Register your Washington LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Washington’s own $200 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
Trusted by Thousands Nationwide
What is an LLC in Washington?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Washington
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Washington Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Washington Secretary of State)
- Get a matching domain like WashingtonCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Washington LLC
Your $200 filing fee covers your Certificate of Formation with the Washington Secretary of State — a Washington corporation costs the identical $200 through the same office, which most states don't match. Washington doesn't publish a fixed turnaround for standard filings; documents move through in the order received, with expedited service ($100, about 3 business days) or same-day service ($150) available if you need to jump the queue.
Washington has no state income tax. Nearly every LLC owes Business & Occupation (B&O) tax instead — a percentage of gross receipts, not net profit. Most small service businesses pay 1.5%, scaling up to 2.1% above $5 million in revenue under a rate change that took effect October 1, 2025.
Cost to start an LLC in Washington
$200 to the Washington Secretary of State — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. A Washington corporation runs $200 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Washington state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $200 | $200 |
Free EIN with your Washington LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Washington
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Washington?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You register a trade name with the Department of Revenue if you want to use a name other than your own — Washington handles this at the state level, not through your city or county. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As), also called a trade name, lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. In Washington, that's a Business License Application filed with the Department of Revenue, not the Washington Secretary of State that formed your LLC — $5 per trade name.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Washington Company, LLC dba Washington Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Washington
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Washington?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get a Washington LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Washington doesn't publish a fixed turnaround for standard filings, since documents move through in the order received — expedited service ($100) takes about 3 business days, and same-day service is available for $150.
What's Washington's LLC Annual Report, and what does it cost?
$70 a year, due by the last day of the month your LLC was originally formed — not a fixed calendar window shared by every LLC. It's a state filing requirement, not a tax. Miss the deadline and a $25 delinquency fee brings it to $95; stay unfiled for about 4 months after that and Washington administratively dissolves the LLC.
Do I need an EIN for my Washington LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
A registered agent is the address Washington sends legal mail to. Every LLC needs one, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Washington doesn't require one to file, but a bank often asks for one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (1)
- October 1, 2025 — Washington's B&O tax for Service and Other Activities businesses moved from a flat rate to three tiers by gross receipts: 1.5% under $1 million, 1.75% up to $5 million, 2.1% above that. Washington Department of Revenue →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Washington's own filing agency and revenue agency — verified September 20, 2026.
- Washington Secretary of State — Fee Schedules & Priority Services — the $180 filing fee, $70/$95 annual report, expedited/same-day pricing
- Washington Secretary of State — Annual Reports — the anniversary-month due date rule
- Washington Secretary of State — Reinstatement FAQ — the 120-day dissolution window and 5-year reinstatement period
- Washington Department of Revenue — Register Trade Names — the $5 trade-name fee and state-level filing mechanism
- RCW 19.80.010 — the trade name registration requirement in law
- Washington Department of Revenue — Service and Other Activities rate changes — the October 1, 2025 B&O tax tiers