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LLC Factbook

Every state's LLC costs, set down with their sources.

LLC cost guide · Delaware

Starting an LLC in Delaware (2026): Official Costs and the 3 Best Services

If you are forming an LLC for Delaware this year (2026), begin with Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), working down the list. The state's side of the bill is $110 to form and $400 every year for the Annual LLC Tax; for three years of state fees Delaware is number 46th among the fifty.

Compiled by the LLC Factbook editors

Delaware state charges at a glance

46th of 50 by what the state bills across three years
First place is the smallest bill. Fifty states in one table

Annual LLC Tax

$400 / yr
The state sets the deadline as annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. According to legis.delaware.gov, as of October 2026

State charges, years one to three

$910
The year-one filing together with years two and three

Delaware: our recommendations

Five criteria set the order, led by three-year service charges and the filings covered; the methodology has the weights.
Editors' pick

1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for owners who never leave Delaware

$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two

Why Delaware Registered Agent.ai leads: formation at $199 over the state fee, then the agent at $99 from year two.

Over three years it charges less in service fees than Mainstay Filing, and cost is the biggest weight in our method at 34%.

The Annual LLC Tax is outside the price.

What the price buys

  • Formation paperwork taken care of
  • First year of agent service

In its favor

  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 to form
  • The first agent year is already paid for

Against it

  • The Annual LLC Tax is not covered
  • Charges $99 for the EIN application
Bundled filings

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for forming and keeping the LLC

$199 a year on top of the $110 state fee

Mainstay Filing comes next: the Delaware formation, a registered agent and the annual tax are all inside a $199 yearly price.

Over three years its service fees are $200 higher than Delaware Registered Agent.ai's, and cost weighs 34% of the score.

The Annual LLC Tax filing is done as part of renewal. Add the state's $400, billed at cost.

What the price buys

  • Your formation is prepared and filed
  • Registered agent duties covered all year
  • Your annual tax is prepared and sent in
  • Your EIN application goes in with the rest
  • What the state charges is billed as it stands

In its favor

  • Files the EIN application for you
  • $199 at renewal, no increase
  • $199 a year covers formation and the agent and the report

Against it

  • $100 a year more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai's agent renewal
Local pick

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for a smaller agent renewal

$199 plus the state fee; the agent is $99 a year from year two

Number 3 is DE Registered Agent.org: formation at $199 over the state fee, then the agent at $99 from year two.

The Annual LLC Tax is outside the price.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges the same.

What the price buys

  • Formation paperwork taken care of
  • First year of agent service

In its favor

  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 to form
  • The first agent year is already paid for

Against it

  • The Annual LLC Tax is not covered
  • Charges $99 for the EIN application

Prices side by side

No.ServiceFirst-year feeFrom year twoService charges, three years
1 Delaware Registered Agent.ai $199$99/yr$397 Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 DE Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company price pages, copied November 12, 2026. Delaware charges $110 to file, over and above every service.

State and service charges, by year

Pick a number of years and a service. The state portion follows the official schedule: $110 to form, then the Annual LLC Tax from year two.
Using Delaware Registered Agent.ai for 3 years costs $1,307, made up of $910 in state fees and $397 in service fees.

Delaware next to the states ranked around it

PlaceStateThree-year state fees
44thMaryland$700
45thTennessee$900
46thDelaware$910
47thNevada$1,125
48thRhode Island$1,450
The full table is at LLC costs by state, with the smallest bills first.

Delaware articles: fee and form

The Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company costs $110 at the Delaware Secretary of State, a fee set by 6 Del. C. § 18-201. Each service on this page adds that fee at cost.

Delaware Annual LLC Tax: fee, deadline and late charge

Set aside $400 for the Annual LLC Tax every year; it must arrive annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. Missing the date adds $200.

The reasoning behind the order

Delaware Registered Agent.ai moved ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year service charge, a criterion weighted 34%.

Delaware Registered Agent.ai charges $397 over three years in service fees, $200 under Mainstay Filing.

Delaware LLC service questions answered

How much does the state charge to start an LLC in Delaware?

Delaware charges $110 to file. Our picks bill $199 over the state fee.

What fee goes with the Delaware Annual LLC Tax?

$400 every year, filed annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. A late filing adds $200.

Where does Delaware stand on LLC fees?

Delaware is 46th of 50 for three-year state fees, at $910; the smallest bill ranks first.

Does Delaware require a registered agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Which LLC services are recommended on this page?

Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), in the order we rank them.

Which service should file my LLC?

Start with Delaware Registered Agent.ai: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year. After that, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org.

Sources for this chapter

  1. For Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, see corp.delaware.gov (opened October 2026)
  2. For Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, see corp.delaware.gov (opened October 2026)
  3. For Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, see legis.delaware.gov (opened October 2026)
  4. For Delaware report due date, see delcode.delaware.gov (opened August 2026)
  5. For 6 Del, see delcode.delaware.gov (opened August 2026)
  6. For Delaware registered agent statute, see delcode.delaware.gov (opened October 2026)
  7. For Md, see mgaleg.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
  8. For Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see mgaleg.maryland.gov (opened October 2026)
  9. For Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see egov.maryland.gov (opened October 2026)
  10. For Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, see dat.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
  11. For Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, see dat.maryland.gov (opened August 2026)
  12. For Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see sos.tn.gov (opened October 2026)
  13. For Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, see tnbear.tn.gov (opened August 2026)
  14. For Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, see sos.tn.gov (opened August 2026)
  15. For Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, see sos.tn.gov (opened October 2026)
  16. For Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source, see nvsos.gov (opened October 2026)
  17. For Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source, see leg.state.nv.us (opened October 2026)
  18. For Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees, see nvsos.gov (opened October 2026)
  19. For R.I, see webserver.rilegislature.gov (opened August 2026)
  20. For Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see sos.ri.gov (opened October 2026)
  21. For Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see docs.sos.ri.gov (opened October 2026)
  22. For Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, see docs.sos.ri.gov (opened August 2026)
  23. For Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division, see sos.ri.gov (opened August 2026)
  24. For Rhode Island other cost, see tax.ri.gov (opened October 2026)
  25. Delaware Registered Agent.ai lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026
  26. Mainstay Filing lists its Delaware service page; we copied it November 12, 2026
  27. DE Registered Agent.org lists its pricing page; we copied it November 12, 2026