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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

LLC cost guide · Delaware

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

If you are starting a limited liability company in Delaware in 2026, our recommendation is Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), in that order. What you owe the state: $110 up front, plus $400 every year for the Annual LLC Tax. For three years of state fees Delaware ranks 46th of 50.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

Delaware: the quick briefing

46th

in the three-year state fee comparison

Rank 1 is the least expensive state. Open the full comparison

  • Fee the state takes at filing

    $110

    delcode.delaware.gov; we confirmed it in October 2026

  • Annual LLC Tax

    $400 / yr

    Deadline, as the state states it: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. legis.delaware.gov; we confirmed it in October 2026

  • Cost of missing the deadline

    $200

    legis.delaware.gov; we confirmed it in October 2026

  • What the state collects in 3 years

    $910

    Formation, then two more years of reports

Services ranked for Delaware

Every criterion and weight is on the method page.

Ranked first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for having someone else track the deadlines

Year 1 is $199, later years $199, and the state fee is separate

We start with Mainstay Filing, and the reason is simple: you pay $199 once a year, and in return the formation, the registered agent and the annual tax are all taken care of.

Plan on spending $200 more than at DE Registered Agent.org over three years, in exchange for fewer filings left for you to do.

It files the Annual LLC Tax for you every year, and the $400 state fee is charged at cost.

What your money gets you

  • Prepares your formation papers and files them
  • Acts as your registered agent all year
  • Prepares and files your annual tax
  • Applies for your EIN
  • The state fee is handed on as is

What works

  • $199 a year pays for formation and an agent and the report
  • You pay nothing extra for the EIN
  • $199 at renewal, with no increase

What to weigh

  • Its renewal is $100 above DE Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for low formation fees

$199 to form, then $99 a year

DE Registered Agent.org is second for you since you pay $199 plus the state fee, with your first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The price does not cover the Annual LLC Tax.

What your money gets you

  • Takes care of the formation paperwork
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • No agent fee in year 1
  • $199 and the state fee
  • Then $99 a year

What to weigh

  • A Annual LLC Tax service is not offered
  • The EIN is not in the price ($99)
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for forming close to home

$199 to form, then $99 a year

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is third for you since you pay $199 plus the state fee, with your first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The price does not cover the Annual LLC Tax.

You pay the same here as at DE Registered Agent.org.

What your money gets you

  • Takes care of the formation paperwork
  • First year of agent service

What works

  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent fee in year 1
  • Then $99 a year

What to weigh

  • A Annual LLC Tax service is not offered
  • The EIN is not in the price ($99)
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner 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$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2DE Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as shown on November 13, 2026. Delaware charges $110 to file, apart from what any provider bills.

What a Delaware LLC costs by year

Pick how many years you want to total and which provider you would use. What the state takes is built from its own schedule: $110 when you form, then the Annual LLC Tax from year 2.
Add $910 in state fees and $597 for Mainstay Filing and you get $1,507 across 3 years.

How Delaware compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateThree-year state fees
44thMaryland$700
45thTennessee$900
46thDelaware$910
47thNevada$1,125
48thRhode Island$1,450
You will find all fifty rows at LLC costs by state.

Delaware filing fee for 2026

You will pay $110, and you file the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company with the Delaware Secretary of State, as 6 Del. C. § 18-201 provides. Each provider below bills it at what the state charges.

The Annual LLC Tax in Delaware, 2026

The Annual LLC Tax comes up once a year and costs $400; the state sets the deadline as annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. A late filing adds $200.

What decided the order

Mainstay Filing wins on upkeep the price covers, which counts 26%, and DE Registered Agent.org is next.

On our weights, covering the Annual LLC Tax counts for more than a lower price.

Your Delaware questions answered

How much will Delaware charge me to form an LLC?

Filing costs $110 at the state office. The picks bill $199 on top of the state fee.

What will I pay for the Delaware Annual LLC Tax?

You pay $400, every year, and the deadline reads annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. Filing late costs $200.

Is Delaware a low-cost state for LLCs?

Delaware ranks 46th of 50 on three-year state fees, at $910. Rank 1 is the lowest total.

Will I need a registered agent in Delaware?

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

Which LLC services does this page rank?

Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), starting at the top of our list.

Which LLC service should I choose?

Our ranking is Mainstay Filing, DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

More for this state

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Everything in this briefing about Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source rests on corp.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  2. Everything in this briefing about Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source rests on corp.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  3. Everything in this briefing about Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source rests on legis.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  4. Everything in this briefing about Delaware report due date rests on delcode.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  5. Everything in this briefing about 6 Del rests on delcode.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  6. Everything in this briefing about Delaware registered agent statute rests on delcode.delaware.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  7. Everything in this briefing about Md rests on mgaleg.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  8. Everything in this briefing about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on mgaleg.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  9. Everything in this briefing about Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on egov.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  10. Everything in this briefing about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation rests on dat.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  11. Everything in this briefing about Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation rests on dat.maryland.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  12. Everything in this briefing about Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sos.tn.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  13. Everything in this briefing about Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services rests on tnbear.tn.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  14. Everything in this briefing about Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services rests on sos.tn.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  15. Everything in this briefing about Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source rests on sos.tn.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  16. Everything in this briefing about Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source rests on nvsos.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  17. Everything in this briefing about Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source rests on leg.state.nv.us, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  18. Everything in this briefing about Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees rests on nvsos.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  19. Everything in this briefing about R.I rests on webserver.rilegislature.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  20. Everything in this briefing about Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on sos.ri.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  21. Everything in this briefing about Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  22. Everything in this briefing about Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division rests on docs.sos.ri.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  23. Everything in this briefing about Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division rests on sos.ri.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  24. Everything in this briefing about Rhode Island other cost rests on tax.ri.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
  25. The page we used for Mainstay Filing (Delaware service page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  26. The page we used for DE Registered Agent.org (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
  27. The page we used for Delaware Registered Agent.ai (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026