Everything you need to register a foreign LLC in Washington.
State filing fee$200one-time
Registered agent$125/yearbased on Northwest RA
Total, all in$785
Washington data last reviewed Aug 15, 2026 · sos.wa.govTotals include the $200 filing fee once, Northwest RA at $125/year, and Washington recurring state costs over the selected period.
Washington data last reviewed Aug 15, 2026 · sos.wa.gov
Formation in Washington
Formation fee
$200
Annual cost
$70/year
State income tax
No state income tax. Business & Occupation (B&O) tax applies to gross receipts.
Privacy
Moderate
Washington has no income tax but has a B&O tax on gross receipts.
What triggers foreign qualification in Washington?
Physical presence in Washington
Employees in Washington
Processing transactions in Washington
Important to know
$200 online filing fee (vs $180 by mail/in person)
Activities that do NOT require registration in Washington
The following activities are explicitly carved out by statute. On their own, they do not require a foreign LLC to register in Washington.
Bringing, defending, mediating, arbitrating, or settling a lawsuit, proceeding, or claim
Carrying on internal company affairs, including holding meetings of owners or managers
Maintaining bank accounts
Maintaining an office or agent to transfer, exchange, or register the company's own securities, or a trustee or depository for them
Selling through independent contractors
Taking orders that must be accepted out of state to become binding, where the only local work is delivery and installation
Creating or acquiring debts, mortgages, or security interests in property
Securing or collecting debts, or enforcing mortgages or security interests that secure them
Doing a one-off transaction finished within 30 days that is not part of repeated similar transactions
Owning property, and nothing more
Doing business in interstate commerce
Running an approved branch campus of an out-of-state degree-granting school under chapter 28B.90 RCW
Employing a remote worker who lives in Washington
Under RCW 23.95.520, all 13 items. MOST IMPORTANT: item (1)(m), "Employing a remote worker who resides in Washington state," was added by 2026 c 80 s 7 and is an express statutory safe harbor for remote employment. It is unqualified on its face, with no headcount cap and no role exclusion. Washington appears to be the first state to enact one. The amendment is current on the legislature's site but has not propagated to most secondary publishers, so many other sources still show the pre-2026 12-item list. Subsection (4) confirms the carve-out is registration-only and does not shelter the company from B&O tax, payroll tax, or service of process.
This page provides general information based on publicly available state requirements. It is not legal advice. Verify with the Washington before filing.