Oakridge Business Loans, a small-business funding broker in Bellingham, WA, explains Washington State registration for funding: the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service, the UBI number used for taxes and changes, city endorsements, the state B&O tax on gross receipts, and Secretary of State entity filings. Lenders often verify all of these.
| State business license | Issued through the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service |
|---|---|
| UBI number | Unique to the business; used for taxes and changes |
| City endorsements | Added to the state license for cities that require them |
| State B&O tax | A gross receipts tax, per the Department of Revenue |
| Entity filings | Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Filing System |
| Legal questions | For your attorney or accountant; not covered here |
The Business Licensing Service
In Washington State, the Department of Revenue runs the application for a state business license. Its "Apply for a business license" page walks a new business through registering, and notes that some businesses also need city, county or state endorsements, which are separate items with their own descriptions (Washington State Department of Revenue, "Apply for a business license" (dor.wa.gov, checked 2026-10-16)).
For a lender, the license is evidence that the business exists, is registered with the state and has a tax identity. Expect to be asked for the license or for the UBI number so the lender can check status.
The UBI number
The Department of Revenue describes the UBI, or Unified Business Identifier, as a number unique to your business that you will need whenever you file taxes or make changes to the business (Washington State Department of Revenue, "Apply for a business license" (dor.wa.gov, checked 2026-10-16)). LLCs and corporations that register with the Secretary of State also carry a UBI, which ties the entity record and the tax account together.
Owners often search for a UBI number lookup to check their own record, or a supplier's. Lenders run the same kind of check.
City endorsements
Cities that register businesses through the state system do it with an endorsement on the state license rather than a separate city license. Bellingham works this way, according to the City of Bellingham's registration page. The Bellingham, WA checklist covers the city endorsement and the separate city B&O return.
The state B&O tax
The Department of Revenue describes the business and occupation tax as a gross receipts tax, calculated on the total value of products sold or the total income the business earns. Because it is measured on gross income, the department says businesses cannot deduct labor, materials, taxes or other costs of doing business from it (Washington State Department of Revenue, "Business & occupation tax" (dor.wa.gov, checked 2026-10-16)).
That has a direct effect on funding conversations. A lender reviewing a Washington business's cash flow will look at what is left after taxes, and a tax owed on revenue rather than profit means a thin-margin business pays it even in a weak month. Show B&O as its own line in any projection.
Entity registration with the Secretary of State
LLCs and corporations are formed and maintained with the Washington Secretary of State. Its Corporations and Charities pages cover starting a domestic business, registering a business formed in another state, annual reports, registered agents, and closing or reinstating a business, through the Corporations and Charities Filing System at ccfs.sos.wa.gov (Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities (sos.wa.gov, checked 2026-10-16)). The division also warns that it does not send text messages, a useful point when unsolicited notices arrive.
Lenders commonly check that an entity is active. A lapsed annual report can hold up an application until it is fixed.
What lenders typically verify
- That the entity exists and is active with the Secretary of State.
- The state business license and UBI number.
- City endorsements where the business operates.
- Tax filings that match the revenue shown on bank statements.
Getting these in order first is the opening step in the Washington loan readiness guide. The Bellingham, WA page adds local context, and how a request works explains what happens next.
Renewals and changes
Owners often search for how to renew a business license in Washington State. The Department of Revenue's pages are the place to check renewal and change procedures for your account; we do not restate them here because they depend on the business.
More guides cover term sheets, local resources and the calculator.
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