Registered Agents Delaware.us

Agent rules · DE

Delaware registered agents: the rules

Every Delaware LLC and corporation must keep a registered agent on file. Below: eligibility, the address rule and how to make a change, each tied to its source.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Registered Agent rules

Short answer

Every Delaware LLC must keep a registered agent who qualifies under 6 Del. C. § 18-104[2], at a physical address in Delaware. Changing the agent costs $50[3].

One option in Delaware: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year as registered agent, renewing at the same price[1].

Legal term
Registered agent
Registered Agent required
Yes
Company can be its own agent
Yes
Change fee
$50
Change form
Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company
Mainstay Filing
$149 a year

Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.

Who can serve as a Delaware registered agent

The rule comes from 6 Del. C. § 18-104[2].

The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.

An owner who lives in Delaware can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met. Most companies choose between someone they know in Delaware and a commercial agent service.

What a registered agent costs

Mainstay Filing's Delaware registered agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee.

Other services' prices for Delaware were read from their own pages on October 20, 2026, 6 in all. First years ran $89 to $249, renewals $125 to $249. In Delaware, one of them raises the price after year one, so the renewal figure is the one to compare.

Address requirements

Delaware is specific here. 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.[2]

Delaware lists this address in its public business search, so a home address used here becomes public.

Changing a Delaware registered agent

The filing is the Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company, filed with the Delaware Department of State. The fee is $50[3].

  1. Choose the new registered agent and get its consent; it has to qualify under 6 Del. C. § 18-104.
  2. File the Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company with the Delaware Department of State.
  3. Include the $50 filing fee.
  4. Check the Delaware Secretary of State business search to confirm the change shows on the record.

Across the 50 states the median change fee is $15; compared with Delaware's $50, 45 states charge less and 3 charge more.

Switching to Mainstay Filing includes the Delaware change filing; it submits the form to the Delaware Department of State and charges the $50 state fee at cost[1].

Delaware business survival

72.8%open after 1 year[5]
48.1%open after 5 years
56.73new applications per 1,000 residents, 2025[6]

Agent service is a recurring cost for the life of the company. In Delaware, 72.8% of new business locations were still open after one year and 48.1% after five, per BLS data through March 2025.

Questions

Can I be my own registered agent in Delaware?

An owner who lives in Delaware can serve personally, as an individual, if the address and hours rules are met. The company itself can be named, too.

Can a Delaware registered agent use a P.O. box?

The address has to be a physical location in Delaware where papers can be delivered in person[2].

What does a Delaware registered agent service cost?

Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published Delaware prices ran $89 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.

How much does it cost to change the registered agent in Delaware?

$50, paid to the Delaware Department of State[3].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. 6 Del. C. § 18-104 (Registered office; registered agent). delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc01/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. Delaware Department of State: Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company fee. corp.delaware.gov/coa09/. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company. corpfiles.delaware.gov/LLC_Forms/LLCAmendCOA.pdf. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.