How to File Delaware's Certificate of Formation
Delaware calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Formation. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Delaware government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Delaware, you file the Certificate of Formation with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations. The state filing fee is $110. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 4, makes 1 optional and leaves out 10.
The Delaware Certificate of Formation at a Glance
| What Delaware calls it | Certificate of Formation |
| State filing fee | $110 |
| Processing time | Check with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations |
| Where to file | Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations |
| File online | Upload a completed document online (no fill-in form) |
| Blank form | Download it from the state |
| Law that sets its contents | 6 Del. C. § 18-201 |
| Filed with it or right after | Nothing else |
Read from a Delaware government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Delaware cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Delaware's Certificate of Formation
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Delaware's Certificate of Formation asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Formation. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Required |
| Principal office address | Not on the form |
| Mailing address | Not on the form |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Not on the form |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Not on the form |
| Business purpose | Not on the form |
| Duration | Not on the form |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Not on the form |
| Registered agent's consent | Not on the form |
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Delaware's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Delaware.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include one of these: "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." or "LLC".
Rule: 6 Del. C. § 18-102(1).
File These With It or Right After
Nothing else has to be filed with it.
Draft Your Certificate of Formation
The generator below starts with Delaware selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Compare the draft with the state's current form before you file.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Formation | See note below |
| Changing it later (Certificate of Amendment) | $220 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Delaware
We have not confirmed whether Delaware allows a professional LLC; check with the Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations, and the state licensing board.
Worth Knowing in Delaware
Delaware's form asks only for the LLC's name, the registered agent and registered office, and the signature of an authorized person. Anything else, such as a later effective date, has to be added to the document yourself. Delaware has no fill-in online formation form, but a completed document can be submitted electronically through the Division's Document Filing and Certificate Request service. A certified copy costs $50 per document plus $2 per page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc02/index.html6 Del. C. Chapter 18, Subchapter II (18-201, 18-202, 18-206)
- delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc01/index.html6 Del. C. Chapter 18, Subchapter I (18-102, 18-104, 18-106)
- corpfiles.delaware.gov/LLC_Forms/LLC%20Formation.pdfCertificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company (rev. 8/2026)
- corp.delaware.gov/corpformsllc09/Limited Liability Company forms
- corpfiles.delaware.gov/Fee_Schedule/AugustFee2026.pdfDivision of Corporations Fee Schedule, revised August 1, 2026
- corpfiles.delaware.gov/LLC_Forms/Amendment%20-%20LLC.pdfCertificate of Amendment of Certificate of Formation
- corp.delaware.gov/document-upload-service-information/Document Filing and Certificate Request Information
- corpfiles.delaware.gov/AugustFee2024.pdfBehind the state filing fee on this page
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Delaware government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.