Register Your Washington Foreign Corporation
A Washington foreign corporation is a business incorporated in a state other than Washington and is registered to do business in Washington. To operate as a Washington foreign corporation, you must file a Foreign Registration Statement to the Washington’s Secretary of State and pay the $200 fee for online filings, or $180 for in-person filings.
We’ve put together all the steps you’ll need to complete in order to register your business in Washington yourself. Not into the idea of handling the chores yourself? Hire us to handle the paperwork instead.
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GET STARTEDHow to Register as a Foreign Corporation in Washington
To register your foreign corporation in Washington, you’ll need to complete the process of foreign qualification. This process gives your business the authority to operate within Washington.
While similar to forming a new company in Washington, foreign qualification is not the same as incoporation or domestication. Instead, it is expanding your current’s business jurisdiction. This means there’s a bit less red tape to cut through.
Here’s how you can get started on your foreign registration into Washington.
1. Name Your Washington Corporation
First things first, you’ll need to decide on the name your corporation will go by in Washington. You can complete a free business name search and reserve your corporation name for only $30. If the name you operate under in your home state is taken, you may need to come up with another name (sometimes called a fictitious name or DBA) to do business as in Washington.
2. Designate a Registered Agent
Washington requires every registered business structure operating in its territory to designate an individual or entity to act as its registered agent. This registered agent needs to be available during regular business hours to accept legal mail and must be physically located in Washington.
If that doesn’t seem as easy as we’re making it sound, you’re in luck. Our Washington registered agent service is comprehensive and reliable, and we’ve got boots on the ground in every state to keep your registered agent service simple everywhere you operate.
3. Start your Business Identity
While you’re preparing to expand where your business operates, it’s a good idea to take a look at your online presence and make sure it’s ready for a new influx of business. With Northwest, we’ve made establishing your business identity easier than ever.
If you’re just getting starting creating an online presence, we can set you up with a custom domain name, business website and professional email address all with no upfront cost.
If you’re looking to expand your footprint as a company, we can also provide a company phone number and unique mailing address in Washington to mingle with the locals.
4. Get a Certificate of Good Standing
To show you’ve got a solid reputation in your home state, you’ll need to provide Washington with a certificate of good standing (sometimes called a certificate of existence) that’s less than 60 days old. This certificate exists to let Washington know that you’ve been completing any regular reports your home state requires and paying any taxes the state levies on businesses registered within it.
The process for retrieving this document varies by state, but can normally be completed online for a nominal fee. If you hire us to complete your foreign qualification, we can usually handle this part of the process for you as well.
5. Submit Foreign Registration Statement
With all your documents gathered, it’s time to submit your Foreign Registration Statement to Washington’s Secretary of State office along with your certificate of good standing. The fee for this filing is $180 if mailed in or submitted in person, and $200 if filed online.
What you’ll need to include:
- Entity name
- Name Reservation Number (if applicable)
- Date you originally started doing business in Washington
- Entity type in home state
- Name and address for your Washington Registered Agent
- Signature of Washington Registered Agent
- Principal and mailing office location
- The name of at least one governor or officer of the company
- Date of formation in home state
- Duration of company in home state
- The nature of your business
- Effective date of foreign qualification
- Return address for the filing
- Signature of authorized person filing
You can file these documents online on Washington’s Secretary of State website. These filings are typically approved within 2-3 business days.
Mailed filings can take 2-3 weeks to process, and can be expedited for an additional $100.
PO Box 40234
Olympia, WA
98504-0234
Optionally, you can also drop by in person and your filing will be processed while you wait, although a $150 same-day service fee may be applied:
801 Capitol Way S
Olympia, WA
98501-1226
6. Receive your Certificate of Registration
If filing online, you’ll immediately receive an email notifying you that your filing was received. Once completed, you’ll receive an email notification to let you know, along with several documents (including your Certificate of Registration) mailed to the address you provided the state when filing.
7. File Washington Reports and Taxes
Once your company is registered with the state, you’re authorized to begin business in Washington! Make sure to use this authority responsibly, and keep up with the regular filings Washington requires. Your annual report is due on the last day of the month you initially filed. This report costs $70 to file and can be completed online or with the state’s paper form.
Make sure you’re punctual with these reports or you could face a $25 late fee.
Northwest Can Register Your Washington Foreign Corporation
If doing things on your own sounds overwhelming, boring, or generally like not a good use of your time, we’re ready to help. Our foreign qualification package is $225 + state fees. This includes:
- Registering your business as a Washington Foreign Corporation. We’ll file your paperwork and let you know when it’s approved.
- Serving as your business’ Washington Registered Agent. We can be your RA in as many states as you want to expand into.
- Launching your business identity. We’ll get you a digital presence, including a business email address, phone service, and mail forwarding. Plus, we’ll put together a custom website with a domain, web hosting, and security in place. These will all be free for 90 days. After that, most services are $9/month.
- Sending reminders for your Washington annual report. We can even file this for you. We’ll send you a reminder about the report 90 days before they’re due, and you can either have us file for you or opt out of the service.
Washington Foreign Corporation FAQs
If changes or corrections are needed on your foreign qualification filing, you can submit an Amendment of Foreign Registration Statement to the state for a fee of $30.
While Washington doesn’t strictly define what it means to do business in its jurisdiction, if you’re planning on hiring employees, holding a physical place of business, or processing transactions in Washington, you’ll likely need to complete the foreign qualification process.
Yes, Washington requires a registered agent signature on all domestic and foreign registration filings.
Along with the registered agent, your Foreign Registration Statement must also be signed by the individual authorized to file the document to the state.
Certain non-profit corporations who plan on fundraising publicly may also be required to register with Washington’s Charities program. Self assessment guides are included on Washington’s Secretary of State website to help you determine whether or not you’re obligated to register with that program.
We sure can! Our foreign qualification service is $225 + state fees. Included is a year of our registered agent service and a custom domain name. You’ll also receive a 90 day trial of our business identity services.