Washington LLC Cost: $200 Online or $180 Paper (2026)

Make your Washington business official. Have your LLC paperwork prepared and filed so you can focus on getting your business off the ground.

• Your business name checked before filing.
• Your formation paperwork prepared and submitted.
• Your formation documents together in an online account.

$0 service fee + $200 state filing fee with ZenBusiness

Start my Washington LLC

Filing service by ZenBusiness. Choose Starter for the $0 service fee. State follow-up charges and optional services and renewals are separate.

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Get the paperwork handled and your company underway

With ZenBusiness, you provide the details and its team handles the Washington formation filing. You get electronic documents and customer support by phone, chat and email.

Use your approved LLC records to open a company bank account, organize your ownership agreement and do business under the company name. The state-specific costs and next steps below help you plan what comes after approval.

What it costs to start a Washington LLC

A Washington LLC costs $200 to file online or $180 on paper with the Washington Secretary of State. A Unified Business Identifier (UBI) is assigned on successful SOS filing if you do not already have an eligible 9-digit UBI—do not reuse a sole proprietorship or general partnership UBI. Do not confuse SOS fees with L&I workers’ compensation / exclusive fund premiums.

Start with the WA SOS domestic LLC online instructions and the Washington Secretary of State filing resources. These are government charges, separate from anything a formation company bills you.

Budget example: Allow $200 for online formation, including the fee listed by ZenBusiness, plus the recurring state filing shown above. Paper formation has a $180 base fee. Insurance, permits and optional provider services cost extra.

Department of Revenue B&O and other taxes are separate from the SOS formation fee ($180 paper; $200 online).

Provider filing total checked November 2, 2026: ZenBusiness lists $200 for Washington formation.

Choose the services you want with your filing

Starter’s base formation service does not renew. Registered-agent service, an EIN service, an operating agreement and faster preparation are optional purchases.

The preselected website-builder trial renews at $15/month after 30 days; you can remove it at checkout. Optional Worry-Free Compliance is free for the first year and renews at $199/year. Registered-agent service is listed separately at $199/year; first-year promotions may differ.

Review the services and renewal terms in your order. Provider details checked October 14, 2026 against ZenBusiness’s formation plans.

How to start your Washington LLC

Use your company details to get the formation paperwork prepared and submitted. Here is how the filing service works:

1. Enter your business details. Choose Washington, your company name and the information requested for the filing.
2. Review your services and order. Select Starter for the $0 base service fee. ZenBusiness prepares and submits the formation document from your answers.
3. Save your approved company records. Once the filing office accepts the paperwork, use the documents to finish your banking and business setup.

Your Washington filing checklist and required next steps

1. Check the name in CCFS; include LLC/L.L.C./Limited Liability Company.
2. Decide UBI: use an existing eligible UBI or let SOS assign a new one (never a sole prop/GP UBI).
3. Name a Washington registered agent and prepare governors/Initial Report details.
4. File Certificate of Formation for $200 online or $180 on paper; include Initial Report when possible.
5. Calendar the $70 annual report for the last day of your formation month.

Include the Initial Report with formation whenever the online flow allows—it avoids the separate $10 filing and the 120-day deadline trap.

How long does approval take?

SOS staff review online filings; documents appear in your account. ZenBusiness prep is separate from SOS review.

Can I file directly with Washington?

Yes. You can prepare and submit the filing yourself through the Washington official LLC filing service. A formation service handles preparation and submission from the information you provide. The government charges and required follow-up steps above still apply.

Choose your Washington registered agent

Washington organizers often mix up three systems: SOS Corporations (entity existence / UBI assignment), Department of Revenue (B&O and tax accounts), and L&I (workers’ compensation). The Certificate of Formation belongs to the first system ($180 paper or $200 online).

You can serve as your own agent if you maintain a Washington registered agent with a physical street address in WA. SOS records are public.

Washington LLC annual report & UBI notes

File the Initial Report with formation for free, or within 120 days for $10 if deferred. The Annual Report is $70 for profit entities including LLCs, due by the last day of your formation month (file up to 180 days early).

UBI: the nine-digit Unified Business Identifier ties state agency records together. Getting a UBI via SOS formation does not enroll you in L&I industrial insurance by itself—L&I coverage depends on whether you have covered workers/operations. If you already hold a UBI from another agency registration, enter only an eligible entity UBI—never a sole proprietorship or general partnership UBI.

Keep SOS Corporations fees separate from L&I premiums.

Get your Washington LLC filing underway

Put the formation paperwork in ZenBusiness’s hands. Starter has a $0 service fee plus the applicable Washington charges detailed above.

Start my Washington LLC

Continue to ZenBusiness to enter your details and review your order. Optional services and renewal details.

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Put your approved LLC to work

• Document how the LLC works. An operating agreement can set ownership, contributions, decision-making, distributions, and exit arrangements. Washington’s filing office generally does not require you to file the agreement with the formation paperwork—keep it with your company records. For multiple owners, resolve disagreements before money or contracts are committed.Use the basic LLC operating agreement tool as a starting point.
• Get an EIN when needed. Form the entity first, then use the free IRS application if eligible. A paid EIN service handles the application for you. Save the confirmation for banking and tax records.
• Open your business bank account. Ask the bank for its document checklist and establish a bookkeeping process. Use the correct legal business name on applications and contracts; keep any trade-name registrations consistent.
• Complete taxes and operating approvals. LLC formation does not itself select S-corporation taxation or issue a professional license. The IRS explains LLC tax classifications. Identify the state and local requirements for your actual work before opening.
• Check the current BOI rule. As of this review, FinCEN exempts entities created in the United States from beneficial-ownership reporting. A newly created domestic LLC generally falls within that exemption. Consult FinCEN directly for the current rule.

Insurance guidance for your Washington business

Match coverage to your services, employees, equipment and client contracts. Start with the relevant guide:

• Washington cleaning business insurance
• Washington food truck insurance
• Washington HVAC insurance
• Washington landscaping insurance
• Washington daycare insurance

Continue with the Washington business guide for the broader startup process.

Keep a simple compliance folder: filed Certificate, EIN letter, operating agreement, registered-agent contract, and every annual/franchise confirmation. When you hire a bookkeeper or attorney later, that folder saves hours.

After the state accepts the filing, update your contracts, invoices, and bank applications to use the exact legal name—including the LLC designator—unless you have also registered a trade name where required.
Mismatched names are a common reason banks and payment processors ask for extra paperwork.

Finally, revisit insurance once the entity exists. Clients and landlords often want the LLC named as the insured and may ask for additional insured status on certificates.
Entity paperwork alone does not transfer coverage from a personal policy to the company.

Washington LLC questions before you start

This guide is for creating a new Washington LLC. If you already have an LLC formed in another state, check Washington’s foreign-entity registration requirements before creating a second company.

Page updated October 14, 2026. State-source review: September 14, 2026. ZenBusiness package terms checked October 14, 2026.