File Your Washington Annual Report Yourself, or Use a Service?

Quick facts: Washington

Fee: $70, either way
Due: Last day of the month your business was formed
Late: $25 delinquency fee, and dissolution risk if ignored
Yourself: Ten minutes online if your information is current
Service: $79 with Contractor Lane

Fees, rules and rates change, often on July 1 and January 1. Verify every item with the responsible agency before you rely on it.

Short answer: If your business information is current and you have ten minutes, file it yourself with the Secretary of State for the $70 fee. Use a service when you keep missing it, your records are out of date, or a late filing would cost you more than the $79 fee. Either way, put the date on a calendar: the state reminder is a courtesy, not a guarantee.

Updated October 12, 2026. Requirements and fees change; confirm with the agency named on this page.

File it yourself vs have us file it

What you get	Contractor Lane File it for me	File it yourself
State fee	$70	$70
Service fee	$79	$0
Who prepares and submits it	Our staff	You
Someone else prepares the details	Yes	Up to you
Your time	A few minutes to confirm details	About ten minutes if your records are current
Remembering the due date	Add deadline reminders for $9.99/month, or the annual plan	The state sends a courtesy notice; not receiving it is no excuse
Total	$149	$70

Fees checked October 13, 2026 against the Secretary of State.

Have us file it

The Washington annual report is a short filing with a real consequence if you forget it. Here is how to do it yourself, what trips people up, and when it is worth paying.

Doing it yourself

Know your due date: "This annual report is due by the last day of the month in which the business was originally formed or registered."
Sign in to the Secretary of State's online filing system with your UBI.
Confirm the registered agent, the principal office, and the governors or members.
Pay the fee: "$70" for an LLC or corporation.
Save the confirmation with your business records.

What goes wrong

Waiting for the reminder. The state says "This courtesy notice is provided by the Secretary of State per statute," and not receiving it does not excuse you.
An old registered agent address, so the notice never arrives.
Filing late: "an additional $25 delinquency fee will be assessed," and a delinquent entity can be administratively dissolved, which breaks your L&I registration.

When a service makes sense

You have missed it before, or you file for more than one entity.
Your records need cleaning up and you want someone to check before submitting.
You would rather pay $79 than think about it. File it for me prepares and submits it with the state fee at cost.

The middle option

File it yourself but let deadline reminders tell you when, with every other Washington deadline, for $9.99 a month. See every filing service compared and free vs paid reminders.

Checked October 13, 2026 against each organization's own website. Services and prices change; confirm before you rely on them.

Contractor Lane is a private company, not affiliated with SCORE, the SBDC, the SBA, or any Washington state agency. General education, not legal, tax or accounting advice.

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Common questions

How do I file my Washington annual report myself?

Sign in to the Secretary of State online filing system with your UBI, confirm your registered agent, office and governors, pay the $70 fee, and save the confirmation.

What happens if I miss my Washington annual report?

A $25 delinquency fee is added, and a delinquent entity can be administratively dissolved, which affects your L&I registration.

Is it worth paying someone to file my annual report?

If you keep missing it, have several entities, or want the records checked first, yes. Contractor Lane charges $79 plus the state fee. Otherwise file it yourself and use reminders.

Sources

Official pages checked on 2026-10-12.

About Contractor Lane

Contractor Lane is built and maintained by working home-service operators. Every legal or numeric claim on this page was checked against the official source listed below on 2026-10-12.

General educational information for contractors. Requirements and fees change. Contractor Lane is not a law firm, CPA, insurance agency, or licensing agency. Verify each item with the responsible agency.