LLC service does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since the Washington formation, the registered agent and the annual report all fall under one $199 charge.
The record
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division, on the record as of August 2026
- Washington yearly filing: Annual report, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Washington report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Washington formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Washington registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Washington service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: WA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026