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The Formation Desk

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Registered agent picks · Delaware

3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026)

The The Formation Desk call for registered agents in Delaware in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes the call: $149 a year, and it holds on renewal, with papers served on the company scanned the same business day for free.
Written by The Formation Desk editorial team
1
Best here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for every state

$149 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.1 out of 10

The desk picks Mainstay Filing: $149 for a single agent plan that works in every state, $149 on renewal.

Haven't formed yet? Mainstay's $199-a-year package handles the Delaware filing and the annual tax.

Over three years Mainstay runs $150 more than DE Registered Agent.org, and the desk thinks the wider coverage is worth it.

In the price

  • An in-state street address on the public record
  • Same-business-day upload of scanned service of process, no fee
  • Your first three government mailings each year, scanned free
  • Compliance reminders

Strengths

  • $149 a year and it holds on renewal
  • Free scans of served papers on the same business day
  • First three government mailings each year, scanned free
  • Works for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits alike

Cons

  • $50 a year more than DE Registered Agent.org for agent service alone
  • Only the formation package files annual reports
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing up close
2
Best local option

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for the lowest price per year on this list

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 8.7 out of 10

Runner-up, DE Registered Agent.org: a Delaware specialist at $99 a year, with an in-state street address as the registered office.

DE Registered Agent.org takes the registered office role, using an in-state address and scanning what is served there.

In the price

  • A physical address in the state, as the registered office
  • Everything served on the company is scanned for you

Strengths

  • $99 a year and it holds on renewal
  • Yearly price below Mainstay Filing's
  • Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year

Cons

  • The Annual LLC Tax is your job
  • Delaware only; you need another agent elsewhere
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. DE Registered Agent.org up close
3
Local Delaware agent

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for Delaware companies

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 8.4 out of 10

Third, Delaware Registered Agent.ai: a Delaware specialist at $99 a year, with an in-state street address as the registered office.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai puts an in-state street address on file for the company and scans served legal papers into your account.

DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai list the same prices and plan features, so it is close and either one works.

In the price

  • The in-state address the state asks you to file
  • Papers served on the company arrive in your account as scans

Strengths

  • Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
  • $99 per year and no bump at renewal
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Cons

  • The Annual LLC Tax is your job
  • Delaware only; you need another agent elsewhere
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Delaware Registered Agent.ai up close

The desk's 3 picks in brief

Pick Service Desk score Price a year Renewal Good for Visit
1 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $149 $149/yr One agent that covers every state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 DE Registered Agent.org 8.7 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Delaware Registered Agent.ai 8.4 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The scores out of 10 are the desk's own, drawn from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

What a Delaware registered agent costs in 2026: year one, renewal and the three-year bill

Service Year one Year two Year three Bill over three years Price holds on renewal
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447 Yes
DE Registered Agent.org $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
Delaware Registered Agent.ai $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes

Every price here was read off the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Delaware charges the same state fees whichever agent you name.

Behind the order

The desk's method puts 33% on spend over three years and 33% on work the price removes, and 34% across what renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display. For Delaware, work the price removes did the deciding.

Mainstay's agent plan brings more to the table: served papers are scanned the same business day for nothing, one price in all fifty states and three government mailings a year scanned free. DE Registered Agent.org is cheaper, and it was close.

The full criteria and weights are on How we rank.

Delaware registered agent rules straight from Delaware Secretary of State (official)

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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. The law behind it: 6 Del. C. § 18-104.

Delaware's Annual LLC Tax: what it costs, when it is due, who gets the notice

Delaware LLCs send in the Annual LLC Tax every year, due annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. The state's fee is $400. Send it late and $200 gets added. Notices about it land with your registered agent.

Delaware registered agent: reader questions

Do you need a registered agent to run a Delaware LLC?

You do. Delaware wants a registered agent on file for every LLC, and the agent must have a street address in the state.

What should you expect to pay a Delaware registered agent?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year, and the price holds when it renews.

Could you serve as your own registered agent?

You can if the state's rules allow it. The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.

When does the Delaware Annual LLC Tax have to go in?

Get it in by annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. The state's cut is $400. Miss the date and it costs $200 more.

Which registered agents did the desk rank here?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), best pick first.

Who is our pick for registered agent in Delaware?

Mainstay Filing, since $149 a year for an agent that goes wherever the company does, plus the first three government mailings each year scanned free.

See also

Where the numbers came from

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last checked October 2026
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, last checked October 2026
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, last checked October 2026
  4. Delaware report due date, last checked August 2026
  5. 6 Del. C. § 18-201, last checked August 2026
  6. Delaware registered agent statute, last checked October 2026
  7. Mainstay Filing: Delaware service page, as of November 12, 2026
  8. DE Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  9. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026