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Formation Facts

What the state wants, and what it costs.

Registered agent guide · Delaware

Delaware Registered Agent Requirements and Fees (2026): the Rules and the 3 Best Agents

Our 2026 pick for naming a registered agent in Delaware is Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), ranked in that order. Under Delaware law, a registered agent is a must for your LLC. The yearly state fee total is $400, ranked 47th of 50.
Briefing by the Formation Facts team

Delaware: key figures

47th

among 50 states for yearly state fees

A rank of 1 means the lowest bill. Open the full comparison

  • Registered agent required

    Yes

    Confirmed in October 2026: delcode.delaware.gov

  • Annual LLC Tax

    $400 / yr

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

  • What the state collects in 1 year

    $400

    The fees the state collects after formation

Services ranked for Delaware

You can read the weights on the method page; three-year fees and coverage carry the most.

Ranked first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who may add a state later

$149 for the year, renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing earns the top spot because one $149 agent plan that moves with you whenever you add a state.

Three years of this provider's fees run $150 above DE Registered Agent.org's; what you get for the difference is a broader set of filings done for you.

What your money gets you

  • A street address in Delaware for the public record
  • Scans anything served on the company the same business day and does not charge for it
  • Scans your first three government letters each year at no cost
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Price $149, renewal $149
  • The same price in all fifty states

What to weigh

  • $50 a year more than DE Registered Agent.org
  • An agent-only plan, so you file the reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for owners who run their business from Delaware

$99 for the year, renewing at $99

DE Registered Agent.org is second for you since a nearby agent at $99 a year, whose street address appears in the public record.

What your money gets you

  • A Delaware address that goes on the public record
  • Online copies of whatever is served

What works

  • A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
  • A flat $99 a year

What to weigh

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • Your Annual LLC Tax remains your own job
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Local option

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for Delaware businesses with no plans to leave

$99 for the year, renewing at $99

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is third for you since a nearby agent at $99 a year, whose street address appears in the public record.

On price it is exactly level with DE Registered Agent.org.

What your money gets you

  • A Delaware address that goes on the public record
  • Online copies of whatever is served

What works

  • A flat $99 a year
  • A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • A different state needs a different agent
  • Your Annual LLC Tax remains your own job
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices side by side

RankWhoYou pay per yearRenewal priceTheir fees across 3 years
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2DE Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Delaware Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
These are the prices each company showed on November 13, 2026. The state charges the same no matter which agent you choose.

Delaware registered agent calculator

This adds agent fees to the state's recurring charges (the Annual LLC Tax from year 2). Formation fees are not included.
With Mainstay Filing, 3 years will cost you $1,247: $800 to the state and $447 to the provider.

How Delaware compares with the states near it in the ranking

RankStateYearly state fees
44thTennessee$300
46thNevada$350
47thDelaware$400
48thRhode Island$450
49thMassachusetts$500
You will find all fifty rows at Registered agent rules by state.

Delaware registered agent requirements, as the law states them

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a registered office in Delaware. An entity agent keeps a business office there that is generally open; an individual agent has to be generally present there. A virtual office or mail-forwarding service alone does not qualify.

People and companies allowed: The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there. See 6 Del. C. § 18-104.

Keeping your Delaware LLC active in 2026

Letters about your Annual LLC Tax are sent to your registered agent. The cost is $400 every year, and the deadline is annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.

Why the Delaware list is in this order

What settled Delaware was upkeep the price covers, at 26%.

One agent for any state beat the single-state choice.

Delaware FAQ

Do I have to name a registered agent for my Delaware LLC?

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

Who is allowed to be a registered agent for my Delaware LLC?

The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.

What will registered agent service cost me each year in Delaware?

Our picks cost $99 to $149 a year.

Which state fees will I pay every year?

You will pay $400 a year on our yearly measure, which is the Annual LLC Tax ($400 every year).

Which registered agents does this page rank?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), starting at the top of our list.

Which registered agent should I choose?

We would choose Mainstay Filing first (it costs $149 a year here and the same everywhere else; renewal is $149), with DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai behind it.

Other briefings

Where this briefing comes from

  1. Want to double-check Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source? Go to corp.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  2. Want to double-check Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source? Go to corp.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  3. Want to double-check Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source? Go to legis.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  4. Want to double-check Delaware report due date? Go to delcode.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  5. Want to double-check 6 Del? Go to delcode.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  6. Want to double-check Delaware registered agent statute? Go to delcode.delaware.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  7. Want to double-check Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services? Go to tnbear.tn.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  8. Want to double-check Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services? Go to sos.tn.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  9. Want to double-check Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source? Go to sos.tn.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  10. Want to double-check Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees? Go to nvsos.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  11. Want to double-check Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division? Go to docs.sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  12. Want to double-check Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division? Go to sos.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  13. Want to double-check Rhode Island other cost? Go to tax.ri.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
  14. Want to double-check Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth? Go to sec.state.ma.us, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  15. Want to double-check Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth? Go to malegislature.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
  16. Mainstay Filing states Delaware service page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026
  17. DE Registered Agent.org states pricing page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026
  18. Delaware Registered Agent.ai states pricing page on its site, and we looked on November 13, 2026