Get a Washington Registered Agent

Before you can form a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, or other state-registered business in the state of Washington, you need to appoint an official point of contact so that the state and those with legal notices can get in touch with your business. That person (or company) is called a registered agent. This article will tell you what a registered agent is, their duties, and the requirements to be one.

What is a Washington registered agent?

The term “registered agent” refers to an individual or business that is designated by the business to receive important legal documents and official state correspondence on behalf of the company. This position is necessary to ensure that the correct people within a business are notified in person when there are time-sensitive events, such as service of process for lawsuits. The agent also receives important notices from the state, such as garnishment notices against employees and notices of the annual report due dates.

Who can be a registered agent in Washington?

According to state of Washington law, the company must continuously maintain a registered agent for service of process in Washington (RCW 25.15.021(1) and 23.95.405(1)). The registered agent may be:

• a commercial registered agent that has filed a commercial-registered-agent listing statement and is in the business of acting as a registered agent in the state (RCW 23.95.420);
• a noncommercial registered agent (with an address); or
• the title of an office or other position within the business (along with an address where service of process, notices, and demands are to be sent) (RCW 23.95.415).

The registered agent must be available during all normal business hours at a registered office, which must be a physical street address (not a P.O. box) in Washington.

Benefits of Using a Washington Registered Agent Service

Legally, you can serve as your own registered agent, but it’s not always wise. Although it may seem like the simplest and cheapest option is to be your own registered agent, there are some compelling reasons to instead use a registered agent service, such as: 

• Availability – A registered agent needs to generally be available at the principal address during normal business hours. This makes it difficult to leave the office to meet up with potential clients and handle other obligations outside the office.
• Avoiding Embarrassment – If you serve as your own registered agent and a lawsuit is filed against the business, you could have legal papers served to you at your office in front of clients. That could hurt business.
• Compliance Reminders – Some registered agent services (like ZenBusiness) provide reminders of upcoming state compliance requirements, such as filing annual report filings. Forgetting compliance obligations can get you in trouble with the state.

How is a registered agent appointed in Washington?

You must name your registered agent when you complete the official paperwork with the state to form your business, so you need to decide who your registered agent or registered agent service will be before you begin that process. Of course, you need to be sure to inform whomever you’re appointing and get their permission before appointing them; this is a requirement in Washington. 

How much does it cost for a registered agent in Washington?

The cost of a registered agent in Washington will vary based on whether you choose an individual or a professional service. If you choose to be your own registered agent or designate someone you know, the costs can be minimal, primarily associated with the potential need to maintain a physical street address or office space during business hours. For many small business owners, being their own agent requires no out-of-pocket cost but requires time and attention instead. 

Meanwhile, professional registered agent services usually come with a fee. These fees can go from $100 to a few hundred dollars a year, depending largely on the level of services offered. While using a professional service might seem like an added expense, the benefits they provide — like helping ensure compliance, protecting your professional image, and offering added peace of mind — often justify the cost for many businesses.

Cost of Changing Registered Agents

To change your registered agent, you can file a Statement of Change online. There’s no fee for this, although you can pay $50 to have the process expedited. You also have the option to change your registered agent information when you file your Washington annual report. In that case, you’d just pay the usual annual report fee, $60 for LLCs and corporations (as of this writing).

How do I find registered agent services in Washington?

Finding a registered agent in Washington is straightforward. If you’re considering an individual as your agent, you can simply ask a trusted friend or associate who resides in Washington and meets the basic requirements. If you’re considering professional Washington registered agent services, a quick online search for “registered agent Washington” will yield a plethora of options. 

When evaluating these services, look for customer reviews, their years of experience, and any additional services they offer, like compliance alerts for required reports, free mail forwarding, or online storage of your important documents. Regardless of the route you choose, ensure that your registered agent is reliable, accessible, and understands the responsibilities associated with the role.

Our registered agent service can fill this role for you quickly and reliably.

How to Change Your Washington Registered Agent

There are a number of reasons you might need to change your Washington business’s registered agent. Maybe your designated registered agent moved out of state, left the company, or no longer wants the responsibility. Maybe you had assigned the job to yourself, and you no longer want your address on public record. Whatever your reason may be, this guide can help make the process quick and painless.

Your new registered agent might be ready to take on their responsibilities. They might already be in the office. But before they can do anything, you need to make your agent change official.

