LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for registered agents in Delaware, favorite first, are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). Mainstay Filing is our favorite, because one plan, $149 a year, follows the company to any state and renews at $149.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Top pick on this page
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 a year, the same each year
Our score
9.4out of 10
9.4 out of 10
Our favorite is Mainstay Filing, because you pay $149 a year whether you stay in one state or grow, and your first three government letters each year are scanned free.
Starting from scratch? The $199 yearly package adds the Delaware filing and the annual tax.
Over three years it costs $150 more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai, and for us the extra things it handles are worth that.
In the price
A registered office street address wherever you need one
Same-business-day scanning of anything served on the company, no charge
Free scans of your first three government letters each year
Compliance reminders
What we like
$149 a year and it stays flat
Fine for LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Your first three government letters each year, scanned for free
Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge
Trade-offs
The agent plan alone is $50 a year more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai
Report filing comes with the formation package, not the agent plan
2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for the smallest yearly price on this list
$99 a year, the same each year
Our score
8.9out of 10
8.9 out of 10
Coming in second is Delaware Registered Agent.ai, because it's $99 a year, and the price stays put at renewal, the smallest yearly price among these picks.
Delaware Registered Agent.ai takes care of the registered office with a street address in the state and scans everything served there.
In the price
The in-state street address the state requires
Every legal paper served on the company is scanned and stored in your account
What we like
A lower yearly price than Mainstay Filing
LLC formation with year-one agent service included
$99 annually with no renewal bump
Trade-offs
The Annual LLC Tax is a job that stays with you
Built for Delaware; other states need another agent
Every score out of 10 is our editors' call, made with the weighted criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.
What Delaware registered agents cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Same price when you renew
Mainstay Filing
$149
$149
$149
$447
Yes
Delaware Registered Agent.ai
$99
$99
$99
$297
Yes
DE Registered Agent.org
$99
$99
$99
$297
Yes
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Delaware's own fees stay the same no matter which agent you choose.
How we scored these
LLC Review Desk gives three-year cost 29% and filings in the price 29%, then divides 42% among renewal price, state fit and up-front totals. For Delaware, it came down to filings in the price.
Mainstay's plan does more: it scans papers served on the company the same business day, free, and the price is the same in all fifty states, with three government letters a year scanned at no charge. Delaware Registered Agent.ai costs less, so it's a close race.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
What Delaware says about the registered agent (via 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. The law: 6 Del. C. § 18-104.
The Delaware Annual LLC Tax: when and how much
Here's the schedule: the Annual LLC Tax is due every year in Delaware, by annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. It costs $400. If you're late, add $200. Reminders from the state go to your registered agent.
Your questions about Delaware registered agents
Do I really need a registered agent for a Delaware LLC?
You do. Delaware won't accept an LLC without a registered agent who has a street address in the state, and that name goes on the public record.
What do Delaware registered agents usually cost per year?
Plan on $99 to $149 a year, and each service keeps its price when you renew.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Sometimes, if you meet the state's rules. The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.
When do I have to send in the Delaware Annual LLC Tax?
Mark annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1 on your calendar. The state's charge is $400, and sending it late tacks on $200.
Which registered agents did we review here?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and DE Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), with our favorite first.
Who is the best registered agent for Delaware?
Mainstay Filing, because it's $149 a year and the price doesn't climb at renewal, plus papers served on the company get scanned the same business day for free.