Do I file my Washington operating agreement with the state?
No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept in your company records. Washington files only the Certificate of Formation and the annual report; the operating agreement is never submitted to the Secretary of State and is not public.
Quick facts
- Required by law?
- No - but strongly recommended (RCW 25.15)
- Filed with the state?
- No - it is an internal, private document
- Statute name
- "Limited liability company agreement" (RCW 25.15.006, .018)
- Default management
- Member-managed unless you choose manager-managed
- Single-member LLC
- Recommended - supports the liability shield
- Governs gaps via
- RCW 25.15 default rules if you have no agreement
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 17 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Arkansas | No, an Arkansas LLC operating agreement is an internal document and is not filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State or any other state agency. It should be kept with the LLC's records. |
| Colorado | No. The operating agreement is an internal document that you keep with your business records. |
| Connecticut | No. You file only the Certificate of Organization ($120) with the Connecticut Secretary of the State to create the LLC. |
| Iowa | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your company records. |
| Maine | No. The operating agreement is a private, internal document that you keep with your company records. |
| Maryland | No. An operating agreement is an internal document kept in your company records. |
| Minnesota | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Missouri | No. The operating agreement is an internal document you keep with your business records. |
| Montana | No. The operating agreement is an internal document. |
| New Hampshire | No. The operating agreement is an internal document. |
| Ohio | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your company records. |
| Oklahoma | No. The operating agreement is an internal document kept with your business records. |
| Pennsylvania | No. The operating agreement is a private, internal contract among the members. |
| Utah | No. You file only the Certificate of Organization ($59) with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code to create the LLC. |
| Virginia | No. An operating agreement is an internal document. |
| Wisconsin | No. The operating agreement is an internal document you keep with your business records. |
Full context for Washington
This page answers one question. The complete Washington guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Washington LLC Operating Agreement: Rules & Template (2026).
Sources
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=25.15
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=25.15.018
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=25.15.006
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=25.15.151
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=25.15.206
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/limited-liability-company-llc
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