How to Dissolve a Washington LLC
How do you dissolve a Washington Limited Liability Company?
To dissolve your LLC in Washington State, you must provide the completed Certificate of Dissolution form to the Secretary of State by mail, fax or in person.
A dissolved LLC may not carry on any business in Washington except as needed to wind up its business affairs.
Washington Limited Liability Company Dissolution FAQ
Is there a filing fee to dissolve or cancel a Washington LLC?
There’s no fee to dissolve your Washington LLC by mail. If you file online, it’ll cost you $20.
You may request expedited service for a $50 fee. All faxed documents to the Washington Secretary of State are considered an expedited service request and your credit card will billed for such.
Do you need a Department of Revenue clearance before the Washington Secretary of State will accept your dissolution?
No, only corporations require the tax clearance in Washington State.
How long does it take the state to process the filing?
Once the Washington Secretary of State receives your Certificate of Dissolution it will take about a month before it is processed. If you fax file or request expedited service, processing is completed in about a week.
You will want to request a file stamped copy in your cover letter.
How long before someone can take your business name?
The day you dissolve your LLC or corporation, the business name can be requested by another entity.
An LLC may revoke its dissolution within 120 days of its voluntary dissolution date. However, you need to check with the Washington Secretary of State to make sure your business name has not already been taken by another entity. If the name is no longer available, the name must be amended to a new name by attaching an Amendment to Certificate of Formation form to the revocation of dissolution and paying the amendment filing fee to the Secretary of State.
What is the penalty if you do not dissolve properly and just don’t file your annual reports?
The Washington Secretary of State will administratively dissolve your LLC in approximately three months if you just shine on your annual renewal filing and fee. You can regain your good standing prior to the administrative revocation by filing and paying the annual renewal ($69) and the late penalty ($25). Once your LLC is administratively dissolved you must call the Secretary of State at (360) 725-0377 to find out what the fees and procedures are for reinstatement. There is no reinstatement form furnished on the Website. An administratively dissolved LLC in Washington is eligible for reinstatement for five years after the revocation.
If you’d like help establishing another company, you may find our incorporation filing service and Washington registered agent service helpful. We provide all the forms and filing instructions you may need in your online account, or you can just hire us to do the filing for you.