Can I be my own Registered Agent in Washington State?

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Deal alert! Northwest will form your LLC for $39 (60% discount). See details.

Yes, you can be your own Registered Agent in Washington as long as you meet the state requirements.

(Unfortunately, most Registered Agent Services and LLC filing companies hide this information.)

We explain the pros and cons below so you can make your own decision.

What is a Registered Agent in Washington State?

A Registered Agent is a person or a company who receives legal documents and notices from the state for your LLC.

If your Washington business is involved in a lawsuit, the Washington Registered Agent will accept Service of Process for your LLC. This is when legal documents are delivered to or “served on” your business.

Note: Some states call the Registered Agent a Resident Agent or Statutory Agent. These all mean the same thing, so we always call it a Registered Agent to keep it simple.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Who can be a Registered Agent in Washington?

There are three options for who can be your Washington Registered Agent:

  1. You can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  2. A friend or family member can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  3. You can hire a professional Registered Agent Service

What is a Washington Registered Agent Service?

A Washington Registered Agent Service is a company that you pay to be your LLC’s Registered Agent in Washington.

(A Registered Agent Service is also called a Washiington Commercial Registered Agent.)

The Washington Registered Agent Service receives Service of Process for your LLC and forwards it to you electronically or by mail. Some Registered Agent Services also offer additional LLC services, like forming your LLC for you.

What are the Washington Registered Agent requirements?

If the Registered Agent is a person, they must be over 18 years old and have a physical address in Washington where they can be available during regular business hours.

If the Registered Agent is a company (a Registered Agent Service), it must be authorized to do business in Washington.

All Washington Registered Agents are required by law to be available during normal business hours at a physical street address in the state. PO Boxes aren’t allowed.

(Note: The Registered Agent’s address is called the Registered Office. The Washington Registered Office address and the name of the Registered Agent will go on your LLC paperwork.)

Should you be your own Registered Agent in Washington?

It depends. While being your LLC’s Registered Agent can save you money, there are some potential risks.

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of being your own Washington Registered Agent.

Pros of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You save money.
  • It’s one less online account to keep track of if you don’t hire a Registered Agent Service.
  • Documents go directly to you. You don’t have to wait for someone to forward or email them.

Cons of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You might miss an important notice or legal document. This could happen if you travel often or forget to check your mail.
  • Registered Agent information is public record. Companies can use public records to send you junk mail, or post your address online.

If you aren’t bothered by your address being public, being your own Registered Agent is a great way to save money.

Should I hire a Washington Registered Agent Service?

You should hire a Registered Agent Service if:

  • You don’t live in Washington
  • You don’t have a friend or family member who lives in Washington
  • You live in Washington, but don’t want to be your own Registered Agent

Our recommendation for Washington Registered Agent Services

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest has been in business for over 20 years and they have excellent customer service. They’re also the service we use for our own LLCs.

Hiring Northwest Registered Agent will also keep your address off of public records. This is our favorite Northwest feature. And no other Registered Agent Service offers this.

How to keep your address off public records

Northwest lets you use their Washington business address throughout your entire LLC filing in all 50 states and D.C. This can keep your physical address off public records.

For example, you can list their address for any or all of the following:

(Note: The list above is an example. Some states have more address fields than others. Wherever there is an address field on the LLC filing, you can list the Northwest address if you’d like. This can keep your address off public records.)

Any mail that Northwest receives gets scanned and uploaded to your online account.

Need to save time? You can also hire Northwest to form your LLC.

Special discount for LLC University® readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form a Washington LLC. But they offer a special price (60% off) for LLC University® readers.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Can I be my own Washington Registered Agent FAQs

What should I look for in a Registered Agent Service?
Service of process:Do they forward documents by mail?
Do they scan and email them?
General business mail:Will they accept general business mail sent to your LLC?
Most Registered Agent Services will only accept Service of Process.
LLC Formation:Will they form your LLC with the state?
How much do they charge beyond the state filing fee?
Annual Report or other services:Do they offer Annual Report filing or other services you can buy?
How much do they charge for these?
Cost:How much do they charge for the stand-alone Registered Agent Service?
Most Registered Agent Services charge $100 to $300 per year.
Customer Support:Do they have great customer support?
Read some online reviews of the service or call and ask a few questions.

Is a Washington Registered Agent liable?

No, a Washington Registered Agent is not liable for any of the LLC’s lawsuits or debts.

