Third-Party Notices and Solicitations: Tips & Examples
Quickly recognizing a Third-Party Solicitation
We want to help you quickly determine whether the notice you received is an official notice from the Secretary of State.
❌ If you answer NO to any of these questions, the notice received is not from the Secretary of State.
Does the notice include our official Division logo?
Does the sender's email address end in '.GOV'?
Do the fees quoted seem high or differ from our filing fees?
Is the notice sending you to a website that doesn't end in '.GOV'?
❌ If you answer Yes to any of these questions, the notice received is not from the Secretary of State.
Does the notice use language like "Immediate", "Final Notice", "penalty", or "legal action" without prior contact?
Was the notice a text message?
Was the caller's area code not in Washington State?
Does the notice contain a payment link that doesn't end in '.GOV,' or does it request payment using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other unusual methods?
Does the notice have a QR code?
Consumer Alerts!
- Washington Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Lawsuit
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The Washington Office of the Attorney General filed a consumer protection lawsuit regarding deceptive solicitation. View additional details regarding this consumer protection lawsuit.
- Labor Posters
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The Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division has received inquiries regarding a phone call to individuals after their business formation is filed telling them they need to purchase a Labor Poster. This solicitor is falsely misrepresenting themselves as the Washington Secretary of State. Contact LnI to request these required items free of charge.
- Business Entity Registration Solicitations
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The Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division is aware of third-party solicitations that circulate to new and existing registered businesses. Please note, a third-party service is not required to submit filings to the Corporations & Charities Division.
Always take caution when reporting your business information. Here are some useful tips to Prevent and Detect Business Identity Theft.
Glossary of Topics & Examples
Topics
Examples
Consider these things
Follow each step below, in order to determine if you are receiving an official notice from the Secretary of State.
- Step 1: Consider the timing of the notice
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Confirm whether the timing of the notice aligns with official communication from the Secretary of State. We issue notices per RCW 23.95.255(7) based on your business entity’s expiration date, which you can verify for free in our filing system using the link provided in the next step. Official notices are sent according to the following schedule:
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Annual Report Due Date: Sent on the 1st of the month before your anniversary month (about 60 days prior to expiration).
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Delinquency Notice: Sent on the 1st of the month after the expiration date if the annual report hasn’t been filed. Submitted reports remain pending until processed by the Secretary of State.
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Administrative Dissolution: Sent 120 days after the expiration date to domestic entities without a filed annual report (commonly sent around the 3rd of the month).
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Statement of Termination: Sent 90 days after the expiration date to foreign entities without a filed annual report.
If a notice is received outside of this timeline, it is most likely not from the Secretary of State.
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- Step 2: Verify information on public record in our system
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By following the steps outlined on our Online Filing page, you can verify your corporation's (business entity's) public record. This verification will allow you to confirm your business registration, structure, current status, filing history, and expiration date.
Review steps you can take to verify the public record status of a business.
If you received a notice other than a correction letter, it will be on record in your filing history.
Review the steps needed to check if the notice you received is in the business' filing history.
- Step 3: Read the fine print
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Third Party Solicitors must inform the recipient that action through them is not mandatory and that they can file with the Secretary of State.
It might be easy to miss, read all language provided in the notice.
- What if it doesn't have this statement but is not from the Secretary of State?
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If you’ve determined that the notice is not from the Secretary of State and it does not include this statement, you may report the solicitation by following the instructions in the Next Steps section below.
- Next Steps
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Reduce unwanted solicitations or filing a complaint
THIRD PARTY REGISTRATION SOLICITATIONS
The Secretary of State is not permitted to provide legal advice and communications originating from the Secretary of State will not tell you if you are required to register. For more information on starting or registering a business in Washington State, visit our, How to Start a Business page.
- Google Forms / COGS Notice due
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- Registrar Agency of Corporations
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THIRD PARTY ANNUAL REPORT SOLICITATIONS
An annual report must be filed each year by the end of the anniversary month and can be easily filed using the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) by selecting express annual report, or by logging in to your CCFS customer profile. The filing fee is only $70 for for-profit businesses.
The Office of the Secretary of State will send notices directly to registered businesses. An email notice will come 60 days prior to expiration; a paper notice sent via U.S. mail, is sent 45-60 days prior to expiration if electronic notification is not selected. This office does not currently send text messages.
- Business Entities
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- eFileBusiness.com
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- eFile Washington
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- Fast Filing Services
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- Legal Zoom
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- Next Step Filings
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- Washington Annual Reporting Corporations & Charities Filing System
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- Washington Annual Reports
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- US Filing Services
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THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATE SOLICITATIONS
A Certificate of Existence can be ordered online from the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) for $20 and the request form takes only a few minutes to complete. A Certificate of Existence is issued to certify the records on file with the Office of the Secretary of State are current and the entity is authorized to do business in the State of Washington. A Certificate of Existence is not generally required unless it is specifically requested in the course of business.
- Washington Certificate Service
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THIRD PARTY TRADEMARK SOLICITATIONS
For additional resources and information, please refer to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) webpages: Recognizing common scams | USPTO or What to do if you've been scammed | USPTO.
You may also contact the State Bar Association in the State where the communication was received. Because attorneys sign some of these notices, the Bar Associations may be notified. Scam Alert (wsba.org)
- Trademark Excellence
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