Foreign registration · no form number

Wisconsin Corporation Foreign Registration in Washington

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that wants to do business in Washington files an online registration (no form number), with $200 in state fees. Washington also asks for Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division using your Wisconsin records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Wisconsin vs Washington: the paperwork

	Wisconsin formed here	Washington registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Foreign Registration Statement (Profit types) (no form number)
State fee	$10	$200 at order (filing fee $180 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed online with Washington
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	Washington Secretary of State, Corporations & Charities Division
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	sos.wa.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $70, every year
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of the articles' effective date	Last day of the month of WA certificate of authority
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our Washington registered agent

From Wisconsin to Washington, step by step

Order the Wisconsin certificate
The Certificate of Status ($10) is ordered from Wisconsin separately; it is not part of our Washington order. An instant Wisconsin certificate reaches Washington only hours old, well inside the limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your Washington registered agent, next to your Wisconsin name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Wisconsin delays the Washington filing. Once Washington approves it, the Wisconsin company can do business there.

Washington costs for Wisconsin companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$200
Certificate of Status, paid to Wisconsin	$10
Our service, with a year of Washington registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Wisconsin certificate included	$409

Will your Wisconsin name work for Washington?

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

Agents: Washington and Wisconsin

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

Yearly filings: Washington and Wisconsin

Each year your corporation files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25) and Washington's Annual Report ($70). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Wisconsin plus Washington comes to $244 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to Washington

An LLC formed in Wisconsin files its own registration with Washington ($200 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($10)). After that come Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25) and Washington's Annual Report ($70). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Washington into Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Washington that registers with Wisconsin files Form 21 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Wisconsin to Washington

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in Washington?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

$399 at checkout plus $10 to Wisconsin for the Certificate of Status, $409 in all (checkout is $200 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Wisconsin's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Washington wants Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and Washington?

$244 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Wisconsin and $70 to Washington for the yearly reports.

Does Washington require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Washington corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Washington later?

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

Official sources

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