Accepting documents on behalf of the LLC does not bring the Registered Agent into a lawsuit.

If you are the Registered Agent and someone sues your LLC, they are still only suing the business. The Registered Agent does not get sued. That’s true even if you are the Registered Agent and the owner of the LLC.

And only the LLC gets sued – not you, as the individual owner. That’s because an LLC protects your personal assets.

How do I choose a Registered Agent in Washington?

Choosing the right Registered Agent for your LLC depends on your specific business needs.

We’ll guide you through your options and how to choose a Registered Agent, so you can confidently pick the best one for your LLC.

Where do I list myself as the Registered Agent in Washington?

The name and address of the Washington Registered Agent goes in the LLC filing paperwork.

Every state requires an LLC to list a Registered Agent and Registered Office (the Registered Agent address). This information goes on public record with the Washington Secretary of State, so that a process server, if needed, can serve your LLC.

Is a Registered Agent a Member of a Washington LLC?

No, a Washington Registered Agent is not automatically an LLC Member (aka owner).

Meaning, just listing someone as a Registered Agent doesn’t make them a Member of your LLC.

Learn more: Registered Agent vs LLC Member

Registered Agent Service:

If you hire a Washington Registered Agent Service, they won’t be a Member of your LLC.

You:

If you are a Member of an LLC and you want to be your own Registered Agent, then that is totally okay. In that case, you are both a Member of the LLC and the Registered Agent for the LLC.

Friend or family:

If a friend or family member is your LLC Registered Agent, they can be a Member of your LLC (if you make them one). But they aren’t automatically a Member just because you list them as the Registered Agent.

Who can be a Washington Registered Agent and an LLC Member?

Who:Can they be the Registered Agent?Can they be a Member of the LLC?
YouYes, if you live in the state where you formed your LLCYes, always
Friend or familyYes, if they live in the state where you formed your LLCYes, if they co-own the LLC with you
Registered Agent ServiceYesNo, never

Is a Washington Registered Agent necessary?

Yes, a Washington Registered Agent is necessary. State law requires someone to be available at a physical street address in Washington during regular business hours to accept Service of Process for your LLC.

You must list a Registered Agent on your LLC paperwork. And then you must continuously maintain (keep) one on file with the Washington Secretary of State for as long as your LLC exists.

Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.

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4 comments on “Can I be my own Registered Agent in Washington?”

Disclaimer: Nothing on this page shall be interpreted as legal or tax advice. Rules and regulations vary by location. They also change over time and are specific to your situation. Furthermore, this comment section is provided so people can share their thoughts and experience. Please consult a licensed professional if you have legal or tax questions.

  1. Thank you, Matt. And there’s no way to opt out of receiving solicited mail or sharing our info unless we pay NW registered agents, right?

    My biggest concern is : Do people in the public ever attempt to visit the addresses on record? Trying to consider all possible safety concerns whether it be me as the CEO or a family/friend as the R.A.

    I’m also curious if registered agents can mail the physical copies to us as well or what do they do with them after uploading online? I prefer physical copies which is really the main reason I’d like to be my own R.A.

    Reply
    • Hey Adriana, I totally understand your concerns regarding privacy, safety, and getting physical copies of mail.

      Receiving junk mail – This happens just by the nature of things. Marketing companies scrape public records database and send marketing and junk mail. There isn’t a simple “check the box” option to turn this off. There are services that can help though, such as OneRep. But they more so clean up after the fact (it’s not a preventative measure).

      Attempts to visit – This can sometimes happen. If an address is known/out there, anyone can use it for anything, really.

      Physical copies – With the rise of things being more digital, many Registered Agent companies do scan documents, however, some also offer physical forwarding (sometimes at an extra cost). If you’re thinking of going with a Registered Agent Service, I recommend calling a few and checking on whether or not they offer this, how much it costs, how you’d go about requesting the mail to be forwarded, and what they do with documents afterwards.

      Another tip – Even if you hire a Registered Agent Service, because of the Washington Business License, it might be a good idea to use an office address or virtual office address for other states documents. The Business License info (as well as the LLC info) is public records in Washington. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. If I am my own Registered Agent, can I get a virtual address? if-so: how?

    I’m in WA state.

    Reply
    • Hi Adriana, if you’re going to be your own Registered Agent in Washington, the address can’t be a virtual address. The state doesn’t allow it. It would have be an actual physical address, like a home address or office address.

      Reply

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