Forming a Washington LLC takes six steps: name search, Certificate of Formation ($200 state fee), registered agent, operating agreement, EIN, and bank account. End-to-end timeline is 5-10 business days with Anonymousllc.co. Washington discloses members or managers on public records, so founders who need ownership privacy form a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into Washington. The all-in Washington cost is $497 ($297 service fee plus the $200 state fee).
A Washington LLC is fully operational in 5-10 business days end-to-end. The state accepts the Certificate of Formation within 1-3 business days, the EIN follows in 1-7 days, and bank approval lands 8-10 days after the EIN. The path runs in parallel wherever it can. Day 0 is a 5-minute WhatsApp intake. Anonymousllc.co files the certificate the same day, then starts the EIN application the moment the state stamp arrives. US-resident founders receive the EIN in about one day online; non-resident founders receive it in 5-7 days by fax filing. Bank applications go out to 4-5 partner banks at once, so approval does not wait on a single institution. The biggest variable is the EIN step for non-residents, since the IRS fax queue sets the pace there. Anonymousllc.co files the SS-4 as third-party designee so the founder never has to call the IRS. Once the EIN letter lands, the bank applications and operating agreement are already prepared, so the account opens on the next business day.
Search the Washington Secretary of State business database and confirm the name is distinguishable from every existing entity. The name must contain "Limited Liability Company", "LLC", or "L.L.C." Anonymousllc.co runs the name check and prepares two or three backup names before filing, so a rejected first choice never delays the filing. Washington offers an optional 180-day name reservation for a $30 state fee when a founder wants to hold a name before filing, but standard formation locks the name the moment the Certificate of Formation is accepted. The check also screens for restricted words that need extra approval, such as bank or insurance terms. Washington rejects a name that matches or closely resembles an existing entity, so the backup names prevent a second filing round. A distinguishable name differs by more than punctuation or an added article. Once the certificate is accepted, the name is the LLC's exclusive property in Washington for as long as the annual report keeps the entity in good standing.
The Certificate of Formation lists the LLC name, the registered agent and Washington office address, the principal office, the executor, and the effective date. Washington requires either members or managers (or both) to be disclosed on public state records. Because Washington publishes governor information, the state filing is not anonymous. Founders who need ownership privacy form a Wyoming or New Mexico anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into Washington, keeping the individual owner off the public record. The certificate is filed online with the Washington Secretary of State for a $200 state fee and accepted within 1-3 business days. See /wyoming-anonymous-llc/ for the privacy structure.
Every Washington LLC must list a registered agent with a physical Washington street address to receive legal service and state mail. The agent's address appears on the public record instead of the owner's home address. Anonymousllc.co provides Washington registered agent service at $100/year, included for year one in the formation package. The agent forwards state notices and any legal service the same day it arrives. Using a commercial agent keeps the founder's home or business address off the Secretary of State database. A Washington LLC with no reachable agent risks default judgments and administrative dissolution.
Yes. Washington does not file the operating agreement with the state, but every US bank requires it to open an account and courts examine it in liability disputes. It is the document that proves who owns and controls the LLC. Anonymousllc.co includes a Washington-specific operating agreement tailored to Washington statute with every formation package. It sets out ownership percentages, management structure (member-managed or manager-managed), capital contributions, profit distribution, and transfer rules. A single-member LLC still needs one: without it, the LLC's liability shield is weaker and banks decline the account. Default Washington statutory rules apply when no agreement exists, and those rules rarely match member intent.
The EIN is the LLC's federal tax ID from the IRS, and it is required before any bank account or tax filing. A non-resident without an SSN gets it by fax filing IRS Form SS-4, where the responsible party writes "Foreign" instead of a tax ID number. US-resident founders complete the EIN online in minutes. Non-resident founders receive it in 5-7 days through Anonymousllc.co acting as third-party designee on the SS-4. No SSN, ITIN, or visit to the US is needed. The EIN confirmation letter (CP-575, or a 147C on reissue) is the document banks ask for at account opening.
Anonymousllc.co submits applications to 4-5 US partner banks (Mercury, Relay, Bluevine, and others) in parallel, using the stamped Certificate of Formation, EIN letter, and operating agreement. Approval averages 8-10 days after the EIN. Applying to multiple banks at once raises the overall approval rate to about 90%, because a decline at one bank does not end the process. These are US business accounts with routing and account numbers, wire and ACH access, and debit cards. Non-residents open them remotely; no US visit is required. A funded account lands by day 10-12 of the overall timeline.
A Washington LLC costs $497 all-in through Anonymousllc.co: a $297 service fee plus the $200 Washington state filing fee. That single price covers the state filing, registered agent for year one, operating agreement, EIN, and 4-5 US bank applications. Year two onward, the recurring cost is the $100/year registered agent plus Washington's $60 annual report, so ongoing maintenance is about $160/year. Many founders instead choose the $397 all-in Wyoming anonymous LLC and foreign-qualify into Washington, which adds owner privacy that a direct Washington filing does not provide. EIN, ITIN, and BOI add-ons are priced separately at $99, $299, and $150.
Washington charges no state personal income tax. It applies a Business & Occupation (B&O) gross-receipts tax on business revenue, and federal treatment is pass-through by default. A single-member LLC reports on Schedule C and a multi-member LLC files Form 1065. An LLC elects S-corporation or C-corporation treatment by filing IRS Form 2553 or 8832 when that lowers total tax. The B&O tax is filed through the Washington Department of Revenue, separate from the Secretary of State annual report and separate from any federal return. Seattle and some other cities add a local B&O tax on top of the state rate.
Yes. Non-US residents form Washington LLCs without an SSN, ITIN, or visa, and never need to visit the United States. Washington places no citizenship or residency condition on LLC ownership. Anonymousllc.co files the certificate, obtains the EIN by fax without an SSN, provides the Washington registered agent and address, and submits US bank applications remotely. The founder handles the entire process from abroad over WhatsApp. A non-resident who also wants ownership privacy forms the anonymous LLC in Wyoming or New Mexico first, then foreign-qualifies into Washington so the public record never shows the individual owner.
5-minute WhatsApp intake. 5-10 day turnaround.