Washington business entity search

Washington's Corporation Search

The Corporation Search sits inside the Corporations and Charities Filing System, which the state shortens to CCFS. You type a business name or a UBI number, pick the name from the list that appears, and open its public record. Public corporation records can be found without a login.

The state's own tip is to avoid plurals when entering a name, because singular names give more consistent results. A separate Advanced Corporation Search lists many businesses at once. It filters by type, status, dates, registered agent or governor. It offers a "contains" choice for names and exports the list to a CSV file.

The online LLC filing has its own Look Up button for a proposed name. The state warns that name availability is subject to its final review, and the system does not account for pending submissions.

What makes a Washington name distinguishable

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 23.95.300 requires a domestic entity's name to be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records. The comparison covers existing domestic entities that are not administratively dissolved, registered foreign entities, reserved names and registered names.

The statute lists four changes that do not create a difference:

• a different entity-type word or abbreviation, such as LLC against Inc.
• adding or dropping "the" or "and"
• punctuation, capitalization, special characters or symbols
• an abbreviation or the plural form of a word

A non-distinguishable name may still be used if the entity files a certified copy of a final court judgment giving it that right. A trademark in the Secretary of State's records does not block a matching business name.

Words Washington restricts

RCW 23.95.305 bars "Cooperative", "partnership", "corporation" and "incorporated" from an LLC name, along with Corp., Ltd., Inc., LP and LLP style abbreviations. The state's online LLC formation instructions list a different set: "Bank", "banking", "banker", "trust" and "cooperative". RCW 23.95.305 applies that second set to business corporations.

Reserving a Washington name

The fee schedule puts Reservation of Name at $30. Under RCW 23.95.310, the name is held for the applicant's exclusive use for 180 days. A reservation cannot be renewed, and the filing goes in by mail or in person.

What Washington charges after formation

The LLC Certificate of Formation costs $180, according to the Secretary of State. The annual report costs $70. It is due by the business's expiration date, which is the last day of the month the business was first formed or registered. It can be filed up to 180 days early.

A late report adds a $25 delinquency fee. On the fee schedule, the annual report with that delinquency fee is $95. A new LLC's initial report is free when filed with the formation document. Compare these figures with the LLC cost calculator.

Expedited service costs $100 per entity and is generally processed within three working days. Trade names are not recorded by the Secretary of State, so doing business as names go elsewhere. The fictitious business name guide explains how they work across states.

Checking and claiming a name in Washington

1. Search the name in singular form in the Corporation Search, and note every matching entity.
2. Compare it with the four differences that RCW 23.95.300 does not accept. Changing only one of them will not separate it from another name.
3. Add an ending from the endings each state accepts, such as "limited liability company" or LLC.
4. File the $30 name reservation by mail or in person if the formation filing must wait. The hold lasts 180 days.
5. File the $180 Certificate of Formation, then put the expiration date and the $70 annual report on the calendar.