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Straight answers · Delaware

3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026): Who to Ask First

For registered agents in Delaware, we would ask Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) in 2026, in that order. Prices open at $99 to $149 for year one and reach $297 to $447 by year three.

Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·

The short answers

Do you have to name an agent?
Yes, name one
What the law calls it
Registered agent
What do agents charge?
$99 to $149 a year
Who to ask
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing then DE Registered Agent.org

Our Delaware answer, best first

The order follows our five questions: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.

1Our first answer

1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for one-state companies

$99 a year, then $99 when it renews

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is the one to ask first in Delaware because it supplies an agent in the state for $99 a year.

For a company that stays put, the lower three-year price than Mainstay Filing earns it the top spot.

What the price covers

  • An in-state street address
  • Scans of legal papers online

Good news

  • Only $99 a year
  • Below Mainstay Filing on yearly price

The catch

  • Single-state coverage
  • The Annual LLC Tax is yours to prepare and send
Go to Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may expand

$149 a year, then $149 when it renews

Why Mainstay Filing in second place? It costs $149 a year with no change by state, and renews at $149.

Why is it not higher? Three years cost $150 more than at Delaware Registered Agent.ai, and price is what we weigh most.

What the price covers

  • A street address on file here
  • Scans of three government letters a year, at no charge
  • Not just LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits too

Good news

  • $149 each year, no increase
  • Follows your LLC to new states

The catch

  • $50 a year above the local pick
  • Agent role only, no report filing
Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3The Delaware option

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

$99 a year, then $99 when it renews

DE Registered Agent.org is the third answer because it supplies an agent in the state for $99 a year.

It charges the same as Delaware Registered Agent.ai, which makes the order between them a close call.

What the price covers

  • An in-state street address
  • Scans of legal papers online

Good news

  • Only $99 a year
  • Below Mainstay Filing on yearly price

The catch

  • Single-state coverage
  • The Annual LLC Tax is yours to prepare and send
Go to DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks side by side

#WhoYear oneEvery year afterThree years in allIncluded
1Delaware Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; scans of legal papers onlineGo to Delaware Registered Agent.ai
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address on file here; scans of three government letters a year, at no charge; Not just LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits tooGo to Mainstay Filing
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3DE Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; scans of legal papers onlineGo to DE Registered Agent.org
Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever you pick.

What owners want to know

Do I have to name a registered agent?

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

The law behind it: 6 Del. C. § 18-104. delcode.delaware.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

Who qualifies as an agent?

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

A qualifying owner can serve at no cost.

How much does an agent cost?

$99 to $149 a year with the services we recommend, which works out to $297 to $447 over three years.

No state fee depends on which agent you name.

What does an agent do for the LLC?

The agent signs for lawsuits and state mail addressed to the LLC, using a street address in Delaware.

What counts is that nothing important sits unseen while you are traveling. What is service of process?

Is anything else due every year?

After formation you owe the Annual LLC Tax every year ($400). Be ready by this date, per the state: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.

legis.delaware.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer

What put number one on top?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai does best on what you pay over three years, which carries 33% of our score.

Two questions carry most of the weight, what you pay over three years (33%) and chores the price takes care of (29%), and three smaller ones follow.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai totals $297 across three years, which is $150 under Mainstay Filing.

See the five questions

What does Delaware require of an agent?

QuestionAmount or ruleLook it up
Fee to file the LLC$110delcode.delaware.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Registered agentYes, name onedelcode.delaware.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
Annual LLC Tax$400 every yearlegis.delaware.gov, read in October 2026 for this answer
What the state collects in three years$910Our sum of the rows above
Every line above points to the state's own page. The total under them is ours, and it covers the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, nothing that varies by newspaper or county.

Questions people also ask

Can I be my own agent?

You may, once you fit the state's rule. Plenty of owners still pay a service to keep a home address off the record.

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?

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

Are the fees official?

Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price is read from the company's own site.

Do I have to use a service?

Hiring help is a convenience you pay for, never a legal duty.

Who should I ask first about a registered agent in Delaware?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because the service is $99 annually and puts a street address on file. After that, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org.

Where did we look this up?

  1. Our answer on Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation rests on corp.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  2. Our answer on Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation rests on corp.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  3. Our answer on Delaware yearly filing: HB 400 rests on legis.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  4. Our answer on Delaware report due date rests on delcode.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  5. Our answer on 6 Del rests on delcode.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
  6. Our answer on Delaware registered agent statute rests on delcode.delaware.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
  7. The Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  8. The Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
  9. The DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026