Foreign registration · no form number

South Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Washington

A corporation formed in South Dakota that wants to do business in Washington files an online registration (no form number), with $200 in state fees. Washington also asks for South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division using your South Dakota records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

South Dakota vs Washington: the paperwork

	South Dakota formed here	Washington registering here
Document	South Dakota Certificate of Good Standing/Existence	Foreign Registration Statement (Profit types) (no form number)
State fee	$20	$200 at order (filing fee $180 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	South Dakota: online	Filed online with Washington
Office	South Dakota Secretary of State	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division
Official page	sosenterprise.sd.gov	sos.wa.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $70, every year
Due	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year (form opens that day	Last day of the month of WA certificate of authority
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Washington registered agent

From South Dakota to Washington, step by step

Order the South Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20) is ordered from South Dakota separately; it is not part of our Washington order. Washington accepts it within 60 days of South Dakota's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Washington registered agent, next to your South Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The South Dakota certificate comes first; then the Washington filing goes in. Once Washington approves it, the South Dakota company can do business there.

First-year cost, South Dakota to Washington

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$200
Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, paid to South Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Washington registered agent service	$199
First-year total, South Dakota certificate included	$419

Will your South Dakota name work for Washington?

Washington can hold a name for $30 before you file.

Your Washington agent and the South Dakota one

South Dakota and Washington both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for South Dakota; ours takes Washington's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in South Dakota and Washington

South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year; Washington wants the Annual Report every year ($70). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Washington

An LLC formed in South Dakota files its own registration with Washington ($200 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20)). After that come South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Washington's Annual Report ($70). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Washington company in South Dakota

A corporation formed in Washington that registers with South Dakota files South Dakota's registration (no form number) with $750 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20). See that filing.

Questions South Dakota owners ask about Washington

Does my South Dakota company need to register in Washington?

Yes, once a South Dakota business operates there; Washington registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Washington calls it registration for South Dakota corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the Washington registration cost?

$399 at checkout plus $20 to South Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, $419 in all (checkout is $200 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need South Dakota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Washington wants it ($20), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Washington?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), South Dakota's report (fee set by the state) and Washington's report ($70).

Does Washington require a registered agent?

Yes: the South Dakota registered agent stays, and ours covers Washington for year one.

Can I form a new Washington corporation instead?

Yes, but South Dakota keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Washington's Annual Report ($70), and the original keeps South Dakota's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Washington later?

South Dakota companies leave by filing a Statement of Withdrawal; until then, Washington's report stays due alongside South Dakota's filings.

Official sources

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