2011 Washington Code
Title 25 Partnerships
25.15 Limited liability companies.
25.15.325 Name -- Registered office -- Registered agent.

(1) A foreign limited liability company may register with the secretary of state under any name (whether or not it is the name under which it is registered in the jurisdiction of its formation) that includes the words "Limited Liability Company," the words "Limited Liability" and the abbreviation "Co.," or the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC" and that could be registered by a domestic limited liability company. A foreign limited liability company may apply to the secretary of state for authorization to use a name which is not distinguishable upon the records of the office of the secretary of state from the names described in RCW 23B.04.010 and 25.10.061, and the names of any domestic or foreign limited liability company reserved, registered, or formed under the laws of this state. The secretary of state shall authorize use of the name applied for if the other corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership consents in writing to the use and files with the secretary of state documents necessary to change its name, or the name reserved or registered to a name that is distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the name of the applying foreign limited liability company.

     (2) Each foreign limited liability company shall continuously maintain in this state:

     (a) A registered office, which may but need not be a place of its business in this state. The registered office shall be at a specific geographic location in this state, and be identified by number, if any, and street, or building address or rural route, or, if a commonly known street or rural route address does not exist, by legal description. A registered office may not be identified by post office box number or other nongeographic address. For purposes of communicating by mail, the secretary of state may permit the use of a post office address in conjunction with the registered office address if the foreign limited liability company also maintains on file the specific geographic address of the registered office where personal service of process may be made;

     (b) A registered agent for service of process on the foreign limited liability company, which agent may be either an individual resident of this state whose business office is identical with the foreign limited liability company's registered office, or a domestic corporation, a limited partnership or limited liability company, or a foreign corporation authorized to do business in this state having a business office identical with such registered office; and

     (c) A registered agent who shall not be appointed without having given prior written consent to the appointment. The written consent shall be filed with the secretary of state in such form as the secretary may prescribe. The written consent shall be filled with or as a part of the document first appointing a registered agent. In the event any individual, limited liability company, limited partnership, or corporation has been appointed agent without consent, that person or corporation may file a notarized statement attesting to that fact, and the name shall forthwith be removed from the records of the secretary of state.

     (3) A foreign limited liability company may change its registered office or registered agent by delivering to the secretary of state for filing a statement of change that sets forth:

     (a) The name of the foreign limited liability company;

     (b) If the current registered office is to be changed, the street address of the new registered office in accord with subsection (2)(a) of this section;

     (c) If the current registered agent is to be changed, the name of the new registered agent and the new agent's written consent, either on the statement or attached to it, to the appointment; and

     (d) That after the change or changes are made, the street addresses of its registered office and the business office of its registered agent will be identical.

     (4) If a registered agent changes the street address of the agent's business office, the registered agent may change the street address of the registered office of any foreign limited liability company for which the agent is the registered agent by notifying the foreign limited liability company in writing of the change and signing, either manually or in facsimile, and delivering to the secretary of state for filing a statement that complies with the requirements of subsection (3) of this section and recites that the foreign limited liability company has been notified of the change.

     (5) A registered agent of any foreign limited liability company may resign as agent by signing and delivering to the secretary of state for filing a statement that the registered office is also discontinued. After filing the statement the secretary of state shall mail a copy of the statement to the foreign limited liability company at its principal place of business shown in its application for certificate of registration if no annual report has been filed. The agency appointment is terminated, and the registered office discontinued if so provided, on the thirty-first day after the date on which the statement was filed.

[2009 c 188 § 1411; 2002 c 74 § 19; 1998 c 102 § 10; 1996 c 231 § 10; 1994 c 211 § 904.]

Notes:

     Effective date -- 2009 c 188: See note following RCW 23B.11.080.

     Captions not law -- 2002 c 74: See note following RCW 19.09.020.