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Biz Formation Report

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

Foreign registration report · Delaware

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Delaware (2026)

By the Biz Formation Report editorial team

Biz Formation Report ranks foreign registration services in Delaware for 2026 as DE Registered Agent.org ($199), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. DE Registered Agent.org earns the top grade: the Delaware registration for $199 with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

No.1

Our top pick in Delaware

1. DE Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding Delaware alone

Score9.5out of 10
$199 service fee and the state fee on top; the agent is $99 annually from year two

Top grade, DE Registered Agent.org: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Delaware, agent renewing at $99.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • The first year as your registered agent

Good

  • $199 for registration, plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year for the agent
  • The first year as your registered agent is included

Weak spots

  • Serves Delaware only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the DE Registered Agent.org review
No.2

Low renewal

2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for registering in Delaware only

Score9.2out of 10
A $199 service fee and the state fee, then the agent at $99

Second grade, Delaware Registered Agent.ai: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Delaware, agent renewing at $99.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai matches DE Registered Agent.org on price and plan features, leaving very little between them.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • The first year as your registered agent

Good

  • First-year registered agent service is part of the price
  • $99 annually to keep the agent
  • A $199 registration price, state fee extra

Weak spots

  • Serves Delaware only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Delaware Registered Agent.ai review
No.3

Best for multi-state companies

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies registered in several states

Score9.0out of 10
$199 service fee, $399 due at checkout with the state fee; the agent is $149 annually from year two

Third grade, Mainstay Filing: $199 added to the state fee in any state, with a year of registered agent service included.

Beyond the free first year, agent service is $149 annually in any state.

DE Registered Agent.org is $100 cheaper across three years, and that difference lowers Mainstay Filing's cost grade.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration documents
  • The first year as your registered agent, at no cost
  • Legal papers served on the company scanned free, the same business day

Good

  • One price across all fifty states
  • $199 service fee plus the state's fee
  • Served papers scanned within the same business day, free
  • Registered agent at no cost in year one

Weak spots

  • The agent renews at $149, $50 more than DE Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing review

Summary of the 3 grades

RankProviderGradeService feeYear twoBest fitSite
1DE Registered Agent.org9.5$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Delaware Registered Agent.ai9.2$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing9.0$199$149/yrCompanies with a presence in several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each grade out of 10 comes from Biz Formation Report's editors and the weighted criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings are involved.

Delaware foreign registration service prices, 2026: year one, renewal and three-year outlay

ProviderYear 1Year 2Year 3Three-year outlayYear-one agent covered
DE Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free

All prices were taken from the companies' own websites on November 12, 2026. Delaware's $200 registration fee is payable on top of each row and is not part of these totals.

How the grades were set

Biz Formation Report grades three-year bill and what the money buys at 32% each, leaving 36% for renewal handling, local rules match and pricing openness. In Delaware, three-year bill settled the order.

Total outlay with DE Registered Agent.org over three years: $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first agent year, so the renewal price set the order.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Delaware foreign LLC registration: fee, document and filing office

To register, the outside company submits the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company to the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations, with a state fee of $200. Delaware also wants certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, dated within 180 days of the filing.

After registration the company owes the Annual LLC tax ($400), due June 1.

Documents to have on hand

  • Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, dated within 180 days of filing.
  • The legal name as recorded in the home state, and the date of formation.
  • An in-state registered agent; any provider in this report can serve.
  • Payment of the $200 state fee with the filing.
  • The due date of the Annual LLC tax and its $400 fee, noted in your calendar.

The cost of skipping Delaware registration

An unregistered foreign LLC has no right to sue in Delaware courts until it registers (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). Its contracts remain enforceable (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).

Delaware foreign registration service: common questions

Must an LLC from another state register with Delaware?

Yes, as soon as it transacts business there. Until then it has no standing to bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.

How much does Delaware foreign registration cost?

$200 goes to the state and $199 to the service.

Does Delaware demand proof of good standing from the home state?

Yes. The filing needs certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no more than 180 days ago.

Is a registered agent still needed after foreign registration?

Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state has to remain on file.

Which foreign registration services does this report rank?

DE Registered Agent.org ($199), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in descending order of grade.

What is the best foreign registration service for Delaware?

DE Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, one year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

See also

Source notes

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source (verified October 2026)
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source (verified October 2026)
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source (verified October 2026)
  4. Delaware report due date (verified August 2026)
  5. 6 Del. C. § 18-201 (verified August 2026)
  6. Delaware registered agent statute (verified October 2026)
  7. Foreign LLC registration form (verified October 2026)
  8. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX (verified October 2026)
  9. Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 (verified October 2026)
  10. Pulled November 12, 2026: DE Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  11. Pulled November 12, 2026: Delaware Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages
  12. Pulled November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Delaware service page