No.1
Best here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $399 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.4out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Delaware registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds DE Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
Why pick it
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- One price in each of the fifty states
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than DE Registered Agent.org
No.2
Lower renewal than Mainstay
2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Delaware
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.0out of 10
Second place: DE Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Delaware, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- The first year as registered agent is free
Weak spots
- Serves Delaware only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Lower renewal than Mainstay
3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for Delaware registrations only
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: Delaware Registered Agent.ai. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Delaware, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
Delaware Registered Agent.ai mirrors DE Registered Agent.org on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.
In the price
- Filing with the state
- One year of registered agent service at the start
Why pick it
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Includes your registered agent for the first year
Weak spots
- Serves Delaware only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.4 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | DE Registered Agent.org | 9.0 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Delaware Registered Agent.ai | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
Delaware foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| DE Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Delaware Registered Agent.ai | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Delaware's $200 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
How the ruling was reached
The decisive criterion in Delaware was work taken off the founder. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of DE Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Delaware: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations using the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company. The state fee is $200. Delaware also requires certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no more than 180 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the Annual LLC tax, priced at $400, with a due date of June 1.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 180 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $200 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the Annual LLC tax, which carries a $400 fee.
Consequences of operating in Delaware unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Delaware courts (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).
Questions on Delaware foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Delaware?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Delaware run in total?
The state fee is $200; service charges run $199.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Delaware accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no more than 180 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Delaware?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Delaware report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- 6 Del. C. § 18-201, on the record as of August 2026
- Delaware registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Foreign LLC registration form, on the record as of October 2026
- Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX, on the record as of October 2026
- Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Delaware service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: DE Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Delaware Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026