Washington requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical address in the state. Our service includes one year of Washington registered agent in the $299 flat formation fee.
A registered agent is the person or company designated to receive official mail on behalf of your Washington LLC. That includes two kinds of mail: service of process (lawsuits — the court papers that start a case against the LLC), and official Washington state correspondence (annual report reminders, tax notices, dissolution warnings).
Every state requires LLCs to have one. The logic is simple: if someone wants to sue the LLC, there has to be a reliable address in Washington where the papers can be served. If the state needs to contact the LLC, same thing.
Washington requires a physical street address in the state — no P.O. boxes, no out-of-state addresses, no virtual offices with a mail-forwarding arrangement. The agent has to actually be there to accept service.
The agent must be present at the listed address during normal business hours to accept service of process in person.
Washington allows the agent to be an individual over 18 who's a Washington resident, or a business entity authorized to transact business in Washington.
The agent's name and address must be listed in the Certificate of Formation and kept current. Change the agent by filing a change-of-agent form with the state.
Washington imposes a Business & Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts, not net income. Most LLCs pay between 0.471% and 1.5% of gross revenue depending on business classification. This is in addition to the $60 annual report due on the anniversary month, and applies even to businesses operating at a loss.
Yes — as long as you're a Washington resident with a physical Washington address and you're available during business hours to accept service. There's no statute preventing it. But there are three practical reasons most founders don't:
The registered agent's address is part of the public record. Using our Olympia office as your registered agent means your Washington LLC's public-facing address is a commercial one, not your home — which is the single most common reason founders use a commercial agent.
Here's what's included in the first year with every formation:
Registered agent renewal is $119/year, opt-in. We don't store your payment method between years and we don't auto-charge. You can also change to a different commercial agent at any time, or designate yourself — we'll send you the Washington change-of-agent form and instructions on how to file it.
Reservation takes three minutes. A formation specialist in Olympia handles the rest.