Price summary
The flat-price option is Mainstay Filing: $149 a year in Washington, renewing at $149[1]. Across 7 other services on October 20, 2026, the median renewal was $149 and three-year totals ran $258 to $747.
- Mainstay Filing
- $149/yr, same at renewal
- Mainstay, 3 years
- $447
- Other services compared
- 7
- Others, first year
- $0 to $249
- Others, median renewal
- $149
- Updated
- October 29, 2026
Updated October 29, 2026. Prices from each provider's own page.
All 8 prices
| Service | First year | Renewal | 3 years | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $447 | Same price at renewal; files the change of agent, state fee at cost. | [1] Mainstay Filing pages, updated October 29, 2026 |
| FreeRegisteredAgent.com | $0 | $129 | $258 | First year free, then $129/yr. Its page says the agent is InCorp. | [2] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | $375 | $100/yr per state for five or more states. | [3] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | $387 | As low as $87/yr if you prepay five years. | [4] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | $417 | $99 for the first year for new customers, then $159/yr. Prepaying two or three years keeps $99/yr for those years. | [5] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | $447 | Standalone price. The first year is free when you form your company through Bizee. | [6] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | $497 | $99 plus state fees for the first year, then $199/yr. | [7] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | $747 | Price for first-time agent customers. Auto-renews at the purchase rate; LegalZoom says the renewal rate is subject to change. | [8] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
Mainstay Filing first; the other services follow in order of three-year cost (first-year price plus two renewals at the published renewal price). Each price was read from the provider's own page on October 20, 2026.
Also appearing in results for Washington: United Corporate Services and residentagent.net. No price was published on their sites on the check date.
The second-year price
A flat price is the simplest to plan around in Washington. Mainstay Filing charges $149 in year one and $149 at each renewal[1].
3 of the 7 other Washington services charge more at renewal than in the first year. The largest step on their published prices is FreeRegisteredAgent.com, from $0 to $129[2].
For Washington, comparing renewals rather than first-year prices gives a better sense of what the service costs over the life of a company.
Where the names come from
For a search run on October 20, 2026, FreeRegisteredAgent.com, Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, and Harbor Compliance had their own pages in Google's top 20 for "cheapest registered agent washington". The AI Overview for that search named Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, and Bizee. ZenBusiness and LegalZoom are included because they are among the four names seen most often across all 50 states.
Sorting is by price. The notes column records conditions such as prepayment or quarterly billing.
Washington fees vs. agent fees
For a Washington LLC, the yearly state fee averages $70[11], while a registered agent runs $149 a year at Mainstay Filing and a median $149 at renewal among the other services. The agent is the bigger line item.
| State | Other services priced | Lowest first year | Median renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 7 | $0 | $149 |
| Idaho | 6 | $99 | $159 |
| Oregon | 7 | $99 | $199 |
Same method and date for every state. Mainstay Filing's price is $149 a year in each of these states.
Companies operating across the Washington border need an agent in each state.
The rule that creates the cost
Under RCW 23.95.415, a Washington company must always have a registered agent on record[9]. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Washington and has a qualifying address. Washington law also lets the company be named as its own registered agent.
Paid services are one option among several in Washington. A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, a noncommercial agent (any person or business with a Washington address), or the holder of a named position in the company. The agent consents in advance.
If you change services later, Washington charges $0 for the change filing[10].
Mainstay Filing's Washington service
The $149 Washington service starts with a street address in the state, on the public record as registered agent[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day, at no fee. It sends compliance reminders and scans the first three government letters each year at no cost. Switching to it, Mainstay files the change; Washington charges no fee for that filing.
For Washington, annual report filing is part of Mainstay's $199 yearly package rather than the agent-only price.
Questions
How much does Mainstay Filing charge for a Washington registered agent?
It charges $149 a year for Washington, renewing at $149[1]. Three years come to $447. It charges the same in each state, so a company registered in Washington and a neighbor pays $298 a year for both.
What does a registered agent cost in Washington?
At other services' Washington prices published on October 20, 2026, first-year prices ran $0 to $249 and the lowest three-year total was $258. Mainstay Filing is $149 every year.
Do I have to pay for a registered agent in Washington?
No. Paying a service is optional in Washington; what the law requires is that a qualifying registered agent is on record. Serving personally is open to any owner who lives in Washington and has a qualifying address. Washington law also lets the company be named as its own registered agent.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- FreeRegisteredAgent.com, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Northwest Registered Agent, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- InCorp Services, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Harbor Compliance, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Bizee, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- ZenBusiness, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- LegalZoom, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- RCW 23.95.415 (designation of registered agent); address rule RCW 23.95.410; entities required to maintain an agent RCW 23.95.405; change by entity RCW 23.95.430. app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=23.95.415. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: Statement of Change/Designation of Registered Agent fee. www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/frequently-asked-questions-faqs/fee-scheduleexpedite. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division: Annual Report rules and fee. ccfs.sos.wa.gov/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- RCW 25.15.071 (certificate of formation), filed under Article 2 of chapter 23.95 RCW; fee set by WAC 434-112-085(7)(a) ('Public organic record — One hundred eighty dollars'). app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=25.15.071. Updated October 29, 2026.