Ready to file in Delaware?
The certificate of formation prepared and filed for you, the state fee shown on its own line before you pay, and the approved copy emailed.
File your Delaware LLCat america-llc-filing.com, or start on Standard Filings
What registering an LLC in Delaware means
Delaware keeps the register of companies formed under its law. Your LLC is on it the moment the Delaware Division of Corporations files a Certificate of Formation. From that day the company can open a bank account, sign contracts and be sued in its own name rather than yours. The registration does not include a federal tax number, a Delaware tax account or a local business license; those come after and are separate registrations with other offices.
People use "register", "form" and "file" for the same act. In Delaware the act is one document, a Certificate of Formation, and one fee, $110. The step-by-step for everything around it, from the operating agreement to the bank account, is in how to start an LLC in Delaware; this page is about the registration itself.
- Delaware
- Certificate of Formation
- Delaware
- The Delaware Division of Corporations (corp.delaware.gov)
- Delaware
- $110
- Delaware
- Required; Delaware street address
- Delaware
- Not published by the state
- Delaware
- 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000.
- Delaware
- $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before), due june 1 (LLC alternative-entity tax)
What it costs to register an LLC in Delaware
The filing fee is set by Delaware and is the same whether you file it yourself or a service files it for you. Delaware charges $110 for the Certificate of Formation.
- Amount
- $110
- Notes
- Paid once, to the state
- Amount
- 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000.
- Notes
- Optional, set by the state
- Amount
- $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before)
- Notes
- Due june 1 (LLC alternative-entity tax)
- Amount
- Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month on the annual LLC tax.
State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices. Yearly costs, the five-year total and how Delaware compares are in Delaware LLC cost.
Step 1: Confirm Delaware is the state to register in
Register where the company will actually operate. An LLC that does business in Delaware but registers elsewhere has to register in Delaware anyway, as a foreign LLC, and pay two states.
Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada come up because of privacy, case law or taxes. They make sense for a holding company or a business with no fixed location. A company that operates in Delaware and registers somewhere else ends up registered in both. The comparison is in cheapest states to form an LLC.
Step 2: Clear the name with Delaware
Delaware requires a name distinguishable from every company on its records, with an LLC designator. Search the state's business records at corp.delaware.gov before you file.
Rules on designators, restricted words and the distinguishability test are in LLC name rules. A rejection for a name conflict costs days and, in some states, a second fee.
Step 3: Name a Delaware registered agent
Delaware requires a registered agent with a Delaware street address, available in business hours. Serving yourself: Only if the business is physically located in Delaware.
Who may serve, whether the agent signs, and what becomes public: Delaware registered agent requirements.
Step 4: Prepare a Certificate of Formation
The Delaware form asks for the company name with its LLC designator, the registered agent and its Delaware street address, the principal or mailing address, and the organizer who signs. Any 'authorized person' may sign. Filing services and registered agents routinely do. Everything on it becomes a public record; what Delaware shows is listed below.
The document itself, and what every state's version asks for, is explained in articles of organization.
Step 5: File a Certificate of Formation and pay the $110 fee
Filed with the Delaware Division of Corporations (corp.delaware.gov). The state fee is $110, paid once. Delaware does not publish a standard processing time for LLC filings that we could verify; the filing portal shows the current turnaround when you file.
Faster review: 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000.
Delaware takes the filing from the public at corp.delaware.gov. Ready to file? The Certificate of Formation prepared and filed for you, with the state fee on its own line: form your Delaware LLC at america-llc-filing.com.
Step 6: Complete the Delaware registrations that follow
One registration follows in Delaware: (1) Annual LLC tax (no annual report). Then the federal tax number and the operating agreement.
The order and the deadlines are in what to do after forming an LLC. The recurring state report is the one owners forget.
What becomes public when you register in Delaware
Everything on a Certificate of Formation is a public record once Delaware files it; anyone can pull it from the state's business search. On the Delaware filing: Only the authorized person (signature and printed name). No members, managers or principal address.
Any 'authorized person' may sign. Filing services and registered agents routinely do. The operating agreement, the ownership split and the tax election are not filed with Delaware and stay private. Do you need an operating agreement?
How long Delaware takes to register an LLC
Delaware does not publish a standard processing time for LLC filings that we could verify; the filing portal shows the current turnaround when you file. Paid faster review is offered: 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000. The figures are the state's own and move with its workload; a rejection for a name conflict or a missing agent consent restarts the clock. Every state's published time is in how long it takes to form an LLC.
Ready to register your Delaware LLC?
Name checked, Certificate of Formation prepared and filed with Delaware, the $110 state fee on its own line, approved copy emailed.
After registration in Delaware
The state registration is the first of several. These are the ones Delaware owners run into, in the order they usually come up.
- Annual LLC tax (no annual report) Due june 1 of each year following the year of formation. Cost: $400. Late: $200 penalty + 1.5%/month.
- Federal tax number (EIN). Issued by the IRS after the state registration, at no charge; the bank asks for it. How to get one: Delaware EIN number.
- Operating agreement. Not filed with Delaware, but the document that says who owns the company and who can sign for it.
The recurring report is where most companies lose good standing. When it is due, file the Delaware report at america-llc-filing.com, or the Delaware LLC annual report page has the due date, fee, late penalty and portal.
Before you file in Delaware
From Delaware's published forms and filing instructions:
- The registered office must be a Delaware street address.
Sources
The Delaware facts on this page come from the state's own forms, fee schedules and statutes, read for the October 2026 fee audit. Fees change; the state's page is the final word.
Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from Delaware's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.
Delaware LLC registration FAQ
How much does it cost to register an LLC in Delaware?+
Delaware charges $110 to file the Certificate of Formation, paid once to the state and the same whether you file yourself or use a service. After that, the recurring requirement is $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before), due June 1 (LLC alternative-entity tax). State fees verified October 2026; the full picture is in Delaware LLC cost.
Where do I register an LLC in Delaware?+
With the Delaware Division of Corporations (corp.delaware.gov). That is the only office that creates the company. Tax accounts, the registrations listed above and local licenses are registered separately afterwards.
How long does Delaware take to register an LLC?+
Delaware does not publish a standard processing time for LLC filings that we could verify; the filing portal shows the current turnaround when you file. Paid faster review is offered: 24-hour $50, same-day $100, 2-hour $500, 1-hour $1,000.
Do I need a Delaware registered agent?+
Yes. Delaware requires a registered agent with a Delaware street address, available in business hours. Serving yourself: Only if the business is physically located in Delaware. Who may serve and what becomes public is in Delaware registered agent requirements.
Can I register a Delaware LLC from out of state?+
Yes. Delaware takes filings from anyone, but the registered agent must have a Delaware street address, so an out-of-state owner names a Delaware resident or a registered agent company. If the company does business where you live, it registers there too, as a foreign LLC.
What do I file in Delaware every year?+
Delaware's recurring requirement: $400/year LLC tax (from the June 1, 2027 payment; $300 before), due June 1 (LLC alternative-entity tax). Late: Delaware adds a $200 penalty plus 1.5% interest a month on the annual LLC tax.
More on Delaware
Register in a nearby state