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Washington Registered Agent for Your LLC

Every business entity formed in Washington must appoint a person or business to act as a Registered Agent.

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What is a Registered Agent?

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Registered Agent

    Your Washington Registered Agent provides various services, including the acceptance of formal documents and correspondence from the Washington Secretary of State.


    Your LLC must have a Registered Agent at all times. You’ll appoint one when you first start your business. You can also replace your existing Washington Registered Agent at a later date, provided there is a smooth transition between the old and new agents.

    Registered Agent Requirements

    • Every LLC, whether foreign or domestic, must have a Registered Agent with a registered office within the State of Washington at all times.
    • The Registered Agent can be a domestic or foreign (licensed to transact business in the state) artificial legal entity (corporation, LLC, LP or LLP) or a natural person.
    • If the Registered Agent is a company, they must be authorized to conduct business in Washington.
    • If the Registered Agent is a person, they must live in Washington.
    • The Registered Agent must be available in person to sign for any correspondence during regular business hours.

    Note that the address for your Washington Registered Agent does not need to be the same as your Washington LLC business address.

    What Washington Registered Agents Does

    A Registered Agent’s main function is to accept official documentation and correspondence.

    This includes:

    • Communications from the Washington Secretary of State
    • Service of process notices (e.g., if your LLC is sued or required to appear in court)
    • Official state and federal government correspondence and notices
    • Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports

    Having a Registered Agent also allows you to prove to the state that your business exists.

    Bizee Provides Free Washington Registered Agent Service for the First Year

    Bizee provides complete Washington Registered Agent service for any LLC formed in the state. Even better, if you form your LLC through Bizee, your Registered Agent is completely free for the first year and only $119 a year after that.


    Bizee is authorized to conduct business in Washington and able to legally act as your Registered Agent. Here’s what our Washington Registered Agent services include:

    • A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
    • An always-available Washington Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your LLC's behalf
    • Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
    • Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you

    Appointing a Registered Agent for Your LLC

    When you're forming an LLC in Washington, you must appoint a Registered Agent at that time. You can change the agent at any time after that. Here’s how.

    Assign a Registered Agent When You Form Your LLC

    Your business needs to have a Registered Agent as soon as it’s formed. You can do this two ways:

    Assign a Different Registered Agent After Formation

    You can change your mind and assign someone else to be your Washington Registered Agent after you’ve formed your LLC. There are a couple of ways to achieve this.

    Washington Registered Agent Search

    In certain situations, it may be useful to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another LLC in Washington.


    This information is available in the state's business database. If you can’t find the Registered Agent information there, you can request it from the Secretary of State.

    What Happens If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?

    If you don’t assign or provide details of a Registered Agent to the Secretary of State, there are several possible ramifications, including:

    • Getting sued or served and not knowing about it. If your LLC is sued and you don’t know about it, you could lose to a default judgement in your absence.
    • Falling out of good standing with the Washington Secretary of State. The state may revoke your right to do business if you don’t respond to certain correspondence (such as a request for your annual report).
    • Losing your status as an LLC in Washington. A Registered Agent is evidence to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your LLC may be dissolved.

    Acting as Your Own Registered Agent

    If you have a business office in the state of Washington, you can elect to be the Registered Agent for your Washington LLC. We don’t recommend this as there can be some drawbacks to this approach:

    • Someone must always be available during business hours at the Washington address to sign for important documents.
    • The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Washington. If you’re forming an LLC outside the state, you’ll need to use an in-state Registered Agent.
    • The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the Washington Secretary of State's website. If you prefer to keep your name and address private and unpublished, you should use a Registered Agent service.
    • If you change your business address or move out of state, you need to file additional documentation with the Secretary of State for the new address. This won't be necessary if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or an address change much simpler.

    Other Useful Resources

    FAQs About Washington Registered Agents

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