How long does it take to change a registered agent in Delaware?

Delaware publishes no standard processing time for a Certificate of Amendment changing your registered agent, stating only that processing times vary with the volume of filings received. If timing matters, the Division of Corporations offers paid expedited service, from next-day up to one-hour turnaround. The practical implication is significant: until the amendment is filed, your old registered agent remains your agent of record for service of process, even if they've stopped performing duties. This gap exposes you to missed legal notices or lawsuits. The Division's fee schedule lists an amendment that only changes the registered agent at $50. File the Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations at corp.delaware.gov or by mail. Include your LLC name, file number, and new agent details.

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

Changing your registered agent in Delaware costs $50 in state fees when the Certificate of Amendment changes only the registered agent, per the Division of Corporations' fee schedule. If you need faster processing, expedited service is available for an additional fee, from next-day service up to one-hour service. Your new registered agent will charge its own service fee. Submit your amendment online through the Division's website or by mail to ensure proper filing before your agent transition date.

Can I be my own registered agent in Delaware?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Delaware if you maintain a Delaware street address (a P.O. box doesn't qualify) and are consistently available during business hours to receive legal documents and lawsuits. However, this approach carries significant practical risks. As your own registered agent, you're personally responsible for accepting service of process, and missing a single document could result in a default judgment against your LLC without your knowledge. Additionally, your home or business address becomes public record on Delaware Division of Corporations filings, eliminating privacy. Professional registered agent services like CT Corporation or national providers carry an annual fee and provide a business address, redundant document handling, and automatic forwarding to you. To change your registered agent, file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations ($50 when it only changes the registered agent). A registered agent service is listed as the agent in place of you, so your home address does not have to appear in that entry. Other parts of a filing can still show an owner's name or address.

Will changing my registered agent affect my LLC's good standing?

No, changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing provided you file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations and maintain uninterrupted registered agent coverage. Delaware requires every LLC to have a registered agent at all times, and if your agent resigns and you do not appoint a new one within 30 days after the agent files its certificate of resignation, Delaware cancels your LLC's certificate of formation. File your amendment before your current agent's termination date to prevent gaps. The fee is $50 for an amendment that only changes the registered agent. Your LLC's good standing depends on continuous agent representation and on paying the annual LLC tax, not on how frequently you change agents, so you can switch agents without penalty as long as you coordinate the transition properly.

Can I file the registered agent change online or do I need to mail forms?

Yes, Delaware allows you to file your Certificate of Amendment online through the Division of Corporations website at https://corp.delaware.gov. You submit the Certificate of Amendment electronically and pay the $50 fee for an amendment that only changes the registered agent. Online filing eliminates postal delays, which is essential if your business relies on a timely agent change. The registered agent change takes effect when the Division files the amendment. The Delaware Division of Corporations publishes no standard processing time for this filing.

How to Change Your Registered Agent in Delaware

Follow these steps to update your LLC's registered agent with the Delaware Division of Corporations and maintain good standing.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Get registered agent service from NorthwestRegistered agent service is $125/yr. The included first year applies only when you form a new LLC with them ($39 plus your state's filing fee), so it does not apply to an LLC you already have. Registered agent customers are enrolled by default in Northwest's renewal service, which charges your saved payment method $100, plus any state fee or tax it pays for you, each time it handles a state filing for you, cancellable any time.

Not sure which service is right? Compare formation services →

Step diagram for changing an LLC's registered agent in Delaware, showing the 6 filing steps required by the Delaware Division of Corporations. — The 6 steps to change your registered agent in Delaware. Source: Delaware Division of Corporations.

How to File

1
Choose Your New Registered Agent
Select an individual or company with a Delaware street address who can receive legal documents during business hours. The agent can't use a P.O. Box.
2
Obtain Written Consent
Get written consent from your new registered agent before filing. This ensures they accept the responsibility of receiving legal documents on behalf of your LLC.
3
File Certificate of Amendment
Complete and file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations at https://corp.delaware.gov to officially change your registered agent information.
4
Pay Required Fees
Submit the $50 fee for a Certificate of Amendment that only changes the registered agent. You can pay online, by check, or money order made payable to the Delaware Division of Corporations.
5
Update Internal Records
Update your LLC's internal records, operating agreement, and any other business documents to reflect the new registered agent information.
6
Notify Your Old Agent
Inform your previous registered agent in writing that their services are no longer needed and that you've officially changed agents with the state.

Need the Delaware Division of Corporations?

Go directly to the Delaware Division of Corporations website.

