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Free Delaware Registered Agent Service
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If you have an existing or are forming a new Delaware Corporation, Limited-Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Foreign Filing or any other corporate entity, almost every jurisdiction requires by law that you must have a registered agent located in that jurisdiction.
Delaware Registered Agent service alone can cost you up to $320 per year with some companies. FreeRegisteredAgent.com, through an affiliation with InCorp Services, Inc., will provide your first year of registered agent service with us for FREE and $129 per year thereafter!
Included in the service is full access to InCorp's industry leading client website where you may check the status of your entities in multiple jurisdictions on the same page, check compliance events, download or view FREE copies of your filed documents at any time from anywhere, make payments to your account and even check for mail that's been forwarded to you!
There is no catch whatsoever except that the corporate entity requiring service can't currently be represented by InCorp Services already. After the first year, if you choose to stay with InCorp Services, Inc., you will pay just $129 per year for the same great services!
Delaware registered agent facts
| Registered agent statute | 8 Del. C. § 132 (corporations); 6 Del. C. § 18-104 (LLCs) |
|---|---|
| LLC filing fee | $110 (Certificate of Formation) |
| Corporation filing fee | $109 minimum (Certificate of Incorporation; scales with authorized shares and includes the county recording fee) |
| Annual report fee | Corporations: $50 annual report plus franchise tax ($175 minimum under the authorized shares method, $400 minimum under assumed par value); LLCs: flat $300 annual tax, no report |
| Annual report due | March 1 for corporation annual reports and franchise tax; June 1 for the LLC annual tax |
| Typical processing time | Standard processing takes several weeks; expedited service: 24-hour $50, same-day $100, two-hour $500, one-hour $1,000 |
Registered agent requirements in Delaware
Delaware hosts well over a million business entities for a state of a million people, and its registered agent industry is the plumbing that makes that possible. 8 Del. C. § 132 requires every Delaware corporation to maintain a registered agent - an individual resident, a domestic or authorized entity, or the corporation itself if its business office is identical to its registered office - and 6 Del. C. § 18-104 imposes the parallel requirement on LLCs. Because the typical Delaware entity is run from somewhere else, the in-state street address rule means nearly everyone hires an agent, and Delaware law leans on that arrangement: § 132 even imposes affirmative duties on agents, including forwarding communications and keeping entity contacts current.
Filings go to the Division of Corporations in Dover. A Certificate of Formation for an LLC is $110, and a Certificate of Incorporation starts at $109, scaling with authorized shares and folding in the county recording fee. Standard processing takes weeks, but Delaware famously sells speed: $50 buys 24-hour service, $100 same-day, $500 two-hour, and $1,000 gets a document processed in one hour.
The ongoing obligations split by entity type. Corporations file an annual report ($50) and pay franchise tax by March 1, with a $175 minimum under the authorized shares method, a $400 minimum under the assumed par value capital method, and a $200,000 ceiling for most filers - plus a $200 penalty and 1.5% monthly interest for lateness. LLCs file no report at all; they pay a flat $300 annual tax by June 1. Neglect compounds quickly: a corporation that stops paying sees its charter declared void under 8 Del. C. § 510, and a delinquent LLC loses good standing and ultimately its certificate.
Every one of those deadlines announces itself through the registered agent, and Delaware agents are also the required channel for service of process in the Court of Chancery’s busy docket. FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides the first year of Delaware registered agent service free through InCorp, then $129/yr.
Delaware registered agent FAQ
- Can I be my own registered agent in Delaware?
- Only if you have a physical address in Delaware. 8 Del. C. § 132 and 6 Del. C. § 18-104 allow an entity whose business office is identical to its registered office to act as its own agent, or an individual resident or authorized entity to serve. Since most Delaware entities are formed by out-of-state owners, nearly all of them hire a commercial registered agent - it is effectively the price of using Delaware.
- Do Delaware LLCs file an annual report?
- No. Delaware LLCs file nothing annually - they simply pay a flat $300 annual tax by June 1, with a $200 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest for missing it. Corporations are different: they file an annual report ($50) and pay franchise tax by March 1.
- Why did my Delaware franchise tax bill look enormous?
- Delaware calculates corporate franchise tax two ways: the authorized shares method ($175 minimum) and the assumed par value capital method ($400 minimum). Companies with large authorized share counts get startling default bills under the first method, but recalculating under assumed par value usually shrinks them dramatically. The maximum is $200,000 for most corporations.
- What happens if a Delaware corporation stops paying franchise tax?
- The charter is declared void under 8 Del. C. § 510 after unpaid taxes accumulate, and the entity loses good standing immediately after a missed deadline. LLCs that ignore the $300 annual tax similarly lose good standing and eventually their certificate of formation is canceled. Revival is possible but costs the back taxes, penalties, and a revival filing.
- How much does a registered agent cost in Delaware?
- Delaware's registered agent market ranges from about $50 to $300 per year. FreeRegisteredAgent.com provides your first year of Delaware registered agent service free through InCorp, then $129 per year after that.
Further information about Delaware corporations, corporate law and Delaware Registered Agent Service:
Delaware Secretary of state's website | Delaware Registered Agent Statutes | Compare Delaware Registered Agents