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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

Foreign LLC guide · Delaware

Delaware Foreign LLC Registration (2026): What the State Charges and the 3 Best Services

For anyone bringing an out-of-state LLC into the state in Delaware this year, 2026, we would go with Mainstay Filing ($199), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Rank 47th of 50: an LLC from another state pays $200 to register here, then $400 per report.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

The Delaware basics

47th

of 50 for registration plus later reports

Rank 1 is the least expensive state. Go to the national comparison

  • Fee the state takes at registration

    $200

    delcode.delaware.gov (last confirmed October 2026)

  • Report you must file again

    $400

    Annual LLC tax

  • Paper from the home state

    180 days

    The oldest it may be

  • What the state collects in 3 years

    $1,000

    The registration fee, then reports in years 2 and 3

What we would pick in Delaware

We ordered the list with five criteria, and three-year fees and coverage count most (the method page covers the rest).

Our top choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a third or fourth state down the road

$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $149 a year from year 2

Our first choice is Mainstay Filing. You pay $199 on top of the state fee, your registered agent is free in year 1, and then it is $149 a year.

Over three years you would pay $100 more than you would with Delaware Registered Agent.ai. Coverage is 26% of the score, though, and handling more filings outweighs that difference.

From the second year, agent service costs you $149 a year.

What your money gets you

  • Prepares your registration and files it
  • Your registered agent for the first year is free
  • The price is the same in every state

What works

  • A year of agent service at no cost
  • Its fee is $199
  • One price, any state

What to weigh

  • A renewal $50 above Delaware Registered Agent.ai's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Delaware specialist

2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for one additional state

$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $99 a year from year 2

Delaware Registered Agent.ai takes second place because you pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.

What your money gets you

  • Files your Delaware registration
  • A year of agent service

What works

  • The first agent year is free
  • $199 to register
  • Then $99 a year

What to weigh

  • Delaware only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Delaware specialist

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for Delaware registrations

$199 plus the state fee; the agent then costs $99 a year from year 2

DE Registered Agent.org takes third place because you pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.

You pay the same here as at Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

What your money gets you

  • Files your Delaware registration
  • A year of agent service

What works

  • The first agent year is free
  • $199 to register
  • Then $99 a year

What to weigh

  • Delaware only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices side by side

RankWhoYou pay in year 1Then per yearTheir fees across 3 years
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3DE Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as shown on November 13, 2026. Delaware charges $200 to register, apart from what any provider bills.

Registration and upkeep by year

The registration fee is $200, with a $400 report from year 2, and provider fees are added on top.
Add $1,000 in state fees and $497 for Mainstay Filing and you get $1,497 across 3 years.

How Delaware compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
45thSouth Dakota$860
46thTennessee$900
47thDelaware$1,000
48thRhode Island$1,450
49thMassachusetts$1,500
The whole comparison lives at Foreign LLC fees by state, lowest bills first.

Delaware foreign LLC registration in 2026

To get your out-of-state LLC registered, deliver the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company to the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations with $200. Your application must come with certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued in the past 180 days.

From year 2 you will file the Annual LLC tax ($400), June 1.

Your checklist

  • Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no more than 180 days.
  • The legal name of your LLC and the day it was formed.
  • A registered agent with an office here, which any ranked provider can give you.
  • A method for paying the $200 filing fee.

The consequences of staying unregistered

A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). Agreements you have already signed remain in force (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).

Why the Delaware list is in this order

In Delaware, Mainstay Filing beat Delaware Registered Agent.ai on upkeep the price covers (26%).

One provider for your home state and Delaware got the highest score.

Your Delaware questions answered

How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Delaware?

$200 as the official fee. A provider adds $199.

Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Delaware?

Use the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company and send it to the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations.

Does the state want a certificate from my home state?

Yes, you need certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, dated within 180 days of your filing.

Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?

Yes, you file the Annual LLC tax and pay $400.

What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?

A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). Agreements you have already signed remain in force (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).

Must I appoint a registered agent when registering in Delaware?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?

Start with Mainstay Filing: it files your Delaware registration for $199 beyond the state fee and includes the first year of agent service. Then look at Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org.

Other briefings

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Behind the Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source section is corp.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  2. Behind the Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source section is corp.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  3. Behind the Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source section is legis.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  4. Behind the Delaware report due date section is delcode.delaware.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  5. Behind the 6 Del section is delcode.delaware.gov, a page we reread in August 2026 before publishing.
  6. Behind the Delaware registered agent statute section is delcode.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  7. Behind the Foreign LLC registration form section is corpfiles.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  8. Behind the Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX section is delcode.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  9. Behind the Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 section is corpfiles.delaware.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  10. Behind the South Dakota Secretary of State, business services section is sdsos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  11. Behind the Filing fee schedule section is sdsos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  12. Behind the Foreign LLC application for Certificate of Authority section is sdsos.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  13. Behind the SDCL 47-34A-1003, transacting business section is sdlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  14. Behind the SDCL 47-34A-1008, effect of not registering section is sdlegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  15. Behind the Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees section is sos.tn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  16. Behind the Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign section is sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  17. Behind the Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs section is sos.tn.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  18. Behind the Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation section is sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  19. Behind the Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 section is publications.tnsosfiles.com, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  20. Behind the Form 450, Application for Registration section is docs.sos.ri.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  21. Behind the Business Services fee schedule section is docs.sos.ri.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  22. Behind the R.I section is webserver.rilegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  23. Behind the R.I section is webserver.rilegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  24. Behind the Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation section is docs.sos.ri.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  25. Behind the Rhode Island other cost section is tax.ri.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  26. Behind the Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page section is sec.state.ma.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  27. Behind the Corporations Division fee schedule section is sec.state.ma.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  28. Behind the G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration section is malegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  29. Behind the G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register section is malegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  30. Behind the G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business section is malegislature.gov, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  31. Behind the 950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies section is sec.state.ma.us, a page we reread in October 2026 before publishing.
  32. You can see Delaware service page for Mainstay Filing on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026
  33. You can see pricing page for Delaware Registered Agent.ai on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026
  34. You can see pricing page for DE Registered Agent.org on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026