Class 1 · Delaware
Delaware LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services
Read this first
You will leave able to
- The Delaware formation paper, its price and its destination
- Who can be the registered agent
- What happens once the LLC exists
- How the picks stack up
Who we would hire in Delaware
1. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for Delaware LLCs with a small budget
Delaware Registered Agent.ai earns the top grade in Delaware: the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.
Tuition breaks the tie: three years run cheaper here than at Mainstay Filing.
You still file the Annual LLC Tax every year.
Covered by the tuition
- The filing is done for you
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- Agent covered in year one
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 plus the state fee
Weak spots
- Preparing the Annual LLC Tax is up to you
- An EIN add-on costs $99
2. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done
Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since $199 yearly covers the formation, the registered agent and the annual tax, and the renewal bill is $199.
A $200 gap to Delaware Registered Agent.ai over three years decides where it lands.
Add the Annual LLC Tax to what it does, with Delaware's $400 passed along at cost.
Covered by the tuition
- Filing made with the state
- Registered agent for the whole year
- Annual tax filed on time
- EIN application included
- The official fee, nothing added
Strengths
- The renewal holds at $199
- A flat $199 each year
- The EIN application is in the price
Weak spots
- After year one it costs $100 more each year
3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prefer to do their own reports
Third place goes to DE Registered Agent.org, since the formation costs $199 on top of the state fee, and the agent renewal is $99.
You still file the Annual LLC Tax every year.
Its prices match Delaware Registered Agent.ai's, so either works.
Covered by the tuition
- The filing is done for you
- A year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- The agent renews at $99
- Agent covered in year one
- $199 plus the state fee
Weak spots
- Preparing the Annual LLC Tax is up to you
- An EIN add-on costs $99
The services compared
| # | Service | First year | From year two | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Starting a Delaware LLC, assignment by assignment
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Assignment
1Pick the LLC's name
Class starts with a look at the Delaware register at the Delaware Secretary of State.
Have a runner-up name ready in case the first is taken.
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Assignment
2Appoint a registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.
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 registered agent role comes with each graded service.
Textbook page: Source for this: delcode.delaware.gov, October 2026
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Assignment
3Choose how the filing gets made
Skip the service and you pay the state $110. Use one of the graded services and you pay $199 more to skip the forms.
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Assignment
4Complete, sign and file the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company
Your homework here is the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company. It is addressed to the Delaware Secretary of State and costs $110 (6 Del. C. § 18-201).
Textbook page: Source for this: delcode.delaware.gov, October 2026
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Assignment
5Order the LLC's federal tax ID
With approval in hand, the IRS can issue a federal tax ID for the LLC, and a business bank account depends on it. Mainstay Filing does this one for you at no added charge.
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Assignment
6Draft the operating agreement
Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state never asks for a copy.
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Assignment
7Mark the deadlines that repeat
Once a year the LLC sends in the Annual LLC Tax with $400; it is due annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. Late filers pay $200 extra.
Textbook page: Source for this: legis.delaware.gov, October 2026
The bill
| Item | Who gets paid | Sum |
|---|---|---|
| Formation fee | State office | $110 |
| Annual LLC Tax | State office | $400 every year |
| If the report is late | State office | $200 |
| A filing service (optional) | Service | $199 at the start |
| State fees for the first three years | State office | $910 |
Why Delaware Registered Agent.ai is first
Tuition across three years makes up 30% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Delaware.
Three years with Delaware Registered Agent.ai add up to $397, which is $200 under Mainstay Filing.
Common questions
What does it cost to file a new LLC in Delaware?
The state's fee is $110. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company is what creates the company, and the Delaware Secretary of State is who receives it.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Delaware require each year?
Hand in the Annual LLC Tax every year, $400; deadline annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
Nothing stops you. Delaware wants $110, and the LLC has to name a registered agent, which you can do yourself or hire out.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
The grade order is Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org, and Delaware Registered Agent.ai is first since $199 above the state fee, with year one of the agent covered, then $99 a year.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- Extra credit: compare what we say about Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source with corp.delaware.gov, last read October 2026.
- Extra credit: compare what we say about Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source with corp.delaware.gov, last read October 2026.
- Extra credit: compare what we say about Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source with legis.delaware.gov, last read October 2026.
- Extra credit: compare what we say about Delaware report due date with delcode.delaware.gov, last read August 2026.
- Extra credit: compare what we say about 6 Del with delcode.delaware.gov, last read August 2026.
- Extra credit: compare what we say about Delaware registered agent statute with delcode.delaware.gov, last read October 2026.
- Delaware Registered Agent.ai's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026
- Mainstay Filing's Delaware service page, read on November 13, 2026
- DE Registered Agent.org's pricing page, read on November 13, 2026