Quick facts: Washington
- Secretary of State
- Courtesy notice before the annual report, by statute
- What it covers
- One filing: the annual report
- What it misses
- L&I renewal, bond and insurance expirations, excise returns, employer filings
- Contractor Lane
- $9.99/mo, every Washington deadline matched to your business
- ZenBusiness
- Alerts inside a $199/yr compliance plan
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: Washington sends a free courtesy notice before your annual report, by statute, but it covers that one filing and not receiving it is no excuse. It does not cover your L&I renewal, bond and insurance dates, excise returns or employer filings. Contractor Lane reminders cover all of those for $9.99 a month; ZenBusiness includes alerts in its $199 a year compliance plan.
Updated October 12, 2026. Requirements and fees change; confirm with the agency named on this page.
Free state notice vs Contractor Lane deadline reminders
| What you get | Contractor Lane reminders | Free Secretary of State notice |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report | Yes | Yes, a courtesy notice |
| L&I registration renewal | Yes | No |
| Bond and insurance expirations | Yes | No |
| Excise tax returns | Yes | No |
| Employer filings if you hire | Yes | No |
| Matched to your business | Yes | Your entity only |
| Cancel anytime | Yes | Not applicable |
| Price | $9.99/month | Free |
State notice details from the Secretary of State annual report page, checked October 13, 2026.
"Does the state remind me?" is the right question. The answer is yes for one filing, and no for the rest. Here is what you get free and what the paid options add.
What Washington sends for free
The Secretary of State sends a notice before the annual report: "This courtesy notice is provided by the Secretary of State per statute." It goes to the address on file, and the office is clear that not receiving it does not excuse the filing. The report "is due by the last day of the month in which the business was originally formed or registered."
What that reminder does not cover
- Your L&I contractor registration renewal, every two years. See renewal.
- Bond and insurance expirations, which suspend your registration automatically. See denied or suspended.
- Excise tax returns on your assigned frequency. See due dates.
- Employer filings if you hire. See employer deadlines.
Paid reminders
Contractor Lane: deadline reminders email you before every Washington deadline matched to your business, with the official link, for $9.99 a month. Cancel anytime. Nothing is filed for you on this tier.
ZenBusiness: its Worry-Free Compliance plan says "Get proactive alerts and easily see upcoming deadlines for annual reports on your personalized compliance calendar." and handles "annual report and amendment filings" for "$199/yr"; "State fees are not included." It is built around entity filings, not contractor registrations.
Which one
If your only deadline is the annual report, the state notice plus your own calendar may be enough. If you hold an L&I registration, a bond, insurance and a tax account, you have five or more clocks, and that is what the $9.99 reminders are for. If you want the filings handled too, see File it for me and the annual plan.
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
Does Washington remind me to file my annual report?
Yes. The Secretary of State sends a courtesy notice by statute to the address on file. Not receiving it does not excuse a late filing, and it covers only the annual report.
Does the state remind me to renew my L&I contractor registration?
Not through the annual report notice. Track the renewal, bond and insurance dates separately, or use a reminder service that covers them.
What do paid filing reminders cost?
Contractor Lane deadline reminders are $9.99 a month for every Washington deadline matched to your business. ZenBusiness includes alerts in a $199 a year compliance plan, state fees not included.
Sources
Official pages checked on 2026-10-12.
- www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities/maintain-business-compliance/annual-reports
- www.zenbusiness.com/pricing-worry-free/