A Washington business entity search confirms name availability and shows the public record of any LLC or corporation registered in the state. It runs free on CCFS.
Washington has a structural quirk worth knowing before you file: registering the entity and getting licensed to operate are two separate processes with two separate agencies.
Where the official Washington business search lives
https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/AdvancedSearch
The Corporations and Charities Filing System, run by the Washington Secretary of State. Free, no login. Search by business name, UBI number, registered agent or governor name.
What the official search will not tell you
- Whether the business is licensed. Entity registration with the Secretary of State and the business licence from the Department of Revenue are separate. CCFS shows the first, not the second.
- Who owns the company. Governors are listed, but a governor is not necessarily an owner.
- Trademark clearance. Separate from state distinguishability.
- Tax standing. Department of Revenue standing is tracked separately.
Key Washington business search terms
| Term | What it means in Washington |
|---|---|
| Active | Registered and current on the annual report. |
| Delinquent | The annual report is overdue. |
| Administratively Dissolved | The state dissolved the entity for prolonged non-filing. |
| UBI Number | Unified Business Identifier, a 9-digit number shared across Washington agencies. Not an EIN. |
| Governor | Washington's term for a member, manager, officer or director. |
| Registered Agent | Required, with a physical Washington street address. |
| Certificate of Formation | The document that forms a Washington LLC. $200. |
| Annual Report | $60 per year, due in your anniversary month. |
| Business Licence | Separate registration with the Department of Revenue. Required to operate. |
Step by step
Step 1. Open CCFS
Go to ccfs.sos.wa.gov and use Advanced Search. No account is needed.
Step 2. Choose your search field
CCFS supports business name, UBI number, registered agent and governor searches. The governor search is genuinely useful for due diligence.
Step 3. Search the distinctive words
Search the core name rather than the full legal string.
Step 4. Read the status
"Delinquent" means overdue filings rather than closure.
Step 5. Note the UBI
The UBI number is how Washington agencies cross-reference the entity, so record it if you are doing any further checks.
Washington entity status decoder
- Active. Registered and current on the annual report.
- Delinquent. The annual report is overdue. The entity still exists.
- Administratively Dissolved. The state dissolved it for prolonged non-filing. Reinstatement is possible.
- Terminated. The entity has been permanently closed.
The Washington step most founders miss
Forming the entity is not the same as being allowed to operate. After the Secretary of State registers your LLC, you separately apply for a Washington business licence through the Department of Revenue. Cities may add their own licence on top.
Washington also has no personal or corporate income tax but does levy the Business and Occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts, which is unusual. It applies to revenue rather than profit, so a low-margin business can owe B&O tax while making no profit.
| Washington | Wyoming | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | $200 | $100 |
| Annual report | $60 | $60 |
| Separate business licence | Yes, Dept of Revenue | No |
| State income tax | None | None |
| Gross receipts tax | Yes, B&O | No |
| 5-year state cost | about $500 | about $340 |
If the name is available, or taken
Available. Reserve it for 180 days, or file and secure it at registration.
Taken. Check whether the existing entity is Administratively Dissolved. Otherwise change a distinctive word.
Check your name and form your US LLC from $249 →
Washington business entity search for non-US founders
CCFS is public and free worldwide, and non-residents can form and own a Washington LLC without visiting the US.
The two things to weigh: the separate business licence adds a step, and the B&O gross receipts tax can apply to Washington-sourced revenue in a way that catches founders expecting a no-income-tax state to mean no state tax at all. For a founder with no Washington presence, Wyoming is simpler and cheaper.
Talk to us on WhatsApp · Form your US LLC from $249 →
Next steps
Forming a new company:
- Confirm the name on CCFS.
- Appoint a registered agent with a Washington street address.
- File the Certificate of Formation, $200.
- Apply for the Washington business licence through the Department of Revenue.
- Get your EIN, then file the $60 annual report in your anniversary month.
Researching an existing business:
- Confirm status is Active, not Delinquent.
- Note the UBI number and registered agent.
- Use the governor search to check related entities.
- Order a Certificate of Existence if you need official proof.