Washington businesses can change their registered agents online or by mail. Both methods are free, so there are no fees to worry about.

Online: Use the Secretary of State’s digital filing system. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Once you’re logged in, follow the instructions to complete your change.

Mail: Download the “Statement of Change/Designation of Registered Agent” and complete it with the required information. Then, mail it to 801 Capitol Way S, Olympia, WA 98504-0234.

As mentioned above, if your registered agent change coincides with your annual report filing, you can execute it there. Your annual report is due each year by the end of your business’s anniversary month (the month it was formed). File your Washington annual report either online or using a paper form. There’s a $60 fee, payable by card or check (made out to “Secretary of State”).

If you’re too busy, or if you’d feel more comfortable letting someone else take the reins, you have the option of hiring a company or individual to file your paperwork for you. It’s a great way to save time and stress.

Washington Secretary of State Contact Information

Resignation of a Washington Registered Agent

There are numerous reasons you might need to give up your Washington registered agent role. Registered agents play an important role in the life of a business, handling sensitive legal and tax documents, so it’s essential that agents follow proper resignation procedures. Otherwise, you could leave your company with unplanned fines or penalties, and you could be individually liable.

Follow these steps to resign as a Washington registered agent.

Notifying the Washington Business

Washington’s resignation process does not require you to inform your business before sending notice to the Secretary of State. State law (RCW 23.95.445) only mandates that you break the news to your company promptly after you’ve officially resigned. That said, it can be beneficial to everyone involved if you let them know beforehand. With additional time to change their registered agent, your company can avoid the fines and other penalties for not having one.

Plus, it can help you pass off your responsibilities sooner. Your resignation doesn’t take effect until 31 days after it’s processed unless your business brings on a replacement sooner. If they have time to get a new agent lined up, you could be off the books right away.

Submitting Your Resignation

You might be thinking ahead to new projects or businesses, but you can’t move on until you’ve submitted a formal resignation with the Secretary of State. You can do so one of three ways: online, by mail, or in person. Access all three options from the Corporations Forms page.

Need your resignation processed fast? File it online. Under the Registered Agent Forms section of the Corporations Forms page, you’ll find the “Resignation of Registered Agent.” In the “File Online?” column, click the button to access the filing portal. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to create one. Once you’re logged in, follow the onscreen prompts to complete it.

For mailed or in-person filings, download the “Registration of Registered Agent” form and fill it out using a PDF editor (like Adobe Acrobat) or dark ink. Here’s the information you’ll need to complete it:

• The business name
• The business UBI (Unified Business Identifier) number. Use the Secretary of State’s Business Search function to find the UBI.
• Your name
• Your street address
• Your mailing address (if different from street address)
• Confirmation of your resignation
• Notification address (name and address of business representative to whom the Secretary of State will send a notice)
• Return address (optional)

There’s no filing fee (as of this writing). When you’ve finished the form, mail it to:

Office of the Secretary of State
Corporations & Charities Division
801 Capitol Way S.
Olympia, WA 98501-1226

Or, if you live near Olympia, you’re also welcome to drop it off in person at the same address.

Online filings are processed fairly quickly, often within a few business days, but hard copy filings can take 2-3 weeks. As mentioned earlier, you will retain your registered agent duties for 31 days after you resign unless your business appoints a replacement sooner. Just be aware that you may still receive mail and service of process for up to a month after you resign.

Handing off Your Responsibilities

When you put down your registered agent responsibilities, someone else has to pick them up, or your business will lose its good standing with the state. Help your business keep its momentum by carefully planning your transition.

This starts with finding a successor who’s ready to take over right away. Even a small gap in registered agent coverage can result in severe penalties. Let’s say you resign and wait the requisite 31 days, but your business still hasn’t appointed a new agent. At that point, they have 30 days to do so. Any Washington business entity that goes more than 30 days without a valid registered agent can be administratively dissolved.

No matter who the business brings on as a replacement, they must meet Washington’s registered agent requirements, which means they must:

• Be an individual or business entity residing in Washington
• Have a physical Washington address (P.O. boxes aren’t allowed)
• Have a mailing address in Washington
• Be authorized to do business in the state, if a foreign entity

A business is allowed to assign registered agent duties to one of its individual members, but instead of adding responsibilities to that person’s plate, outsourcing them to a professional service can be easier. We recommend using a registered agent service, which can take over registered agent duties, freeing up more time for the business’s managers to focus on running the business.