Washington Foreign qualification

The requirements, the timing and the official sources. Everything we’ve verified, in one place.

Sources verifiedLast verified 2026-10-25

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Authority to do business

Choose your entity type and confirm the scope of the cited requirements. Fees and additional charges are listed separately.

LLCs

Fee

$180

View official source

Timing

Before doing business in Washington.

View official source

Required documents

Executed foreign registration statement and authenticated certificate of existence or equivalent issued no more than 60 days before submission.

View official source

Penalties for operating without registration

Cannot maintain a Washington action until registered and past fees and penalties paid; owes the fees and penalties for years or parts of years without registration.

View official source

Timing

Before doing business in Washington.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(1) A foreign entity may not do business in this state until it registers with the secretary of state under this chapter.

Official source

Required documents

Executed foreign registration statement and authenticated certificate of existence or equivalent issued no more than 60 days before submission.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(1) To register to do business in this state, a foreign entity must deliver a foreign registration statement to the secretary of state for filing. The statement must be executed by the entity and state: … (2) The foreign entity shall deliver with the registration statement a certificate of existence, or a document of similar import, issued no more than sixty days before the date of submission of the registration statement and duly authenticated by the secretary of state or other official having custody of the entity's records in the entity's jurisdiction of formation.

Official source

Fee

$180

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

Filing Fee: $180 in addition to an online processing fee.

Official source

Penalties for operating without registration

Cannot maintain a Washington action until registered and past fees and penalties paid; owes the fees and penalties for years or parts of years without registration.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(2) A foreign entity doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it is registered to do business in this state and has paid to this state all fees and penalties for the years, or parts thereof, during which it did business in this state without having registered. … (5) A foreign entity that transacts business in this state without a certificate of registration is liable to this state, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this state without a certificate of registration, in an amount equal to all fees which would have been imposed by this chapter upon the entity had it applied for and received a certificate of registration to transact business in this state and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter, plus all penalties imposed by this chapter for failure to pay such fees.

Official source

Fee notes

Online filings also incur an online processing fee.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

Filing Fee: $180 in addition to an online processing fee.

Official source

Corporations

Fee

$180

View official source

Timing

Before doing business in Washington.

View official source

Required documents

Executed foreign registration statement and authenticated certificate of existence or equivalent issued no more than 60 days before submission.

View official source

Penalties for operating without registration

Cannot maintain a Washington action until registered and past fees and penalties paid; owes the fees and penalties for years or parts of years without registration.

View official source

Timing

Before doing business in Washington.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(1) A foreign entity may not do business in this state until it registers with the secretary of state under this chapter.

Official source

Required documents

Executed foreign registration statement and authenticated certificate of existence or equivalent issued no more than 60 days before submission.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(1) To register to do business in this state, a foreign entity must deliver a foreign registration statement to the secretary of state for filing. The statement must be executed by the entity and state: … (2) The foreign entity shall deliver with the registration statement a certificate of existence, or a document of similar import, issued no more than sixty days before the date of submission of the registration statement and duly authenticated by the secretary of state or other official having custody of the entity's records in the entity's jurisdiction of formation.

Official source

Fee

$180

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

Foreign (Non-WA) Profit Corporation … Required Filing Fee … $180

Official source

Penalties for operating without registration

Cannot maintain a Washington action until registered and past fees and penalties paid; owes the fees and penalties for years or parts of years without registration.

Verified 2026-10-25 — source and quotation

(2) A foreign entity doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it is registered to do business in this state and has paid to this state all fees and penalties for the years, or parts thereof, during which it did business in this state without having registered. … (5) A foreign entity that transacts business in this state without a certificate of registration is liable to this state, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this state without a certificate of registration, in an amount equal to all fees which would have been imposed by this chapter upon the entity had it applied for and received a certificate of registration to transact business in this state and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter, plus all penalties imposed by this chapter for failure to pay such fees.

Official source

Confirm with the official agency

Official sources and verification (9)

Last verified 2026-10-25. Each quotation supports the corresponding published value.

LLC / Required documents

(1) To register to do business in this state, a foreign entity must deliver a foreign registration statement to the secretary of state for filing. The statement must be executed by the entity and state: … (2) The foreign entity shall deliver with the registration statement a certificate of existence, or a document of similar import, issued no more than sixty days before the date of submission of the registration statement and duly authenticated by the secretary of state or other official having custody of the entity's records in the entity's jurisdiction of formation.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

LLC / Timing

(1) A foreign entity may not do business in this state until it registers with the secretary of state under this chapter.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

LLC / Penalties for operating without registration

(2) A foreign entity doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it is registered to do business in this state and has paid to this state all fees and penalties for the years, or parts thereof, during which it did business in this state without having registered. … (5) A foreign entity that transacts business in this state without a certificate of registration is liable to this state, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this state without a certificate of registration, in an amount equal to all fees which would have been imposed by this chapter upon the entity had it applied for and received a certificate of registration to transact business in this state and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter, plus all penalties imposed by this chapter for failure to pay such fees.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

LLC / Fee

Filing Fee: $180 in addition to an online processing fee.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

LLC / Fee notes

Filing Fee: $180 in addition to an online processing fee.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

Corporation / Required documents

(1) To register to do business in this state, a foreign entity must deliver a foreign registration statement to the secretary of state for filing. The statement must be executed by the entity and state: … (2) The foreign entity shall deliver with the registration statement a certificate of existence, or a document of similar import, issued no more than sixty days before the date of submission of the registration statement and duly authenticated by the secretary of state or other official having custody of the entity's records in the entity's jurisdiction of formation.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

Corporation / Timing

(1) A foreign entity may not do business in this state until it registers with the secretary of state under this chapter.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

Corporation / Penalties for operating without registration

(2) A foreign entity doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it is registered to do business in this state and has paid to this state all fees and penalties for the years, or parts thereof, during which it did business in this state without having registered. … (5) A foreign entity that transacts business in this state without a certificate of registration is liable to this state, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this state without a certificate of registration, in an amount equal to all fees which would have been imposed by this chapter upon the entity had it applied for and received a certificate of registration to transact business in this state and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter, plus all penalties imposed by this chapter for failure to pay such fees.

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

Corporation / Fee

Foreign (Non-WA) Profit Corporation … Required Filing Fee … $180

Official source

Verified 2026-10-25

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Last verified 2026-10-25.

Official sources (4)

Not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the official agency before filing.