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3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Delaware (2026) and Why

Who should you hire in Delaware for foreign registration services in 2026: we say Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked best first. Set aside $200 for the state and $397 to $497 for services over three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team

Short version

Short reply
State fee to register
$200
Home-state certificate needed?
It is required (180 days maximum age)
Ongoing filing
$400, Annual LLC tax
Who to hire
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing then DE Registered Agent.org

Our Delaware picks, best first

The scoring is explained on this page.

#1 Hire first

1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for adding only this state

$199 plus the state fee; then $99 a year

Why Delaware Registered Agent.ai? Simply put, $199 files the registration, and the agent renews at $99 each year.

A lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing puts it first for a company that stays put.

What is bundled

  • State registration done
  • A first year of agent service

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one
  • Service fee $199

Downsides

  • A second provider for the home state
View Delaware Registered Agent.ai plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Works nationwide

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies that keep growing

$199 plus the state fee; then $149 a year

Why Mainstay Filing second? Simply put, it asks $199 plus state fees and waives the registered agent charge for the first year.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is $100 less across three years, enough to rank higher.

The registered agent renews at $149 a year in every state.

What is bundled

  • State registration handled
  • Registered agent, covered the first year
  • No change in price by state

Pluses

  • A free first year of agent service
  • Fifty states covered
  • $199 over the state fee

Downsides

  • $50 a year more for the agent
View Mainstay Filing plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Delaware choice

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for one more state only

$199 plus the state fee; then $99 a year

Why DE Registered Agent.org third? Simply put, $199 files the registration, and the agent renews at $99 each year.

Its prices match Delaware Registered Agent.ai exactly, so either works.

What is bundled

  • State registration done
  • A first year of agent service

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one
  • Service fee $199

Downsides

  • A second provider for the home state
View DE Registered Agent.org plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks compared

#CompanyYear 1Renews at3-year costIncluded
1 Delaware Registered Agent.ai $199$99/yr$397state registration done; A first year of agent service View Delaware Registered Agent.ai plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497state registration handled; registered agent, covered the first year; no change in price by state View Mainstay Filing plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 DE Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397state registration done; A first year of agent service View DE Registered Agent.org plans Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read November 13, 2026 from company pricing; three years = year one plus two renewals.

Straight replies

Who must register in this state?

Before it starts doing business in Delaware, an LLC formed elsewhere registers with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations.

The cost of not registering includes it loses court access as a plaintiff in the state (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)).

corp.delaware.gov, current in October 2026 per the state

How much is foreign registration?

Plan for $200 to the state and $199 to a service.

By year three the state has collected $1,000. delcode.delaware.gov, current in October 2026 per the state

What registers the LLC?

You file the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, and the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations receives it.

The filing needs certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation less than 180 days.

Are there ongoing fees?

$400 for the Annual LLC tax.

The schedule says June 1.

What decided the ranking?

Because of three-year price (36% of the weight): Delaware Registered Agent.ai is best there.

The two heavy tests are three-year price (36%) and paperwork covered (29%); three lighter tests follow.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai: $397 for three years, which undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100.

How we decide

Delaware checklist with sources

ItemAnswerWhere it is from
Fee to register $200delcode.delaware.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
Proof of existence It is required, 180 dayscorp.delaware.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
Annual LLC tax $400corp.delaware.gov, current in October 2026 per the state
State fees, first three years $1,000Rows above, added

The final row is a sum, not a state figure: filing fee, then years two and three of reports, then minimum tax where it applies.

Also asked

What about the state where I formed the LLC?

You still need one at home. Mainstay Filing works in both states, while a local company works in one.

What does each pick cost across three years?

$397 for Delaware Registered Agent.ai, $497 for Mainstay Filing, $397 for DE Registered Agent.org, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

State side: Delaware's published fee schedules and forms. Service side: the prices each company lists.

Must I hire a service?

Not at all. Owners can file with the state directly; a service is there to save you the work and to act as agent.

Who submits the registration?

Yes. Each pick prepares and files it, and the state fee does not depend on which you choose.

Who ranks first in Delaware?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai first: the fee is $199 with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 annually. Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org follow.

Related pages

Proof and sources

  1. corp.delaware.gov | Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation | October 2026
  2. corp.delaware.gov | Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation | October 2026
  3. legis.delaware.gov | Delaware yearly filing: HB 400 | October 2026
  4. delcode.delaware.gov | Delaware report due date | August 2026
  5. delcode.delaware.gov | 6 Del | August 2026
  6. delcode.delaware.gov | Delaware registered agent statute | October 2026
  7. corpfiles.delaware.gov | Foreign LLC registration form | October 2026
  8. delcode.delaware.gov | Delaware Code Title 6, chapter | October 2026
  9. corpfiles.delaware.gov | Division of Corporations fee schedule | October 2026
  10. Prices on the Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  11. Prices on the Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, read November 13, 2026
  12. Prices on the DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026