3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026) and What Delaware Really Requires
For registered agents in Delaware in 2026, we'd rank Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), best first. An agent runs $99 to $149 for year one and $297 to $447 for three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
Is it required?
Yes, you have to
Statute's word
Registered agent
What agents charge
$99 to $149 a year
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing, Delaware Registered Agent.ai 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. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every state
$149 a year, then $149
Mainstay Filing wins the top spot: it's $149 a year here and exactly the same in every other state.
Here's the catch: Delaware Registered Agent.ai costs $150 less over three years, but it only works in Delaware.
What you get
A real address in the state, on file
Scans of three government letters a year, free
Not only for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too
Pluses
$149 a year, flat at renewal
Follows your LLC to new states
What's not
$50 a year more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai
You'll still file the reports
#2Delaware only
2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for one-state businesses
$99 a year, then $99
Delaware Registered Agent.ai comes in second because $99 a year, then $99, is a fair deal for an LLC that stays in Delaware.
What you get
A local address on file
Scans of legal papers
Pluses
Just $99 a year
Smaller yearly bill than the national pick
What's not
A second state means a second agent
You're stuck filing the Annual LLC Tax
#3Delaware only
3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state choice
$99 a year, then $99
DE Registered Agent.org comes in third because $99 a year, then $99, is a fair deal for an LLC that stays in Delaware.
It charges what Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges.
What you get
A local address on file
Scans of legal papers
Pluses
Just $99 a year
Smaller yearly bill than the national pick
What's not
A second state means a second agent
You're stuck filing the Annual LLC Tax
The numbers
#
Who
Year one
Then
Three-year total
What you get
1
Mainstay Filing
$149
$149/yr
$447
A real address in the state, on file; scans of three government letters a year, free; Not only for LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
The questions that matter
Does the state make me have a registered agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Statute: 6 Del. C. § 18-104. go check delcode.delaware.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Who can be the agent?
The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.
Fit the rule and the role's yours at no cost.
What does an agent cost?
You're looking at $99 to $149 a year for the services we'd use, $297 to $447 across three years.
No state fee depends on your choice of agent.
What does an agent actually do?
Court papers and state notices for your company get delivered to its Delaware address.
If papers arrive and nobody takes them, a case can move ahead without your LLC. What's service of process?
What else does the state bill every year?
There's one filing that keeps coming back: the Annual LLC Tax, yearly, for $400. In the state's own words it's due annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.
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.
More questions
Can I be my own agent?
Yes, as long as you meet the state's rules on who can serve and on the address, both shown above.
What address does an agent need?
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 do the picks cost over three years?
Mainstay Filing will set you back $447, and Delaware Registered Agent.ai will set you back $297, and DE Registered Agent.org will set you back $297
Where do these numbers come from?
Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price comes from the company's own site.
Do I have to use a service?
No. You can file with the state yourself. A service saves you time and can be your agent, but nothing makes you hire one.
Who should I use for a registered agent in Delaware?
Mainstay Filing, because the price doesn't change by state, $149 a year, and renewal is $149. After that, Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org.