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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Open it up · Delaware

3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026): Unpacked

In Delaware for 2026, unpack registered agents in this order: Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year). An agent opens at $99 to $149 in the first year and totals $297 to $447 by year three.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Required to name one?
Yes, by law
Label in the statute
Registered agent
Going price
$99 to $149 per year
Our pick
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, DE Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

The Delaware stack, best on top

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

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

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

Delaware Registered Agent.ai sits on top in Delaware because inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Three years cost less here than at Mainstay Filing, and cost counts most in our weighing.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Just $99 a year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The Annual LLC Tax sits outside the box
Delaware only

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for keeping the agent local

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

What puts DE Registered Agent.org second: inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

It charges what Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Just $99 a year
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The Annual LLC Tax sits outside the box
Holds up anywhere

3. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every state

Annual price $149, renewal price $149

Mainstay Filing sits third because nothing inside changes by state: $149 a year, $149 at renewal.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai totals $150 less across three years, enough to outrank it.

Inside the price

  • A street address inside the state
  • Three government mailings a year, scanned for free
  • Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • Annual price $149, renewal price $149
  • Follows your LLC to a new state

Inside, the catch

  • Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges $50 less each year
  • Nothing inside beyond the agent role

Inside each price

#PickOpening priceEach year afterTotal, 3 yearsWhat is inside
1Delaware Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountSee Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2DE Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountSee DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address inside the state; three government mailings a year, scanned for free; Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsSee Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Layer by layer

Must the LLC name a registered agent?

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

The law underneath: 6 Del. C. § 18-104. peek at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026

Who qualifies?

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

If you qualify, you can serve yourself at no cost.

How much does an agent cost?

$99 to $149 annually, $297 to $447 in total across three years.

State fees stay the same whichever agent you pick.

Why does the state want an agent?

Whatever legal paper is meant for the LLC in Delaware goes to the agent, who passes it along.

Ask how quickly the agent tells you when something arrives, so no deadline slips by. What is service of process?

What does the LLC owe the state each year?

Plan on $400 each year for the Annual LLC Tax. For timing the state says: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.

peek at legis.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026

Why is the stack in this order?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is strongest on total across three years, a layer worth 34% of the score.

Five layers set the order: total across three years (34%), what is inside the price (29%), price laid out in the open (14%), how the renewal behaves (12%) and how far it reaches (11%).

Delaware Registered Agent.ai stacks up to $297 over three years, $150 under Mainstay Filing.

The five layers

Delaware agent rule, unpacked

PartWhat is insideOfficial source
LLC filing fee$110peek at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentYes, by lawpeek at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual LLC Tax$400 every yearpeek at legis.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$910Our total of the rows above
Last row = filing fee + two later reports + minimum tax, if the state has one. Variable costs are described in the text, not added.

Also worth asking

May an owner serve as agent?

Usually. Check who qualifies and which address counts, and if you fit, you can.

Which addresses does the state accept?

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.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai stacks up to $297, DE Registered Agent.org stacks up to $297, Mainstay Filing stacks up to $447

What do these numbers rest on?

Official Delaware paperwork stands behind every state fee here, and every service price traces back to the company's own pricing.

Do I have to use a service?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

What is the best registered agent for Delaware?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because its service puts a street address on file for $99 a year. Then DE Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

Originals behind this page

  1. Under Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation sits corp.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation sits corp.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  3. Under Delaware yearly filing: HB 400 sits legis.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Delaware report due date sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  5. Under 6 Del sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  6. Under Delaware registered agent statute sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  7. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, read November 13, 2026