I think I received a notice from your office; what should I do?

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I received a notice from your office; what should I do?

The Office of the Secretary of State Corporations and Charities Division does not send text notifications, and we do not call to update you on your business’ status. If you receive a text message, this solicitation/notice is from a third-party solicitor. If you receive a phone call regarding your status or they are informing you that you need to file something and they are calling from an area code outside of Washington State, this contact comes from somewhere other than our office.

Review the questions below to verify the validity of the notice you receive.

 

Who is the email sender?
If the sender's email address does not end in .gov, it is not an official notice. 

 

What are they charging me?
If the fees do not match our filing fees, this is a third-party solicitor charging you additional fees to process documents through them. 

 

When are they contacting me?
You can check your business’ expiration date in our filing system for free. We only send out notices per RCW 23.95.255

  • Annual Report Due Date: This is issued on the 1st of the month before the business entity’s anniversary month (generally 60 days before the expiration date).
     
  • Delinquency: This is issued on the 1st of the month after the business entity’s expiration date if the annual report has not been filed. While the annual report may have been submitted it will not take effect until our office files it.
     
  • Administrative Dissolution: This is issued to a domestic business entity120 days past the expiration date, If the annual report has not been filed.
     
  • Statement of Termination: This is issued to a foreign business entity 90 days past the expiration date, If the annual report has not been filed.

 

Where are they calling from?
If the caller’s area code is not from Washington State, this caller is not from our office.

 

Where are they sending me?
If the website the notice routs you to does not end in .gov, it is not an official notice.

 

Verifying your status through our filing system (CCFS)
You can verify your status and access your filing history for free by following the below step-by-step guidance. Call our chat with our staff for assistance.

1. Our online system functions best on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a desktop or laptop.
2. Please start by going to the following link: https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/
3. Once you have reached the page above, scroll down to the “Corporation Search” section. 
4. Enter your UBI or Business name on record.
5. Click “Search.”
6. Click on your business name.
7.  Scroll to the bottom and select “Filing History.”
8. Click the “View Documents” next to the fling you would like to see documents for
9. Download and save or print anything you want for your record.

 

How do I report or file a complaint against this third-party solicitor?
If you are on the Federal/FTC do not call list, you may file a report or complaint with the FTC here.  If you are not already part of the do not call list, you can join here. (this is a two-step process; you will have to register and then open the email to activate)

 

If you feel the third-party solicitor is operating in a deceptive or illegal manner, you may contact the Consumer and Business Fair Practice Division of the State Attorney General's Office at 1-800-551-4636 (TDD: 1-800-276-9883). You may visit the Attorney General's website and file a formal complaint online at https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ComplaintForm.aspx

 

Do you have additional information on this topic anywhere else on your website?
We have this information on our website under the resources tab as well.

 

For more information on notices outside our office, please click the links below.

 

Examples of Notices NOT from OSOS

 

Deceptive Solicitations to Washington businesses