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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Lesson 2 · Delaware

Registered Agent in Delaware (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents

The graded picks for finding a registered agent in Delaware this year (2026) are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), best grade first. Start with what Delaware law asks of a registered agent; the lesson then moves through 6 steps.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

Registered agent requiredYesChecked against delcode.delaware.gov, October 2026
Price of our picks$99 to $149 a yearCompany price pages
Annual LLC Tax$400 a yearChecked against legis.delaware.gov, October 2026
Steps6Numbered below

In this lesson

  • What Delaware requires of a registered agent
  • The eligibility and address rules
  • How to name or change the agent
  • Which agents we would use and why

Who we would hire in Delaware

Three-year cost and the number of steps a price takes off your list weigh the most; the grading page lists all five criteria.
Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one agent for every state

Year one $149, renewal $149

We would start a new founder with Mainstay Filing: an agent at $149 a year who can come along when the company adds a state.

DE Registered Agent.org is $150 less across three years; handling more of the lesson's steps earns this one the higher mark.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the office
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • One provider everywhere
  • $149 yearly with no increase

Where it loses points

  • Costs $50 more each year
  • You still file the reports yourself
Local choice

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for founders on a budget

Year one $99, renewal $99

For number 2 we picked DE Registered Agent.org: $99 yearly, with scans of any served papers posted to your online account.

What the price covers

  • A registered office address
  • Online copies of served documents

Marks in its favor

  • A lower yearly cost than the national pick
  • $99 a year, the same at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • You file the Annual LLC Tax yourself
Local choice

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for another Delaware choice

Year one $99, renewal $99

For number 3 we picked Delaware Registered Agent.ai: $99 yearly, with scans of any served papers posted to your online account.

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

What the price covers

  • A registered office address
  • Online copies of served documents

Marks in its favor

  • A lower yearly cost than the national pick
  • $99 a year, the same at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Another state means another agent
  • You file the Annual LLC Tax yourself

The grades and prices at a glance

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
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.
Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent you name.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Begin with the legal requirement

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

    Where this comes from: Checked against delcode.delaware.gov, October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Learn who can do the job

    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. Step
    3

    Get the address right

    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.

    Every pick on our list provides the Delaware office address.

  4. Step
    4

    Choose between acting yourself and hiring an agent

    Our graded agents charge $99 to $149 a year; acting yourself is the other route if you qualify.

  5. Step
    5

    Name the agent in the filing

    The Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company asks for the agent's name and address, and the Delaware Secretary of State also accepts change filings for LLCs that switch agents.

    Where this comes from: Checked against delcode.delaware.gov, October 2026

  6. Step
    6

    Keep the agent information current

    File the Annual LLC Tax on time ($400, annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1) and the agent record stays correct.

    Where this comes from: Checked against legis.delaware.gov, October 2026

Agent and state costs

Cost itemPayeePrice
A professional agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
RenewalYour service$99 to $149 a year
Annual LLC TaxState office$400 every year
Official Delaware fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

How we graded the Delaware picks

Homework the price handles decided first place in Delaware. It is worth 33% of the grade, and the rest comes from tuition over three years, year-two price, fit with the state's lesson plan and pricing a beginner can read.

Coverage of all fifty states beat DE Registered Agent.org on our report card.

Common questions

Does every LLC need a registered agent here?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, as long as you pass the tests for who may serve and for the address, which steps 2 and 3 go through.

Can I change my registered agent later?

A change is allowed whenever you like, through the Delaware Secretary of State, as described in step 5.

What does a registered agent cost in Delaware?

From $99 to $149 a year on this page.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

$400 every year for the Annual LLC Tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

By grade: Mainstay Filing, DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai. Mainstay Filing is first because a flat yearly price of $149 no matter which state the LLC is in.

See also

Class references

  1. Homework check for Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source: the facts come from corp.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  2. Homework check for Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source: the facts come from corp.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  3. Homework check for Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source: the facts come from legis.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  4. Homework check for Delaware report due date: the facts come from delcode.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  5. Homework check for 6 Del: the facts come from delcode.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  6. Homework check for Delaware registered agent statute: the facts come from delcode.delaware.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  7. On November 13, 2026 we read the Delaware service page of Mainstay Filing
  8. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of DE Registered Agent.org
  9. On November 13, 2026 we read the pricing page of Delaware Registered Agent.ai