Skip to content
Plain CharterLLC questions, short answers.

No legalese · Delaware

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Delaware (2026), Plainly Answered

We'd pick Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) in Delaware for 2026, in that order. The state's registration fee is $200 with any of them; service fees reach $397 to $497 over three years.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

The short answer

Fee to register
$200
Home-state certificate?
Required (180 day limit)
Ongoing filing
$400, Annual LLC tax
Our order
Mainstay Filing, DE Registered Agent.org then Delaware Registered Agent.ai

The Delaware picks

Our order, explained on how we choose.
1Top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs adding states

$199 plus the $200 state fee; renewal $149

Start with Mainstay Filing: it costs $199 plus Delaware's fee, with a free first year of registered agent service and $149 a year after.

DE Registered Agent.org saves $100 over three years but works in Delaware only.

After the free year, the registered agent renews at $149 a year.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Registered agent, first year free
  • The same fee in every state

Upsides

  • No agent fee in year one
  • Same fee in every state
  • $199 to register

What to weigh

  • $50 a year more for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Delaware only

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for adding just this state

$199 plus the $200 state fee; renewal $99

Pick number 2, DE Registered Agent.org, makes the list because you pay $199 over the state fee, then $99 each year.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • No agent fee in year one
  • Registers for $199
  • Then $99 yearly

What to weigh

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Delaware only

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for a one-state add-on

$199 plus the $200 state fee; renewal $99

Pick number 3, Delaware Registered Agent.ai, makes the list because you pay $199 over the state fee, then $99 each year.

Same published prices as DE Registered Agent.org; pick whichever you prefer.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • Year-one agent

Upsides

  • Then $99 yearly
  • Registers for $199
  • No agent fee in year one

What to weigh

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side-by-side prices

#ProviderFirst-year priceRenewalThree yearsIn the price
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Registration, filed; registered agent, first year free; the same fee in every stateVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2DE Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; Year-one agentVisit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Registration, filed; Year-one agentVisit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 12, 2026. State fees are the same with every pick.

Common questions

Who has to register here?

Registration comes before doing business in Delaware for any out-of-state LLC.

The cost of not registering: it loses access to the state's courts as a plaintiff (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)).

corp.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026

What are the fees?

$200 in state fees and $199 for a service.

Over three years the state's fees reach $1,000, counting any recurring report. delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026

What is the application called?

The Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations accepts the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company from LLCs formed elsewhere.

Include certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation issued within 180 days.

Any ongoing fees?

You keep filing the Annual LLC tax ($400).

Deadline: June 1.

How was the order decided?

It comes down to what the price takes off your plate, where Mainstay Filing is strongest.

The two biggest criteria are three-year cost and what the price takes off your plate, at 35% and 30%.

Your home state needs an agent too; one account that covers both is simpler.

See how we rank

The official requirements

RequirementWhat it isCited
Registration filing$200delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
Certificate from home stateRequired, 180 dayscorp.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual LLC tax$400corp.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
State fees, first three years$1,000Sum of the rows
Filing fee, the reports in years two and three, then any minimum tax: that is the three-year line.

People also ask

What about the home state?

Both states have their own rules. Mainstay Filing works in each; a one-state service covers only its state.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing $497, DE Registered Agent.org $397 and Delaware Registered Agent.ai $397 (service fees only).

What sources do you use?

Official schedules for state fees, company pricing for service fees, all dated on this page.

Do I need to hire a service?

It is optional; the state charges the same either way.

Will these services file it?

Any of the picks can file it for you at the same state fee.

What is the best foreign registration service for Delaware?

Mainstay Filing tops our list because you pay $199 to register and nothing for the registered agent until year two; DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai come next.

Sources for this page

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation: corp.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation: corp.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400: legis.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  4. Delaware report due date: delcode.delaware.gov (August 2026)
  5. 6 Del: delcode.delaware.gov (August 2026)
  6. Delaware registered agent statute: delcode.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  7. Foreign LLC registration form: corpfiles.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  8. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter: delcode.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  9. Division of Corporations fee schedule: corpfiles.delaware.gov (October 2026)
  10. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page (prices on November 12, 2026)
  11. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page (prices on November 12, 2026)
  12. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page (prices on November 12, 2026)