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Foreign LLC guide · Delaware

Delaware Foreign LLC Registration (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

Our Delaware answer for 2026 is Mainstay Filing ($199), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked in that order. The state's fee to register is $200, and the yearly report for foreign LLCs is $400, 47th of 50 over three years.
State Filing Data research desk

Delaware numbers

of 50 for registering a foreign LLC

Low rank, low state fees. The 50-state table

Registration fee

$200

delcode.delaware.gov · October 2026

Yearly report

$400

Annual LLC tax

Home-state certificate

180 days

Issued within this window

Three-year state fees

$1,000

Registration, then two report years

Delaware: our picks

Scored on five weighted criteria (methodology). Biggest weights: three-year service fees and filings covered.

Top of our list

1. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state registrations

$199 to register, $149 yearly after

Mainstay Filing leads here. The case for it: $199 plus the state fee, with the registered agent free for the first year and $149 a year after.

It costs $100 more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai over three years; on our method the extra filings it covers outweigh that.

Agent service after year one: $149 a year, any state.

What you pay for

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Registered agent, free for the first year
  • Fifty-state coverage

For

  • Agent included for the first year
  • $199 plus Delaware's fee
  • Same fee in every state

Against

  • Delaware Registered Agent.ai's agent renews for $50 less
Delaware focus

2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for a low yearly agent cost

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Pick 2, Delaware Registered Agent.ai: $199 plus the state fee, the first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

What you pay for

  • Filing with the state office
  • A year of agent service

For

  • A year of agent service included
  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • $199 plus the state fee

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Delaware focus

3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Delaware

$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Pick 3, DE Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, the first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Same published prices as Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

What you pay for

  • Filing with the state office
  • A year of agent service

For

  • A year of agent service included
  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • $199 plus the state fee

Against

  • Home state needs a separate agent

Price comparison

#ServiceYear oneFrom year twoThree-year service fees
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Delaware Registered Agent.ai $199$99/yr$397
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 DE Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397
Visit DE Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices read November 12, 2026. Each row excludes the $200 state fee.

Registration plus upkeep, by year

Registration fee $200, then the $400 report from year two, plus the service's prices.

Total, 3 years, Mainstay Filing: $1,497. State $1,000, service $497.

Delaware next to similar states

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
45th South Dakota$860
46th Tennessee$900
47th Delaware$1,000
48th Rhode Island$1,450
49th Massachusetts$1,500

See the 50-state table for every rank.

Registering a foreign LLC in Delaware

Out-of-state LLCs register with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations using the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company ($200). It also needs certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, not more than 180 days.

Each cycle it files the Annual LLC tax ($400), June 1.

Before you file

  • Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 180 days.
  • Legal name plus the date the LLC was formed.
  • A registered agent in the state (included with each pick).
  • The $200 state charge.

The cost of not registering

Lawsuits it tries to bring are blocked until the registration is on file (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). Its contracts remain valid (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).

The reasoning

Of our five criteria, state filings covered (30%) settled first place in Delaware.

Multi-state coverage beat Delaware Registered Agent.ai's lower renewal.

Questions about Delaware

How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC in Delaware?

$200 at the state office. Services on this page charge $199 on top.

Which form registers a foreign LLC in Delaware?

File Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, dated within 180 days of filing.

What does a foreign LLC file after registering?

The Annual LLC tax, $400.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Lawsuits it tries to bring are blocked until the registration is on file (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). Its contracts remain valid (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).

Is a registered agent needed there?

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

Who should file the registration?

Our order is Mainstay Filing, Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org. For Mainstay Filing: it files the Delaware registration for $199 over the state fee and includes year one of agent service.

Other guides

Where each figure comes from

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source at corp.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source at corp.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source at legis.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  4. Delaware report due date at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed August 2026
  5. 6 Del at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed August 2026
  6. Delaware registered agent statute at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  7. Foreign LLC registration form at corpfiles.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  8. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX at delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  9. Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 at corpfiles.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026
  10. South Dakota Secretary of State, business services at sdsos.gov, confirmed October 2026
  11. Filing fee schedule at sdsos.gov, confirmed October 2026
  12. Foreign LLC application for Certificate of Authority at sdsos.gov, confirmed October 2026
  13. SDCL 47-34A-1003, transacting business at sdlegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  14. SDCL 47-34A-1008, effect of not registering at sdlegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  15. Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees at sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026
  16. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026
  17. Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs at sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026
  18. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026
  19. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 at publications.tnsosfiles.com, confirmed October 2026
  20. Form 450, Application for Registration at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
  21. Business Services fee schedule at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
  22. R.I at webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  23. R.I at webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  24. Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation at docs.sos.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
  25. Rhode Island other cost at tax.ri.gov, confirmed October 2026
  26. Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page at sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026
  27. Corporations Division fee schedule at sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026
  28. G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration at malegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  29. G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register at malegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  30. G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business at malegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026
  31. 950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies at sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026
  32. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, read November 12, 2026
  33. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 12, 2026
  34. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 12, 2026