How to Register a Foreign LLC in Delaware (2026): 5 Steps and the 3 Best Services
Lesson answer for Delaware in 2026: if you want help with registering a foreign LLC, use Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Registering takes 5 steps below, with $200 paid to the state.
Company prices as published on November 12, 2026. Add Delaware's $200 registration fee to each row.
How to register in Delaware
Step1
Step 1: Check that registration applies
Formed somewhere else but doing business in Delaware? Then the LLC registers there as a foreign LLC. If it does business unregistered: Until registered, it is shut out of Delaware courts as a plaintiff (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). The company's contracts remain enforceable (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).
Attach certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, not more than 180 days.
TipTime the order so the certificate is fresh at filing.
Step3
Step 3: Line up a Delaware registered agent
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.
TipEach of our picks includes the registered agent.
Step 4: File Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
The Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations takes the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company and the $200 fee.
Registered foreign LLCs file the Annual LLC tax ($400), June 1.
What you will pay
Step
Who you pay
Price
Registration fee
The state
$200
Annual LLC tax
The state
$400
Optional service
The service
$199 in year one
State fees, years one to three
The state
$1,000
State amounts come from Delaware's official schedules (see References). The three-year state line adds the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax.
How the grade worked out
Lesson note: first place in Delaware came down to three-year cost, worth 30% of the grade.
Three years of Delaware Registered Agent.ai cost $397, which leaves $100 in your pocket compared with Mainstay Filing.
Quick answers
What does it cost to register a foreign LLC in Delaware?
$200 to the state. Service fees: $199.
Which form do I file to register?
You submit the Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company to 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, issued within 180 days of filing.
What if the LLC does business there without registering?
Until registered, it is shut out of Delaware courts as a plaintiff (6 Del. C. 18-907(a)). The company's contracts remain enforceable (6 Del. C. 18-907(b)).
What is due after registering?
After registering, the LLC owes the Annual LLC tax ($400 each time).
Which service should handle the registration?
Delaware Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing and DE Registered Agent.org, ranked in that order.