Start a Domestic (WA) Limited Liability Company (LLC) Online
Certificate of Formation with Initial Report of a Limited Liability Company: Online Instructions
Purpose: A Certificate of Formation is used to create a new business entity that has not previously been registered with the Office of the Secretary of State; or is beyond its five (5) year reinstatement period.
Filing Fee: $180 in addition to an online processing fee.
Expedited Service: You may add expedited priority for an additional $100 at checkout, which is generally processed within three working days.
Email: An email address is required for the Registered Agent & Principal Office fields, per WAC 434-112-045(4).
1. Visit our Corporations and Charities Filing System (opens in new tab) landing page and log in to your account.
2. Once logged in, select “Create or Register a Business” from the navigation bar on the left side.
3. Select “I would like to form a Washington State business”.
4. Select “WA Limited Liability Company” from the business type drop down list.
5. Select “Continue”. The page will advance to the online Certificate of Formation to be completed.
- The "Defer Initial Report" checkbox will appear. Choosing to defer is acknowledgement this initial report is due within 120 of the effective date of this filing and will require an additional fee.
Select each section dropdown below for instruction and important information.
- Unified Business Identifier (UBI)
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If the business has previously registered with a Washington state agency (e.g., Department of Revenue, Labor & Industries, or Employment Security), it may already have a 9-digit UBI number.
- Select “Yes” to enter an existing UBI (do not use a UBI from a Sole Proprietorship or General Partnership).
- If the business does not have a UBI, select “No” to continue. A UBI will be assigned upon successful filing.
- Business Name
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If you have a reserved name and a Name Reservation Number, select “Yes,” enter the number, and click “Get Name.” The reserved name will populate automatically. Then, select the appropriate business entity designation.
If you don’t have a reservation, enter a proposed business name and click “Look Up” to check availability.- If the name is not available, enter a different one.
- If the name is available, you may proceed to the next step.
Note: Name availability is subject to final review by the Secretary of State. The system does not account for pending submissions.
In accordance with RCW 23.95.305, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) name must include one of the following:
“Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Liability Co.,” “L.L.C.,” or “LLC.”Must not contain any of the following words or phrases: “Bank”, “banking”, “banker”, “trust”, “cooperative”, or any combination of the words: “industrial” and “loan”, or any combination of any two or more of the words: “building”, “savings”, “loan”, “home”, “association”, and “society”, or any abbreviation thereof. A Professional Service Corporation name must be distinguishable upon the records of the Secretary of State from any other business already registered with the Secretary of State’s Office.
The name must also be distinct from any other business name already registered with the Secretary of State. - Registered Agent
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All businesses must designate a Registered Agent in Washington State, as required by RCW 23.95.415. The agent must consent to serve, and by selecting a consent option, the submitter affirms the listed statements.
Select Agent Type
Choose either a Commercial or Noncommercial Registered Agent.
Commercial Registered Agent: A business or individual registered with the Secretary of State to receive legal documents on behalf of entities.
- Use the search tool, select the agent from the results, and click “Select Agent.”
Noncommercial Registered Agent: A business or individual who agrees to receive legal documents but is not registered as a commercial agent.
- Click “Add New Agent” (even if search results appear) to ensure accurate entry.
- Enter and confirm the agent’s email address
- Provide a physical street address in Washington State (no PO Boxes or PMBs) and mailing address (optional).
- Phone number (optional).
- Prepared Certificate of Formation
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If the business entity has a drafted Certificate of Formation, select “Yes” and upload the document. The Secretary of State does not record operating agreements or other internal governance documents. The uploaded certificate will not be file-stamped but will be included as an attachment to the system-generated PDF.
If uploaded documents conflict with the information entered in the online form, this filing will be sent back for corrections or clarification. This is a very common rejection for online submissions.
- Other Provisions
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Use this section to list any additional provisions for the business. If the content exceeds 500 characters, enter “see attached” and upload a document with the full details.
- Principal Office
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This is the location where the business keeps its records.
- Email: Enter and confirm the email address (required). ACP Participants: Only check the ACP box if you are enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program and can provide your participant number. More information about the ACP program.
- If you have trouble entering your address, uncheck the ACP box and try again.
- Street Address: Must be a physical address (no PO Boxes or PMBs). It does not need to be in Washington State. and mailing address (optional).
- Phone number (optional).
- Email: Enter and confirm the email address (required). ACP Participants: Only check the ACP box if you are enrolled in the Address Confidentiality Program and can provide your participant number. More information about the ACP program.
- Duration
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If no option is selected, the business will default to a perpetual duration, meaning it will continue until it is voluntarily or administratively dissolved.
Only one option may be selected:
- Perpetual (ongoing),
or a - Specific date or number of years (after which the business will be administratively dissolved as recorded).
- Perpetual (ongoing),
- Effective Date
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Choose when the filing should take effect:
- Date of Filing: The filing becomes effective on the date it is processed by our office.
or a - Future Date: You may select a future effective date, up to 90 days from the filing date.
- Date of Filing: The filing becomes effective on the date it is processed by our office.
- Executor Information
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Enter the name and address of each Executor, then click “Add Executor.” Executors are the individuals forming the Limited Liability Company.
- Do not include individual names in the business entity name.
- To add more Executors, repeat the process and click “Add Executor” after each entry.
- All added Executors will appear in the list below the entry fields.
- Governors
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This section is not required if submitting without the initial report.
List the individuals or entities responsible for governing the business.
- Do not include individual names in the business entity name.
- To add a governor, select the type (individual or entity), enter the name, and click “Add Governor.”
- Added governors will appear in the list below the entry fields.
- Nature of Business
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This section is not required if submitting without the initial report.
Provide the nature of business of the business entity.
- Standard selections are available in the drop-down list
and/or - Check “other” to unlock the text box and enter a brief description of the nature of business.
- Standard selections are available in the drop-down list
- Return Address for this Filing
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If entered, confirmation for this filing will be sent to this address in addition to the Registered Agent’s address.
- Upload additional documents
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Use this section to upload any required supporting documents.
Do not upload meeting minutes, ownership details, operating agreements, bylaws, or other internal governance documents, these uploads will be removed before the filing is completed.
- Email Opt-In
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Select the checkbox if the business entity elects to opt-in to email notifications from our office. All notifications will be sent to the email address on record.
- Authorized Person
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Provide the first and last name of the authorized person submitting the filing. Then select the checkbox next to “This document is hereby executed under penalty of law and is to the best of my knowledge, true and correct.”
6. Confirm the information is accurate and all sections marked with red asterisks are complete.
- Select "Continue" to advance to the next screen.
- If you are unable to advance, review for missing information.
7. Within the Review page, confirm the information is correct.
- If the information is accurate, then select “Add to Cart” at the bottom of the screen.
- To make changes to the information on this page, select "Back” at the bottom of the screen.
8. Select a maximum of five items, then select “Checkout”.
9. Review the items in your cart, then select “Proceed to Checkout”.
- Filing fees will be calculated automatically when they are added to the cart.
10. Enter the required payment information and select “Place your Order”.
Next Steps: The Certificate of Formation will be reviewed by Secretary of State staff. A Confirmation Letter and all documents will be available in the user account’s “Notices and Filed Documents” folder.