Mossdale Lending Group, a small-business funding broker in Pasco, Washington, explains how Washington owners check their entity's status, what a certificate of existence (often called good standing) shows, how the annual report fits in, and why lending partners ask for proof. Dates, fees and legal effects are for the state and your advisers.
Three records, one question
Lending partners ask one question about your entity: is it active? Three records answer it. The entity search shows the current status. A certificate of existence is the state's formal statement of that status on a given date. The annual report is the filing that keeps the status current. Owners search for these as 'washington state business entity search', 'washington sos certificate of existence' and 'washington annual report filing'.
Step 1: search the entity
- Go to the state's business entity search on the official state website.
- Search by exact legal name, or by the UBI number shown on your state filings.
- Open the record and note the status, the registered agent and the principal office address.
- Check the date the next annual report is due, as shown on the record.
Step 2: read the status
Partners look for the word active on that record. Any other status, or a report shown as past due, is worth fixing before you send a request. What each status means legally, and what it takes to restore an entity, are questions for the state and your advisers.
Step 3: order a certificate if asked
Many partners accept a printout of the entity search. Some, usually for larger requests, ask for a formal certificate of existence dated within a recent window. Ask the partner which it needs before you order anything.
The annual report
The annual report keeps the state's record of your entity current: addresses, governors and the registered agent. Partners do not usually ask to see the report itself; they look at whether the status is current because of it.
- Put the due date shown on your entity record in your calendar.
- Update addresses on the report when you move.
- Keep the confirmation with your business records.
Sole proprietors and partnerships
A sole proprietor has no LLC or corporation on the state's entity register, so there is no certificate of existence to order. Partners then lean on the business license, a trade name filing if one exists, and the owner's own records. A general partnership may or may not appear on the register, depending on how it was set up.
Names that must match
| Record | What to check | Common mismatch |
|---|---|---|
| State entity record | Exact legal name, status | LLC suffix left off elsewhere |
| City business license | Name, address, status | Old address after a move |
| Business bank account | Account holder name | Owner's personal name |
| Trade name | Registered and linked to the entity | Name used on signs but not filed |
The city side of this check is in the Pasco, WA business license guide.
A Pasco, WA example
Picture a hypothetical Pasco LLC that moved from a home office to a leased shop on a different street. The city license shows the new address, the bank has the new address, but the state record still lists the old one because the annual report was filed before the move. Nothing is wrong with the entity's status, yet a partner will ask which address is current. Updating the state record before the request goes out saves that exchange.
When to check
Check the entity search before you call a broker or a lender, again before you sign, and whenever you change addresses. A status problem found early takes days to sort out; found during underwriting it can stall a request.
For the funding side, see the six options compared and the steps of a request. More Washington paperwork guides sit on the resources page.
By Mossdale Lending Group ยท Updated