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How to start an LLC in Washington

Every step to form your LLC in Washington, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$180
Regular report
$70
What you file
Certificate of Formation
Where
The Washington Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Washington

Filing Certificate of Formation with the Washington Secretary of State$180
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$70
State business licenseSee its step
First reportSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Washington Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    In Washington, the registered agent must sign a consent to serve, which is part of the formation filing, whatever type of agent you choose. The agent needs a physical address in Washington and an email address.

  3. With the state

    File your Certificate of Formation

    File it with the Washington Secretary of State, online through the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS). The state's fee is $180; expedited service costs $100 more and is optional. You can include your initial report at no extra cost. Once it's filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. With the state

    Get your Washington business license

    After your business is formed, the Secretary of State says to wait one business day and then apply for a business license with the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service, online through My DOR. The Department of Revenue requires one if, for example, you'll sell taxable goods or services, hire employees within 90 days, earn $12,000 a year or more, use a trade name, or need a city, county or state endorsement. The fee to open a new business is $50, plus any endorsement and trade name fees.

    Get the state license (opens the official site)

  5. With the state

    File your initial report

    Washington requires an initial report within 120 days after your business is formed, listing its principal office and the people who govern it. It's free if you include it with your formation filing; filed separately with the Secretary of State, it costs $10.

    About the report (opens the official site)

  6. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  7. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Certificate of Formation are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  8. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    In Washington, your business license application with the Department of Revenue (the step above) is also how you register for state taxes, such as sales tax. If you'll hire, the same application can set up your accounts with the Employment Security Department for unemployment insurance and with the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for workers' compensation.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  9. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Washington has a state business license, issued by the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service (see above). Many cities, and some counties, add their own license as an endorsement you can apply for on the same application, and your city or county may also need permits or zoning approval.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  10. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Certificate of Formation and your EIN.

  11. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Washington files an annual report with the Secretary of State each year by the last day of the month it was formed; you can file up to 180 days early. The fee is $70, plus a $25 delinquency fee if it's late. An LLC that still hasn't filed within 120 days after the delinquency notice is administratively dissolved.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Washington

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Washington?

The state's fee to file Certificate of Formation is $180. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $70. It also asks for state business license and first report, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Washington require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Washington asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $70, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Washington myself?

Yes. You file Certificate of Formation with the Washington Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Washington's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Washington's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states