State hub · Delaware

Delaware LLC true cost (2026)

Research dated Sep 4, 2026 (Pacific/Honolulu). Fees from Delaware Division of Corporations materials and 6 Del. C. §§ 18-201, 18-1105, 18-1107. Re-verify before you file.

Delaware is the classic “investor / Chancery” formation state: $110 Certificate of Formation (Division schedule — filing fee plus municipality fee), a flat $400/year alternative-entity tax with no LLC annual report, and a Certificate that does not require member or manager names. The ongoing SOS cost is higher than Wyoming’s typical $60 license tax — use the table below for Certificate + three annual taxes + formation/RA path.

Not legal or tax advice. This page cites official Division of Corporations / Delaware Code / Division of Revenue materials for filing costs and common gotchas. Where you operate can still create foreign-qualification and tax obligations outside Delaware.

Delaware state filing fees (Division of Corporations)

These are state fees — not Northwest / ZenBusiness / Bizee / LegalZoom service fees.

Item	Amount	Notes
Certificate of Formation (domestic LLC)	$110	August 2026 Division fee schedule: Formation – domestic $110 (filing fee + municipality fee). Statute § 18-1105(a)(3) lists $70 statutory filing fee; you pay the $110 schedule total. Official LLC Formation packet (rev. 8/2026) also states $110.
Annual LLC tax (no annual report)	$400 / yr	Flat tax for every domestic/foreign LLC. Due on or before June 1 for the prior calendar year. Confirmed on Division LLC/LP/GP tax instructions and 6 Del. C. § 18-1107(b).
Name reservation (optional, 120 days)	$75	Division howtoform / FAQs.
Foreign Certificate of Registration	$200	Fee schedule + § 18-1105(a)(6).
Certified copy / short-form status	$50	Long-form status (all filings): $175 (howtoform).
RA/office change only (captioned)	$50	§ 18-1105(a)(11). Typical Certificate of Amendment otherwise: $180 statutory (§ 18-1105(a)(3)).
Registered series annual tax (each)	$100 / yr	On top of the LLC’s $400 (§ 18-1107(b)).

Annual tax timing

LLCs do not file an Annual Franchise Tax report — pay the flat tax only.
Due on or before June 1 following the close of the calendar year (example: formed anytime in 2026 → 2026 tax due June 1, 2027).
No proration. Tax is assessed if the entity is active anytime Jan 1–Dec 31 of the tax year.
Late: $200 penalty + 1.5% interest per month on tax and penalty.
Unpaid for 3 years from the due date: Certificate of Formation may be canceled (§ 18-1108).
Notices go to the Delaware registered agent (typically mailed in December before the June due date).

True 3-year cost: provider path + Delaware fees

Provider Y1–Y3 totals reuse the national comparison (formation + professional RA for 3 years ($289 / $298 / $497 / $747), then add Delaware state fees for a plain domestic LLC (no series):

Certificate of Formation once: $110
Three June-1 annual taxes at $400: $1,200
State subtotal: $1,310 (excludes optional reservation, expedites, certified copies, GRT if you operate in DE)

Path	Provider 3-yr	+ DE state	Combined 3-yr
Northwest Formation $39 (RA Y1 included)	$289	$1,310	$1,599
Bizee Basic $0 (RA Y1 free)	$298	$1,310	$1,608
ZenBusiness Starter $0 + RA add-on	$497	$1,310	$1,807
LegalZoom Basic $0 + RA $249/yr	$747	$1,310	$2,057

← National 3-year provider comparison (state fees excluded there on purpose — this hub adds Delaware’s).

Start with Northwest

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Registered agent (Delaware)

Every entity must continuously maintain a Delaware registered office and registered agent.
RA needs a physical Delaware street address and must be generally present during normal business hours to accept service.
The entity may act as its own RA only if it is physically located in Delaware.
Otherwise appoint an individual Delaware resident or a domestic/foreign entity authorized in Delaware (commercial RA is the usual path for non-residents).
Certificate of Formation must include the RA name and Delaware registered office address (§ 18-201).

Gotchas (fact-based)

Privacy on Certificate: § 18-201 requires the LLC name and initial RA/office — not member or manager names. Operating agreements are not filed with the Division.
$400 vs stale $300 pages: Dedicated tax instructions and § 18-1107(b) say $400. Some older Division overview pages still show $300 — budget $400 for 2026 tax-year planning.
No publication fee found: Division formation guidance does not list a newspaper publication step for domestic LLCs (unlike New York).
Series LLCs: each registered series adds $100/year annual tax on top of the LLC’s $400.
Foreign ops: Doing business in another state can require Certificate of Authority / annual fees there. Delaware formation ≠ automatic tax home everywhere.
Operating in Delaware: no state/local sales tax, but Division of Revenue business license + gross receipts tax can apply to in-state sellers/providers — separate from the $400 SOS tax.

Who Delaware is for / not for

Often a fit when…

You want Delaware LLC Act / Court of Chancery familiarity and a lean public Certificate (no member names required).
Investors or counsel expect a Delaware entity, and you accept a predictable $400/yr SOS tax with no LLC annual report.
You are comparing privacy-forward states and prefer Delaware’s case-law stack over Wyoming’s lower annual SOS floor.

Often a poor fit when…

You mainly operate in one other state and want the lowest SOS annual bill — Wyoming’s typical $60 license tax is far cheaper than $400.
You assumed “form in Delaware, pay nothing ongoing” — inactive LLCs still owe the annual tax until canceled.
You want free DIY RA without a Delaware physical street presence.

Orientation only — not legal advice.

Unverified / confirm before filing

Expedited service exact menu prices: Statute caps “up to” amounts for 30-minute / 1-hour / 2-hour / same-day / 24-hour service; confirm the live Division schedule before paying for speed.
Amendment totals beyond the statutory $180 line: Prefer the current August 2026 fee schedule PDF for any municipality or add-on lines on multi-page filings.
Provider checkout upsells (EIN, OA, compliance plans): see the national comparison page; not re-priced here.

Sources (official)

How Delaware ranks against the other 50 charters

Across the 51 jurisdictions covered on this site, Delaware sits at #46 — the 46th cheapest three-year state charter — at $1,310 in Secretary of State and revenue-department dollars. That is $1,275 more than Montana, the cheapest charter in the ranking ($35), $1,030 above the $280 median, and $1,200 less than California at $2,510. In plain terms, Delaware lands in the pricier half of the table.

Ranking basis for Delaware: Domestic LLC formed mid-year; three June-1 annual tax payments for three calendar tax years in a ~3-year window after formation; excludes name reservation, expedites, certified copies, amendments, reinstatement, series taxes, gross receipts / income tax, and professional RA fees.

Just cheaper: Maryland ($1,000), North Carolina ($725).
Just pricier: Nevada ($1,475), Rhode Island ($1,500).
Full table: all 51 states ranked by 3-year state fees — including where the ranking flips once you add a professional registered agent.

Keep comparing

Cheapest states to form an LLC (2026)
All 51 charters ranked by three-year state fees — see exactly where Delaware's $1,310 lands.
LLC formation true 3-year cost: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee vs LegalZoom
The provider side of the Delaware math, with the upsells worth skipping.
All 51 state hubs
Same fee model, state by state.