Foreign Qualification by State › Delaware
Foreign qualification in Delaware: the requirements
To qualify a foreign LLC in Delaware, file Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company and pay the $200 fee, with a registered agent in the state.
Delaware checklist
- The application: Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, filed with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations.
- The fee: $200. It is the same however you file.
- From your home state: Certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 180 days.
- A local agent: A registered agent with a street address in Delaware. Each service below supplies one for the first year.
- Afterward: Annual LLC tax (Delaware Division of Corporations; no annual report), $400 (due: june 1).
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in Delaware (2026)
The three ways we would handle the Delaware filing.
1. Mainstay Filing
$199 + $200 state fee = $399
Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
2. DE Registered Agent.org
$199 + $200 state fee = $399
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai
$199 + $200 state fee = $399
Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
Service prices read from each provider’s Delaware page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations.
How Delaware compares
Delaware is 36th of 50 by fee (median $142.50). It is one of 36 states that want a home-state certificate: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Delaware questions
What does Delaware require for foreign qualification?
Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company, the $200 fee and a registered agent in Delaware, plus a certificate from the LLC’s home state.
Is Delaware stricter than other states?
It is 36th cheapest by fee, and one of the 36 states that want home-state paperwork.
Which service is best for Delaware?
Mainstay Filing, at $199 plus the state fee.
Sources
- Foreign LLC registration form (PDF): corpfiles.delaware.gov/LLC_Forms/Foreign%20LLC.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX (foreign LLCs): delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc09/index.html, checked October 8, 2026
- Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI (fees and annual tax): delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc11/index.html, checked October 8, 2026
- Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026: corpfiles.delaware.gov/Fee_Schedule/AugustFee2026.pdf, checked October 8, 2026
- Alternative entity annual tax instructions: corp.delaware.gov/alt-entitytaxinstructions/, checked October 8, 2026