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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Experiment 2 · Delaware

The Delaware Registered Agent (2026): 6 Procedures and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked by measured reading, the services for appointing a registered agent in Delaware in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). Complete the 6 procedures below and the registered agent is appointed correctly.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Before the procedures

Required by law
YesSpecimen: delcode.delaware.gov, logged October 2026
Agent service
$99 to $149 a yearCompany price pages
Annual LLC Tax
$400 a yearSpecimen: legis.delaware.gov, logged October 2026
Procedures
6Each one described

Aims of this sheet

  • The Delaware agent rule
  • Who may serve and from where
  • Getting the agent on file
  • Which agents measured best and why

Best reading

Delaware: the ranked services

The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Begin here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a nationwide agent at one price

$149/yr (renewal $149)

Mainstay Filing comes first since the agent price is $149 a year in every state.

Three years here cost $150 more than at Delaware Registered Agent.ai, and fewer procedures are left to the owner.

What the price performs

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Papers served on the company are scanned free on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned at no charge
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Measured strengths

  • $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
  • The same price in all fifty states

Measured limits

  • Costs $50 more every year
  • Report filing requires the formation package
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for a low yearly agent price

$99/yr (renewal $99)

Reading 2 belongs to Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because an in-state street address for the registered office, measured at $99 a year.

What the price performs

  • A physical Delaware address
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • Annual price $99; renewal $99

Measured limits

  • Delaware only; every other state needs its own agent
  • Annual LLC Tax is excluded from the price
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Single-state plan

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for another Delaware candidate

$99/yr (renewal $99)

Reading 3 belongs to DE Registered Agent.org, because an in-state street address for the registered office, measured at $99 a year.

On price it matches Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

What the price performs

  • A physical Delaware address
  • Online copies of served documents

Measured strengths

  • Annual price $99; renewal $99
  • Less per year than Mainstay Filing

Measured limits

  • Delaware only; every other state needs its own agent
  • Annual LLC Tax is excluded from the price
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices in one table

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Delaware Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3DE Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. State fees do not depend on the choice of agent.

Appointing a Delaware registered agent, procedure by procedure

  1. Procedure 1: What Delaware requires of an agent

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

    Specimen: Specimen: delcode.delaware.gov, logged October 2026

  2. Procedure 2: Who can take the role

    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.

  3. Procedure 3: The address requirement

    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.

    TipA service supplies a Delaware street address, which keeps the owner's address off the filing.

  4. Procedure 4: Self-service or a professional agent

    An owner who passes the tests above may serve; one of the ranked agents costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Procedure 5: Record the agent with the state

    The Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company carries the agent's name and address; the Delaware Secretary of State also receives change filings from LLCs that replace their agent.

    Specimen: Specimen: delcode.delaware.gov, logged October 2026

  6. Procedure 6: Update when details change

    Filing the Annual LLC Tax on time ($400, annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1) keeps the agent record accurate.

    Specimen: Specimen: legis.delaware.gov, logged October 2026

Agent and state costs

ProcedureGoes toAmount
Engaging an agentService$99 to $149 a year
Each later yearService$99 to $149 a year
Annual LLC TaxPayable to the state$400 every year
The state's fees were read from official pages, which are listed below. Over three years they come to the filing, two reports and, in some states, a minimum tax.

How the Delaware results were ordered

The deciding criterion was procedures the price performs, worth 28% of the reading.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai costs less, but coverage across states earned the higher reading.

Brief answers

What does Delaware say about keeping a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, if you pass the tests on who may serve and on the address, in procedures 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. A switch requires a change filing at the Delaware Secretary of State (procedure 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Delaware?

Budget $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Chiefly the Annual LLC Tax, $400 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org, in descending order of reading.

Specimens and records

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source readings were recorded from corp.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in October 2026.
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source readings were recorded from corp.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in October 2026.
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source readings were recorded from legis.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in October 2026.
  4. Delaware report due date readings were recorded from delcode.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in August 2026.
  5. 6 Del readings were recorded from delcode.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in August 2026.
  6. Delaware registered agent statute readings were recorded from delcode.delaware.gov; the last repeat observation was in October 2026.
  7. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, recorded November 13, 2026
  8. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026
  9. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, recorded November 13, 2026