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Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
Launchwise Review

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

Launch guide · Delaware · registered agent

3 Best Registered Agents in Delaware (2026)

Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
For a 2026 launch in Delaware, Launchwise Review grades registered agents this way: Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). Delaware Registered Agent.ai earns the top grade here: a Delaware specialist at $99 a year, supplying an in-state street address for the registered office.
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Our top pick

1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for the smallest annual bill we rank here

$99 a year, flat

Our mark 9.5 out of 10

Top grade, Delaware Registered Agent.ai: a flat $99 a year, with scans of papers served on the company in your account.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai handles the registered office with a state street address and scans whatever is served there for you.

Add up three years and it lands below Mainstay Filing; cost is one of our two biggest criteria.

In the price

  • An in-state street address as the registered office
  • Papers served on the company are scanned and sent to your account

Pros

  • A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
  • LLC formation with year-one agent service included
  • $99 annually with no renewal bump

Less good

  • You still file the Annual LLC Tax
  • Made for Delaware; other states need their own agent
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Delaware Registered Agent.ai launch review
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Best for growing companies

2. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states

$149 a year, flat

Our mark 9.1 out of 10

Next up is Mainstay Filing: one agent plan at $149 a year that works in every state, renewing at $149.

Launching a new company? The $199 yearly package also takes care of the Delaware filing and the annual tax.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai is $150 lower across three years, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

In the price

  • A street address in the state for your registered office
  • No-cost scanning of served papers within the same business day
  • Three letters from government offices scanned each year at no charge
  • Compliance reminders

Pros

  • Your first three government letters each year are scanned free
  • Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day, free
  • $149 a year and it does not rise
  • Works for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Less good

  • The agent plan alone costs $50 a year more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai
  • Report filing belongs to the formation package, not the agent plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing launch review
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Delaware-focused

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for Delaware specialists

$99 a year, flat

Our mark 8.8 out of 10

Rounding out the list is DE Registered Agent.org: a flat $99 a year, with scans of papers served on the company in your account.

DE Registered Agent.org puts its in-state street address on file as the company's registered office and scans served legal papers to you.

Nothing in the published price or features separates Delaware Registered Agent.ai from DE Registered Agent.org; go with whichever you like.

In the price

  • The in-state address the state asks for
  • Scans of legal papers served on the company wait in your account

Pros

  • $99 a year, and it does not change at renewal
  • LLC formation with year-one agent service included
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

Less good

  • You still file the Annual LLC Tax
  • Made for Delaware; other states need their own agent
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the DE Registered Agent.org launch review

The 3 grades at a glance

Place Company Launch grade Per year At renewal Best fit Go
1 Delaware Registered Agent.ai 9.5 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price among the picks we rank here Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $149 $149/yr An agent for every state you may enter Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 DE Registered Agent.org 8.8 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price among the picks we rank here Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each grade out of 10 reflects our editors' reading of the weighted criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Delaware registered agent cost in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total

Company Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Three years, total Renewal price matches
Delaware Registered Agent.ai $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447 Yes
DE Registered Agent.org $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
Prices were copied from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Delaware's own fees do not change with your choice of agent.

How we graded this list

Launchwise Review puts 26% on cost to launch and stay and 26% on launch paperwork handled, then spreads 48% over renewal behavior, state match and price transparency. For Delaware, the call came down to cost to launch and stay.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai comes to $297 over three years, $150 under Mainstay Filing. A launch that only needs an agent in Delaware gets little from fifty-state reach, so the lower yearly price took it.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Delaware registered agent rules, straight from Delaware Secretary of State

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. Law behind it: 6 Del. C. § 18-104.

Delaware Annual LLC Tax: date and fee

Put the Annual LLC Tax on your Delaware calendar every year. Count on a $400 state charge, with the deadline at annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. Miss it and $200 gets added. Your registered agent receives the state's notices about it.

Quick answers about Delaware registered agents

Do I have to line up a registered agent before launching a Delaware LLC?

Yes. Put a registered agent with a physical Delaware address on the paperwork, because the state will not accept an LLC without one.

What should I budget each year for a Delaware registered agent?

Expect $99 to $149 a year, and each company keeps its price at renewal.

Could I just serve as my own registered agent?

Often yes, if you meet the state's conditions. 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 come due?

Put annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1 on your calendar. The state asks $400, and a late filing adds $200.

Which registered agents are graded on this page?

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

Which Delaware registered agent should a new company pick first?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because $99 a year, with no jump at renewal, the lowest yearly price on this list.

Read next

Sources and dates

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