How to Get a Washington UBI Number
Washington Unified Business Identifier Number
For businesses in Washington state, the 9-digit Washington Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number is a handy thing. Your UBI number works across WA state agencies. Whether you’re operating as an independent contractor, applying for a trade license, or paying your taxes, you’ll need this number. It functions like a tax registration number, a business registration number or a business license number.
You may have been told to start with your master business license application to receive your UBI number, or that you can obtain one as part of a one-stop business registration process. Don’t be misled: There is no one-stop application in Washington State, and we recommend starting with the Washington Secretary of State rather than the Department of Revenue’s Master Business License Application.
3 Steps to Obtaining your Washington UBI Number:
- Submit your WA Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Formation
For a Washington LLC or Washington corporation you can either file online or download a PDF and file by mail (see links below). Or add our incorporation service, and we’ll be happy to form your company for you. - Wait for confirmation
The Secretary of State usually takes 2 to 5 days to process your formation, as long as you expedite it. It’s an added $20 when you file online and $50 if you expedite a filing by mail. If not, it could take up to a month. We recommend filing online. - Find UBI Number
If you filed online, your new UBI number will be listed right within your confirmation email. You can start using it right away on all further applications, for example, your master Business License Application, any necessary trade licenses, your annual reports, and tax forms. If you filed by mail, you can find your UBI number on the upper right of your formation document that you’ll get back from the WA SOS. If you misplace your UBI in the future, you can always look up your company in the online Washington Corporations Search.
Why not Get your UBI Number Through the Business License Application?
Because the WA Department of Revenue oversees the Master Business License Application, confusion between this agency and the Secretary of State is possible. The Department of Revenue may assign you one number, and the Secretary of State another. You can avoid this by starting with the Secretary of State. If you’re forming a Washington Corporation, LLC, LLP or LP, you will need to go through the formation steps first anyway. You’ll also need to go through the SOS if you’re registering a foreign business in Washington. If your LLC is a holding company, you can avoid the Business License Application. Otherwise you’ll likely need to apply for a business license. Just enter the UBI number you received from the Secretary of State when you begin the Business License Application.
We’ll Get a UBI Number for You:
Does the thought of slogging through paperwork and government agencies instead of getting down to your work drive you crazy? We hear you. Simply hire us to form your corporation or LLC and add the business license service. We’ll get it as fast as humanly possible for you, saving you the headache.
We help Washington businesses every day get off the ground the right way, the quickest way, and actually get you what you need. All for only $365—and that includes the $200 Washington Secretary of State filing fee, our fee, and one year of our Washington registered agent service.