3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Delaware (2026): The Straight Story
For foreign registration services in Delaware in 2026, we'd rank Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), best first. Delaware charges $200 to register no matter who files, and services add $397 to $497 over three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
Quick facts
The short of it
What the state charges to register
$200
Certificate from home?
Yes, attach it (180 day age cap)
Afterward
$400, Annual LLC tax
Our pick
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing then DE Registered Agent.org
Delaware picks, best first
The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Who we'd call first
1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for registering in one place only
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year
Delaware Registered Agent.ai is who we'd use first in Delaware, because $199 files the registration, and from year two the agent's $99.
It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is the biggest test.
What you get
Delaware registration filing
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
$99 a year from year two
$199 over the state fee
No agent charge in year one
What's not
Your home state needs its own agent
#2Works in all 50 states
2. Mainstay Filing: best for adding states down the road
$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year
There's one fee, $199, whatever state you're registering in, and the registered agent is waived for the first year. That puts Mainstay Filing second.
It ranks lower because three years cost $100 more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai, and price is the biggest test.
You don't pay for the registered agent the first year. From year two, it's $149 annually wherever you registered.
What you get
Your registration filed for you
Registered agent, waived for the first year
A flat fee in every state
Pluses
Service fee of $199
Same fee in every state
The first agent year's covered
What's not
Renewal's $50 over Delaware Registered Agent.ai
#3Delaware specialist
3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for one added state, and that's it
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year
$199 files the registration, and from year two the agent's $99. That puts DE Registered Agent.org third.
It charges what Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges.
What you get
Delaware registration filing
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
No agent charge in year one
$199 over the state fee
$99 a year from year two
What's not
Your home state needs its own agent
Side by side
#
Who
Year one
Each year after
3 years
What you get
1
Delaware Registered Agent.ai
$199
$99/yr
$397
delaware registration filing; The first agent year's on them
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
The questions that matter
When does an out-of-state LLC have to register?
Do it first, sell second: an LLC from elsewhere signs up with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations before taking its first Delaware customer.
An unregistered LLC risks it can't sue in Delaware courts until it registers (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)).
Over three years the state's fees reach $1,000, counting any recurring report. delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
What registers the LLC?
You file the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations, and that single filing registers the LLC.
Include certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation no older than 180 days.
What do I owe once I'm registered?
The state wants a Annual LLC tax later, and it's $400.
Per the state, it's due June 1.
Why this order?
On money out the door in three years (35% of the score), Delaware Registered Agent.ai wins.
We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).
Go with Delaware Registered Agent.ai and you'll pay $397 over three years, $100 less.
The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.
Still wondering?
Does my home state need its own agent?
Each state sets its own rule, so keep an agent at home too. A provider that works in every state, like Mainstay Filing, can handle both.
What do the picks cost over three years?
Delaware Registered Agent.ai will set you back $397, and Mainstay Filing will set you back $497, and DE Registered Agent.org will set you back $397, with state fees on top.
Are the fees official?
Official Delaware sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.
Do I have to use a service?
Not required. The state takes filings from owners.
Will a service file it for me?
Yes. Every pick files it, and the state fee's the same whichever you choose.
What's the best foreign registration service in Delaware?
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because the service fee's $199, with the first year of agent service included, and renewal is $99. After that, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org.