Washington Certificate of Formation: File for $180 (2026)
The Certificate of Formation is the filing that creates your Washington LLC — $180, plus a $20 online processing fee if you file that way, with approval typically taking about 5 business days online.
File a Certificate of Formation with the Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division to create your LLC. The base fee is $180; filing online adds a $20 processing fee for $200 total. Mail filings pay just the $180 base but take 2–4 weeks to process, versus about 5 business days online. Expedited processing is available for an additional $100. You must also file an Initial Report within 120 days — free if you formed online.
- Base filing fee
- $180
- Online processing fee
- +$20 ($200 total online)
- Mail fee
- $180 — no processing fee
- Processing (online)
- ~5 business days
- Processing (mail)
- 2–4 weeks
- Expedited option
- +$100
What the Certificate of Formation Does
The Certificate of Formation is your LLC's birth certificate. When the Secretary of State accepts your filing, your LLC exists: liability protection attaches, the name is claimed, and you can bank and contract as the company.
The Filing Walkthrough
Create an account with the Corporations & Charities Filing System (CCFS)
Washington's online portal handles formation now and your Annual Reports every year after.
Start a new domestic LLC filing
The portal walks the Certificate field by field and checks your name against state records.
Enter your details and pay
Name, registered agent and Washington address, principal office address, organizer information; pay by card at submission ($200 total online).
Your Initial Report is included automatically
Filing online bundles your required Initial Report at no extra cost — one less thing to remember.
Download your confirmed Certificate
Save the approved filing the moment it issues — your bank requires it.
Every Line of the Certificate
LLC name
With "LLC" or "Limited Liability Company," distinguishable on state records — verified in Step 1.
Registered agent & address
Name of your registered agent and their Washington street address.
Principal office address
Your LLC's main business address.
Organizer signature
The person filing the Certificate — doesn't have to be a member or manager.
Optional add-ons
Statement of Organizer (if the organizer isn't a member), consent forms for restricted names, or attorney-drafted custom provisions — not needed for a standard filing.
Payment
$180 base, $200 online with the processing fee, plus $100 more for expedited service.
Online vs. Mail: Weigh Your Trade-Off
Washington Filing Cost & Speed Calculator
See the real trade-off between online and mail
Online: $200 total, ~5 business days, Initial Report included free. Mail: $180 total, 2–4 weeks, Initial Report filed separately later.
After Approval: Your Immediate Next Moves
- Save your confirmed Certificate — banks require it alongside your EIN letter.
- Create your operating agreement — the document that overrides Washington's default rules.
- Get your free EIN at IRS.gov, then register with the Washington Department of Revenue.
- Confirm your Initial Report status — automatic if you formed online; due within 120 days if you filed by mail.
Ahmad Adil's Take: the $20 online processing fee genuinely earns its keep in Washington — you're not just paying for speed, you're also getting your Initial Report bundled in for free, which otherwise you'd need to remember and file separately within 120 days. For nearly every founder I'd recommend filing online: the modest extra cost buys both faster approval and one less compliance task to track down the road.
- ✓Forms your Washington LLC for $39 + the $180 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Secretary of State
- ✓Free Washington registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Washington LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $180 Certificate of Formation, the $70 annual report due your anniversary month, and Washington’s B&O gross receipts tax — reflect current Washington Secretary of State and Department of Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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