Foreign registration · Form 21

Washington Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Washington that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also asks for Washington's Certificate of Existence ($20), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Washington records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Washington and Wisconsin each ask for

	Washington formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Washington Certificate of Existence	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$20	$100 at order
How it is handled	Washington: online as an instant Express download, also emailed	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	ccfs.sos.wa.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $70, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month	March 31 each year after qualification
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Washington registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Washington companies register with Wisconsin

Order the Washington certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Washington separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. An instant Washington certificate reaches Wisconsin only hours old, well inside the limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file Form 21
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your Washington name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Washington delays the Wisconsin filing. After approval, your Washington corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin costs for Washington companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Existence, paid to Washington	$20
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Washington certificate included	$319

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Washington name and Wisconsin's rules

We search Wisconsin's records for Washington's name on file before anything is filed.

Your Wisconsin agent and the Washington one

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

Staying in good standing in Washington and Wisconsin

Each year your corporation files Washington's Annual Report ($70) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Washington plus Wisconsin comes to $284 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Washington to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Washington files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Washington's Annual Report ($70) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Wisconsin company in Washington

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with Washington files Washington's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Washington owners ask about Wisconsin

Does my Washington company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Washington business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Wisconsin issues one to Washington corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a Washington corporation in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout plus $20 to Washington for the Certificate of Existence, $319 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Washington's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants Washington's Certificate of Existence ($20), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Washington and Wisconsin?

$284 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $70 to Washington and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a Washington company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Washington keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Washington's Annual Report.

Official sources

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