Yes, but must be a Delaware resident with a Delaware street address
Can a company serve?
Yes, but must be authorized to do business in Delaware with a Delaware office
Can you be your own agent?
Yes, if the owner is a Delaware resident with a Delaware street address
Best Registered Agent Services for Delaware LLCs (2026)
Affiliate disclosure: Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom pay us a commission if you sign up through our link, at no extra cost to you. We list only the registered agent services we have an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market.
This table is not scored. The four are listed cheapest annual renewal first, and the rows below it say which one fits which situation. The scored ranking, and the formula behind it, is on the formation services review, which orders them on three-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score.
Note: Bizee holds a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. BBB's profile carries a live alert describing a pattern of complaints about unexpected charges, difficulty canceling and filing delays, and Bizee has posted a response to it. We flag this so you can make an informed choice.
Prices are each provider's standard published rates; year-one pricing applies when you form your LLC through the same service. BBB and Trustpilot figures as recorded September 15, 2026, not re-checked since, and both sources update continuously. These are the dates the figures were last written to our dataset, which is the most we can show: they are not verification dates. See how we evaluate these companies in our full formation services review →
Which Registered Agent Is Best for Your Delaware LLC?
You're forming a new LLC and want the agent bundled
Our pick: ZenBusiness
Registered agent is free for year one with their $0 starter formation plan, backed by an A from the BBB and a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score.
Your LLC already exists and you just need an agent
Our pick: Northwest Registered Agent
A flat $125/yr for registered agent service, the lowest renewal of the services listed here, and a privacy policy that says it does not sell your information. Registered agent customers are enrolled by default in annual report filing at $100 plus state fees, which you can cancel.
You want year one free and the cheaper renewal after it
Our pick: Bizee
Registered agent is free for year one on every Bizee plan and renews at $149/yr, $50/yr less than ZenBusiness, the other service listed here that includes year one free. Northwest renews lower still at $125/yr, but its first year comes inside a paid $39 formation package rather than free. Tradeoff: a C rating from the BBB, which cites a pattern of complaints about charges and cancellation, so read every auto-renewal term.
Complex legal needs alongside your filing
Our pick: LegalZoom
The only one of the services listed here with licensed attorney consultations, and the most expensive registered agent listed here at $249/yr, which is never included in their plans.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the Delaware Secretary of State portal.
Best for: Delaware residents who work from a fixed location and don't mind their address being public
Friend or family member
Pros
Lower cost than professional services
Personal trust and reliability
Familiar with your business
Cons
Must be Delaware resident
Relies on their availability and responsibility
Potential strain on personal relationships
Their address becomes public record
Best for: Business owners with trusted contacts in Delaware who understand the responsibilities
Professional service
Pros
Guaranteed Delaware address
Always available during business hours
Professional handling of documents
Keeps your personal address private
Notification systems for important documents
Cons
Annual fee typically $100-300
Less personal control
Must remember to pay renewal fees
Best for: Out-of-state business owners, those prioritizing privacy, or anyone wanting professional reliability
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 publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
A registered agent in Delaware is a person or business entity designated to receive legal documents, lawsuits, and official state correspondence on behalf of your LLC. Under Delaware Code Title 6, Section 18-104, every Delaware LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical street address (not a P.O. box) located in Delaware who remains available during standard business hours: 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. This requirement applies from your LLC's formation date through its entire existence. If your registered agent becomes unavailable or moves out of state, the Delaware Division of Corporations will flag your LLC as non-compliant, potentially leading to administrative dissolution after 60 days of non-compliance. For Delaware LLCs with out-of-state owners or managers, using a professional registered agent service costs $50 to $300 annually and ensures reliable document receipt, protecting you from missing critical deadlines and legal filings. To establish compliance immediately, select your registered agent before filing your Certificate of Formation with the Division of Corporations.
Operating without a registered agent violates 6 Del. C. § 18-104 and exposes your LLC to automatic administrative dissolution. The Delaware Division of Corporations will dissolve your company without warning if you fail to maintain continuous registered agent representation, effective immediately upon discovery during their compliance reviews. You'll face a $200 annual penalty for non-compliance, and critically, you'll forfeit legal protection because service of process documents, lawsuits, subpoenas, and regulatory notices from the Delaware Department of Revenue, won't reach you officially, allowing plaintiffs to obtain default judgments against your business. Delaware cancels the certificate of formation for unpaid tax; under 6 Del. C. 18-1107(n) members and managers do not become personally liable for the LLC's debts by reason of that lapse. Reinstating a dissolved LLC requires filing a Certificate of Reinstatement with the Division of Corporations (form DLLC 2.1) and paying $225 in reinstatement fees, plus back taxes owed to Delaware. To protect your business immediately, designate either a Delaware resident willing to serve as your registered agent or retain a professional registered agent service, which costs $50 to $300 annually depending on your provider.
# How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost in Delaware?
If you serve as your own registered agent and maintain a Delaware street address, there's no additional cost beyond your annual Delaware Division of Corporations filing fee ($50 for LLCs). However, professional registered agent services in Delaware typically charge $100 to $300 annually, with premium providers reaching $400+.
This expense matters practically because Delaware requires your registered agent to maintain a physical office during business hours to receive legal documents from the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Division of Corporations. Most LLC owners choose professional agents to avoid missing critical lawsuit notifications or compliance deadlines that could result in default judgments or administrative dissolution. A registered agent service guarantees someone qualified will be present to accept service of process, whereas a self-serving owner risks missing time-sensitive legal papers while traveling or managing daily operations.
**Next step:** Compare quotes from Delaware-registered agents like CSC, LegalZoom, or Registered Agent Inc., then balance the $100 to $300 annual cost against the liability risk of potentially missing a lawsuit notice.
Yes, significantly. When you serve as your own registered agent, your personal address becomes part of the public record accessible through the Delaware Division of Corporations database at https://icis.delaware.gov/. Anyone, including competitors, process servers, and marketers, can instantly look up your LLC formation documents (Form LLC) and see your exact residential or business address listed as the registered agent location. This exposes you to unwanted solicitation, harassment, and security risks. Using a professional registered agent service costs $75 to $300 annually through Delaware providers like Registered Agent Inc. or CT Corporation, but your personal address stays completely hidden from public view while the agent's business address appears in all records instead. For most Delaware LLC owners seeking privacy and liability protection, this modest annual investment eliminates a significant ongoing vulnerability. Contact the Delaware Division of Corporations or compare professional agent quotes today to determine whether privacy protection justifies the cost for your specific situation.
Yes, you can change your registered agent at any time by filing a Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form DLLC) with the Delaware Division of Corporations. The filing fee is $50 if submitted by mail or $100 for expedited online filing through the Division's website. You must maintain uninterrupted registered agent coverage. Appoint your new agent and have them accept the appointment before officially removing your previous agent to avoid any service lapses that could jeopardize your LLC's good standing. This gap could result in missed legal notices or dissolution proceedings. Once your new agent accepts, submit the completed form to the Delaware Division of Corporations, 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. To proceed, contact your prospective registered agent to confirm their acceptance, then prepare and file your Form DLLC immediately. The Delaware Division of Corporations publishes no standard processing time for this filing.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Delaware sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
corp.delaware.govDelaware Division of Corporations: business entity filings
See how Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom, the formation services we partner with, compare on 3-year cost, BBB rating and Trustpilot score before you choose.
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.
