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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Module 1 · Delaware

How to Start an LLC in Delaware (2026): a 7-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

Report card for setting up an LLC in Delaware in 2026: Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), from first place to third. Work through 7 steps below; the state's own fee is $110, plus $400 for the Annual LLC Tax.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Quick facts

What the state charges$110delcode.delaware.gov confirms it, as of October 2026
Annual LLC Tax$400 a yearDue date on the state calendar: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1
State total for years 1 to 3$910Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Steps7One at a time

Lesson goals

  • How much Delaware charges to form an LLC, and who receives the filing
  • What the agent rule says
  • What comes after formation
  • Our graded picks and the reasoning

If you would like help with the filing

Five weighted criteria from how we grade set the order, and three-year cost and steps handled count most.
Best grade

1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for a budget formation

$199 in year one, $99 after

Delaware Registered Agent.ai earns the highest mark because formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

On three-year cost it beats Mainstay Filing, which is a big part of our grading.

You file the Annual LLC Tax on your own every year.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • A low $99 renewal
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered for year one

Where it loses points

  • There is no Annual LLC Tax service
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Any state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new founders who want it handled

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee extra

Mainstay Filing lands in second place, and the reason is clear: one yearly price of $199 does three lesson steps for you: the filing, the registered agent and the annual tax.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is $200 lower across three years, which keeps this one out of first.

You never file the Annual LLC Tax yourself; only the $400 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • Registered agent for twelve months
  • Annual tax prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

Marks in its favor

  • The EIN application is included
  • One yearly price of $199, with the annual tax included
  • $199 at renewal

Where it loses points

  • Delaware Registered Agent.ai renews for $100 less
One-state plan

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

$199 in year one, $99 after

Next on the report card comes DE Registered Agent.org, graded third: formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

You file the Annual LLC Tax on your own every year.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai and this service charge the same.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • A low $99 renewal
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Agent covered for year one

Where it loses points

  • There is no Annual LLC Tax service
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

The 3 graded picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. The state fee ($110) is not counted.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Pick a name and make sure it is free

    Before filing, search the business records at the Delaware Secretary of State so you know the name is not already on the Delaware register.

    Have a spare name ready.

  2. Step
    2

    Find your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.

    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.

    All of our picks fill the registered agent role.

    Where this comes from: delcode.delaware.gov confirms it, as of October 2026

  3. Step
    3

    File it on your own, or hand it off

    Filing directly costs only the $110 state fee. A service adds $199 but handles the forms. See the graded list.

  4. Step
    4

    Turn in the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company

    Here is the filing that creates the company: the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company, which you deliver to the Delaware Secretary of State with a $110 fee, under 6 Del. C. § 18-201.

    Where this comes from: delcode.delaware.gov confirms it, as of October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Get your EIN from the IRS

    Once approved, the LLC can get a federal tax ID, the EIN, from the IRS. A business bank account will need it. The EIN application is one of the things Mainstay Filing does for you.

  6. Step
    6

    Sign an operating agreement

    The owners sign an operating agreement covering shares, votes and what happens if someone leaves. It stays in your files and is not filed with the state.

  7. Step
    7

    Keep the LLC active

    What recurs is the Annual LLC Tax ($400, every year, by annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1). Filing late adds $200.

    Where this comes from: legis.delaware.gov confirms it, as of October 2026

What you will pay

WhatPaid toPrice
Formation filingState office$110
Annual LLC TaxState office$400 every year
Late feeState office$200
Optional serviceThe provider$199 in year one
State total over three yearsState office$910
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

edged ahead of on tuition over three years, which counts for 32%.

Over years one to three, Delaware Registered Agent.ai costs $397 and Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.

Test yourself on Delaware

How much does Delaware charge to form an LLC?

Filing costs $110. Add $199 if a service files it for you.

Which form creates the LLC?

The LLC comes into being when the Delaware Secretary of State accepts the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Delaware require each year?

Keep an eye on the Annual LLC Tax: $400, every year, annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state takes filings directly from owners, so you can skip the service; expect $110 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

By grade: Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org. Delaware Registered Agent.ai is first because $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 yearly.

Keep studying

Class references

  1. Source for Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source: corp.delaware.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source: corp.delaware.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source: legis.delaware.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for Delaware report due date: delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for 6 Del: delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. Source for Delaware registered agent statute: delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  7. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  9. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026