Washington Registered Agents

Washington Registered Agent Requirements

The State of Washington requires every business entity registered with the state (LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs, etc.) to designate a registered agent. Washington registered agents accept service of process and official mail on behalf of a Washington business and forward those legal documents to that business. Washington’s statutory requirements for registered agents are straightforward and listed below:

• A Washington registered agent must maintain a registered office located at a specific geographic location in Washington State. The registered office may not be a P.O. box or a virtual office. However, for the exclusive purpose of mail correspondence with the WA Secretary of State, the registered agent may list a post office or virtual office address, as long as a physical, geographic location in Washington where service of process can be delivered is on file with the secretary of state.
• A Washington registered agent may be either an individual or a business entity, as long as the entity has a physical presence in the state where service of process may be delivered.
• Washington registered agents must be available to accept service of process and official notifications from the state during normal business hours.

No business entity or individual can be designated as a registered agent in Washington without signing a consent form prior to accepting the appointment from a Washington business. Consent forms are filed with the secretary of state in tandem with a business entity’s formation documents.

What Do Washington Registered Agents Do?

Washington statutes only require a registered agent to have a physical residence or office in Washington to accept service of process on behalf of the business. The idea behind requiring registered agents in Washington is to establish a reliable method of contacting a Washington business entity should it be sued or need to receive official, legal documents or communication. Basically, Washington registered agents ensure a business can be reliably apprised of any legal proceedings moving forward against it.

Honestly, fulfilling the duties of a registered agent in Washington is not difficult. You simply must be available at a designated location (the registered office) during normal business hours to receive and accept legal documents from a process server, should one stop by.

What’s not so easy to do is provide a service like Registered Agents Inc. does.

Washington Registered Agent Services

While all LLCs and corporations in Washington are required by law to have a registered agent, Registered Agents Inc. has done its very best to make this requirement an invaluable service.

No matter whether you’re hiring us as a registered agent for your Washington business or for your clients, every Washington registered agent order includes all of the following:

• Online Access to Every Document We Receive 
  All Registered Agent Inc. clients are instantly provided a secure, online account when service begins. Then, when we receive any notification on behalf of their Washington business, we’ll scan and upload the document from our local office in Spokane, WA to the client’s online account. The client can view and track every notification and annual report reminder we’ve ever uploaded from one secure location.
• Notification in Minutes
  Unlike other national registered agent providers, we only scan and upload documents from our local offices. We don’t forward documents to a scanning hub where they are either scanned and uploaded or, unfortunately, lost. Our method not only makes for fast notifications in real time, but also eliminates errors and ensures the client knows where their business stands.
• Simple, High-Level Design
  Clients will not need a webinar or in-house tutorial to use our registered agent notification system. Through years’ of rigorous testing and intuitive design, Registered Agents Inc. has created a simple and effective alert system that will leave no client behind.
• A Network at Your Fingertips
  As a premium national registered agent, every client account includes access to every state form a business might need to file. And when a client’s business begins to expand outside of Washington and they need to add coverage in a new state, they can do so with just a few clicks.
• Amazing Service
  Any client that requires help will get it. Our customer service agents are skilled, knowledgeable, and trained to be the best in the business.

How to Switch Washington Registered Agents

Changing registered agents in Washington is free, and the form you need to file is fast and simple.

To change Washington registered agents, you should first hire your new registered agent, then complete the Washington Statement of Change for Registered Agent form and file it with the Washington Secretary of State. The form requires:

• Business name
• Type of business entity
• Name and address of current registered agent
• Name and address of new registered agent
• Registered agent signature
• Filer signature

In Washington, your registered agent can complete the change of agent form on behalf of your business. You can also file online. Online change of agent filings are free and processed instantly.

How to Be a Registered Agent in Washington

Anyone who resides in state or has a physical business address (No PO boxes or virtual offices) in state where service of process can be delivered can be a Washington registered agent.

Why Washington Registered Agents Are Important

A registered agent in Washington is your business’ most important point of contact for receiving and forwarding important legal documents to business owners. Should your business be sued, your registered agent will be served. If your business needs to file an annual report, your registered agent will be the first to know. If your registered agent is incompetent or loses your documents, you might never know your business is being sued or is running the risk of being dissolved for delinquent annual reports. If you’re hiring a registered agent in Washington, make sure it’s one you trust.

Why Washington Businesses Choose Us

1. Experience
   We’re one of the largest registered agent service providers in Washington. Our main focus is dedicated to registered agent service.
2. Reliability
   Through high-class design and experience, we have been able to eliminate errors from our systems, ensuring you or your clients will always receive the documents we accept on a business’ behalf.
3. Speed
   We scan your Washington business’ legal documents to you in real time from our registered office in Spokane, WA within minutes of receiving any legal document.
4. Quality Address
   We own our office in Spokane, have been here for years, and will remain here for years to come.
5. Quality Service
   Our prices will always be competitive and Registered Agents Inc. is and will always be the premium choice.