What a Delaware LLC Actually Costs

Bringing a Delaware LLC into existence involves a single mandatory state charge: the fee to file the Certificate of Formation with the Division of Corporations. That fee is set by the state, and it's the same whether you file yourself or use a service. The receipt on this page shows the current amount directly from state data — we don't mark it up, and what we charge for the state fee is what the state charges.

What the formation fee covers

The state fee pays for Delaware to review and record your Certificate of Formation, which lists your company name and registered agent. Once accepted, your LLC legally exists and you receive a stamped copy. That's the formation itself — a one-time event.

Optional add-ons at formation

• Expedited processing. Delaware offers paid rush tiers, including same-day and one-hour service, if you can't wait for standard processing. This is optional and only worth it under a real deadline.
• Name reservation. If you want to lock your name before filing, Delaware lets you reserve it for 120 days for a separate state fee. Most people skip this and simply file when ready.
• Certified copies or a Certificate of Good Standing. Banks or other states sometimes ask for these later; they carry their own state fees when you need them.

Every Delaware LLC must maintain a registered agent with a physical Delaware address, and for the vast majority of owners — who live out of state — that means a commercial registered agent. This is a recurring cost, typically billed annually.

Why it's non-negotiable

The registered agent requirement comes straight from 6 Del. C. § 18-104. You can't run a compliant Delaware LLC without one. If you happen to have a Delaware street address and are available during business hours, you could theoretically serve as your own agent and skip the fee — but then your address is on the public record and you're personally responsible for being present to receive legal documents. Almost everyone forming a Delaware LLC from out of state pays for a commercial agent, and it's a modest, predictable line item.

When you form through us, registered agent service is included in the flat yearly fee — every year, not just the first — so you're not tracking a separate provider, a separate renewal date, or a separate bill.

Here's where Delaware differs from most states: instead of an annual report with a filing fee, Delaware LLCs pay a flat annual franchise tax. It's the same fixed amount every year, no matter how much the company earned, how many members it has, or whether it did any business at all.

Key facts about the franchise tax

• It's flat. Unlike Delaware's corporation franchise tax, which can be calculated several ways and vary widely, the LLC franchise tax is a single set amount. That makes budgeting simple.
• It's due June 1 every year, paid online through the Division of Corporations.
• There's no annual report. The franchise tax payment is the entire annual state obligation for an LLC.

The receipt on this page reflects the current franchise tax amount from state data. Miss the June 1 deadline and the state adds a penalty plus monthly interest, so the cost of forgetting is real. For entities we manage, we track the deadline and can pay it on your behalf so it never becomes an issue.

The formation fee, registered agent, and franchise tax are the core costs, but a complete budget accounts for a few others depending on how and where you operate.

If you operate outside Delaware

This is the big one. Forming in Delaware does not exempt you from the state where you actually run the business. If you operate from, say, Georgia, you'll likely need to register the Delaware LLC as a foreign LLC in Georgia and pay Georgia's registration fee, its ongoing report or tax, and a Georgia registered agent. That's a second full set of costs. For a single-state business, this is often why forming at home is cheaper than forming in Delaware.

Other potential costs

• Business license. If you conduct business in Delaware, a Delaware business license from the Division of Revenue applies; if you operate elsewhere, licensing follows that location.
• EIN. Free directly from the IRS — never pay a third party for the number itself.
• Amendments. Changing your company name or registered agent later involves a state filing fee.
• Certificates. A Certificate of Good Standing or certified copy carries a state fee when a bank or another state requests one.
• Dissolution. Formally closing the LLC requires filing a Certificate of Cancellation, which has its own state fee — and you must be current on franchise taxes to file it.

Put simply, budget for two buckets. The one-time bucket is the state's formation fee (plus any optional expedite or reservation). The recurring bucket is the annual franchise tax plus agent service — both flat, both predictable, neither tied to revenue. (Form with us and the second bucket simplifies further: the agent rides along inside the one yearly service price.)

Where the total can balloon is multi-state operation. Every state you actually do business in adds its own registration, agent, and annual costs. That's not a Delaware quirk — it's how doing business across state lines works — but it's the number people most often overlook when they assume Delaware is automatically the cheapest choice.

The honest answer is that a Delaware LLC is very affordable to form and maintain in Delaware, and the decision should hinge less on cost and more on whether Delaware's legal environment fits your plans — raising investment, holding assets, operating nationally. If it does, the costs are modest and predictable. If you're a local single-state business, run the numbers against forming at home first. The receipt on this page gives you the exact current Delaware figures to start that comparison.