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LLC Answered The short reply to every LLC filing question.

The reply · Delaware

3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026), Answered

Our 2026 Delaware ranking, best first, is Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). An agent costs $99 to $149 in year one and $297 to $447 over three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team

In brief

Short reply
Does the LLC need one?
Required in this state
Legal title
Registered agent
Cost of a service
$99 to $149 every twelve months
Our picks
Mainstay Filing, Delaware Registered Agent.ai then DE Registered Agent.org

Hire these in Delaware

Prices are from each company's own pricing. See how we decide.

#1 First choice

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who plan to grow

$149 per year, then $149 on renewal

Why Mainstay Filing? Simply put, $149 a year, with the same price in all fifty states.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai saves $150 across three years. The trade is coverage outside Delaware.

What is bundled

  • A real street address in the state
  • Three government mailings a year, scanned at no charge
  • Works for corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits as well as LLCs

Pluses

  • $149 annually
  • Covers every state you add

Downsides

  • Delaware Registered Agent.ai is $50 a year less
  • You still file reports
#2 Delaware only

2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for a low annual fee

$99 per year, then $99 on renewal

Why Delaware Registered Agent.ai second? Simply put, a company that never leaves Delaware pays $297 over three years.

What is bundled

  • An address in the state
  • Scanned copies of legal papers

Pluses

  • Flat $99 yearly
  • Smaller yearly bill than the national pick

Downsides

  • One-state service
  • Filing the Annual LLC Tax stays on your to-do list
#3 Delaware only

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for another local choice

$99 per year, then $99 on renewal

Why DE Registered Agent.org third? Simply put, a company that never leaves Delaware pays $297 over three years.

The same published prices as Delaware Registered Agent.ai, so choose whichever you prefer.

What is bundled

  • An address in the state
  • Scanned copies of legal papers

Pluses

  • Smaller yearly bill than the national pick
  • Flat $99 yearly

Downsides

  • One-state service
  • Filing the Annual LLC Tax stays on your to-do list

Compared in a table

#ServiceFirst yearLater years3-year costIncluded
1 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447A real street address in the state; three government mailings a year, scanned at no charge; Works for corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits as well as LLCs Visit Mainstay Filing site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Delaware Registered Agent.ai $99$99/yr$297an address in the state; scanned copies of legal papers Visit Delaware Registered Agent.ai site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 DE Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297an address in the state; scanned copies of legal papers Visit DE Registered Agent.org site Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each company's listed prices, November 13, 2026. State fees come on top and do not vary by pick.

Questions and replies

Is naming a registered agent a legal duty?

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

The rule comes from 6 Del. C. § 18-104. see delcode.delaware.gov, as of October 2026, state page

Who counts as a valid agent?

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

If you fit the rule, you can fill the role for free.

What will an agent cost me each year?

About $99 to $149 per year, and $297 to $447 for three.

Whoever you name, the state fees stay the same.

What does an agent do for an LLC?

It collects lawsuits and official state mail for the LLC at a Delaware address.

That is why the address must be staffed during regular business hours. Read: service of process

What else is due annually?

Chiefly the Annual LLC Tax, once annually. The fee is $400. The state's deadline reads: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1, so note it early.

see legis.delaware.gov, as of October 2026, state page

Why this order?

Paperwork covered, worth 29%, put Mainstay Filing first.

65% of the score comes from three-year price and paperwork covered.

Where a service can be used counts in our scoring, and one pick works everywhere.

The five tests

Delaware requirements checklist

RequirementAnswerProof
LLC filing fee $110see delcode.delaware.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Registered agent Required in this statesee delcode.delaware.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Annual LLC Tax $400 every yearsee legis.delaware.gov, as of October 2026, state page
Three-year state total $910Sum of the rows above

The bottom line adds up the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and the minimum tax if there is one. A cost with no set price, like a newspaper notice, is left out of the sum.

Other questions

Am I allowed to be my own agent?

In most cases, yes. Check who qualifies and which address counts, then you can do it yourself.

Where must the agent be?

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.

What does each pick cost across three years?

Mainstay Filing $447; Delaware Registered Agent.ai $297; DE Registered Agent.org $297

How do you know these fees?

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

Does the law require a service?

Hiring is optional. The law asks for a filing, not for a filer.

Which one do you pick in Delaware?

Mainstay Filing leads because $149 a year is its fee in this state and every other; Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org come next.

Related pages

Our evidence

  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. Delaware service page at Mainstay Filing, looked at November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page at Delaware Registered Agent.ai, looked at November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page at DE Registered Agent.org, looked at November 13, 2026