Visit the Delaware filing office →

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

Your current registered agent is no longer available or responsive
You want to switch from a personal address to a professional service
Your business has moved and needs an agent in Delaware
You're unhappy with your current agent's service quality or fees

Hiring a service is optional. You can name yourself or another individual with a street address in Delaware, and the FAQ below gives Delaware's own rule.

Registered agent services for Delaware LLCs, by renewal price

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.

Service	With formation, year 1	Annual renewal	BBB	Trustpilot	Privacy
Northwest Registered Agent	Included with $39 formation	$125/yr	A	4.1/5 (297)	Says it does not sell your information; runs its own servers
Bizee	Free year one (some visitors are being shown shorter free periods, so confirm at checkout)	$149/yr	C (unaccredited)	4.8/5 (26,100+)	No data-sharing commitment
ZenBusiness	$99, not included in any plan	$199/yr	A	4.8/5 (32,500+)	Partial
LegalZoom	Not included, $249 extra	$249/yr	A+	4.6/5 (32,900+)	Partial

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 →

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 missing a deadline can cost the company its good standing or, in many states, its existence.

Read this guide for another state:

Frequently Asked Questions

: Delaware publishes no standard processing time for a Certificate of Amendment changing your registered agent, stating only that processing times vary with the volume of filings received. If timing matters, the Division of Corporations offers paid expedited service, from next-day up to one-hour turnaround. The practical implication is significant: until the amendment is filed, your old registered agent remains your agent of record for service of process, even if they've stopped performing duties. This gap exposes you to missed legal notices or lawsuits. The Division's fee schedule lists an amendment that only changes the registered agent at $50. File the Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations at corp.delaware.gov or by mail. Include your LLC name, file number, and new agent details.
: Changing your registered agent in Delaware costs $50 in state fees when the Certificate of Amendment changes only the registered agent, per the Division of Corporations' fee schedule. If you need faster processing, expedited service is available for an additional fee, from next-day service up to one-hour service. Your new registered agent will charge its own service fee. Submit your amendment online through the Division's website or by mail to ensure proper filing before your agent transition date.
: Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Delaware if you maintain a Delaware street address (a P.O. box doesn't qualify) and are consistently available during business hours to receive legal documents and lawsuits. However, this approach carries significant practical risks. As your own registered agent, you're personally responsible for accepting service of process, and missing a single document could result in a default judgment against your LLC without your knowledge. Additionally, your home or business address becomes public record on Delaware Division of Corporations filings, eliminating privacy. Professional registered agent services like CT Corporation or national providers carry an annual fee and provide a business address, redundant document handling, and automatic forwarding to you. To change your registered agent, file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations ($50 when it only changes the registered agent). A registered agent service is listed as the agent in place of you, so your home address does not have to appear in that entry. Other parts of a filing can still show an owner's name or address.
: No, changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing provided you file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations and maintain uninterrupted registered agent coverage. Delaware requires every LLC to have a registered agent at all times, and if your agent resigns and you do not appoint a new one within 30 days after the agent files its certificate of resignation, Delaware cancels your LLC's certificate of formation. File your amendment before your current agent's termination date to prevent gaps. The fee is $50 for an amendment that only changes the registered agent. Your LLC's good standing depends on continuous agent representation and on paying the annual LLC tax, not on how frequently you change agents, so you can switch agents without penalty as long as you coordinate the transition properly.
: Yes, Delaware allows you to file your Certificate of Amendment online through the Division of Corporations website at https://corp.delaware.gov. You submit the Certificate of Amendment electronically and pay the $50 fee for an amendment that only changes the registered agent. Online filing eliminates postal delays, which is essential if your business relies on a timely agent change. The registered agent change takes effect when the Division files the amendment. The Delaware Division of Corporations publishes no standard processing time for this filing.

Sources

5 documents

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. Where we hold the citation but no stable public link, the citation is printed on its own rather than pointed at a guessed address.

Delaware Division of Corporations, fee schedule (change of registered agent amendment)
Delaware statute: 6 Del. C. 18-104 (registered office and registered agent)
corp.delaware.govDelaware Division of Corporations: business entity filings
delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc11/Delaware statute: Annual LLC Tax
corp.delaware.gov/alt-entitytaxinstructions/Delaware agency guidance: Annual LLC Tax

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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.

How we check facts

How to File

Choose Your New Registered Agent

Obtain Written Consent

File Certificate of Amendment

Pay Required Fees

Update Internal Records

Notify Your Old Agent