Washington Registered Agent
When you choose Northwest as your Washington Registered Agent, you get instant service, Privacy by Default®, a business address, and free mail forwarding. And when you want more? Northwest is the only registered agent that can provide your business services from domains to DBAs easily, and all in-house.
Want to learn more about what a registered agent does in Washington? We’ll explain the Washington Secretary of State’s requirements, what your registered agent should do for you, and how to change your registered agent in Washington.
$125 Per Year
- Business Address & Mail Scanning
- Domain, Website, Email & Phone Line
- Automatic Brand Protection
- Privacy By Default®
What is a Washington Registered Agent?
Washington’s registered agent regulations not only require registered business entities to have a registered agent, that registered agent must also:
- Have a physical address (no P.O. Boxes or virtual offices) in the state of Washington
- Keep regular business hours (9 AM to 5 PM)
Essentially, your registered agent’s address acts as the official place where any service of process and official mail for your Washington LLC, Washington corporation or Washington nonprofit will be sent. If your business is ever served with a lawsuit, the process server will deliver the paperwork directly to your registered agent. At that point, your business is legally considered served. The registered agent should then forward you your mail, quickly and securely.
Legal Requirements for a WA Registered Agent
Residency
A registered agent in Washington must be a state resident or a company that provides registered agent services.
Street Address
The agent must maintain a registered office at a physical address within Washington’s borders.
Service
The registered agent must be available to accept legal notices for your company during business hours and deliver them to you fast.
How Do I Change My WA Registered Agent?
Changing your registered agent is a straightforward process:
Step 1
You’ll file a change of agent form with the Washington Secretary of State.
Step 2
If you place an order with us, the form will be available instantly. We’ll even pay and file the change of agent filing for you.
Step 3
It’s a simple change, but for more info see our guide on how to change your registered agent in Washington.
Why NWRA Is the Best Registered Agent in Washington
Our registered agent service for your Washington business includes the tools you need to keep your business running without a hitch. When you hire Northwest as your registered agent, you get:
- Same-Day scans: We scan your legal docs the same day we receive them and reach out if your essential mail goes unread.
- Privacy by Default®: We list our business address on public docs to keep your personal info safe. And unlike those other guys, we never sell your data.
- Mail forwarding: If someone sends regular business mail to you at our registered agent office, we’ll scan and upload a maximum of five pieces of mail a year at no extra cost. If you’re expecting a lot of business mail, get unlimited mail forwarding in Washington, or you can get a virtual office in Washington.
- Corporate Guides®: Have questions? We have answers. Our guides are business experts whose sole job is to provide support for all your business questions.
- Brand Protection: Keep an eye on your business name, domains, and trademarks, with free Brand Protection. We’ll alert you to potential conflicts early, and give you simple tools to build and manage your brand all in one place.
- Identity Services: With Northwest, you get a free domain name, website, phone line, and email address so that you can start talking to potential customers on day one–without compromising your privacy.
In addition to helping LLCs and corporations, we can also act as a registered agent for a Washington nonprofit.
How to Order Registered Agent Service
Step 1
You sign up online, clicking on one of the buttons or links that says Hire Us.
Step 2
We collect the first year’s fee for registered agent service up front.
Step 3
For new businesses, once your business registration filing with the Washington Secretary of State is complete, we’ll become your registered agent.
Step 4
About a year later, we’ll send an invoice for another year of registered agent service. If you want to keep using us, great! If you don’t, you can easily cancel.
Step 5
It’s easy to add registered agent services in other states if your business expands. We have offices in every state. We don’t farm out work (or your info) to other companies—wherever you are, we are your registered agent.
Step 6
We make your account a real go-to resource for you, not just for Registered Agent Service or paying a bill but for keeping up with corporate paperwork formalities.
Get a Registered Agent Today!
Washington Registered Agent FAQs
Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Washington. However, after considering the registered agent requirements, most business owners elect to hire a registered agent service instead.
Why? Well although being your own registered agent will cost you $0 upfront, a registered agent’s name and WA address becomes part of the public record.
Additionally, the registered agent is required to be available to accept service of process during normal business hours five days a week.