10 · jurisdiction profile

Delaware business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search ↗

Domestic LLC

$110.00 to file a Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation. The Division's form states the fee and allows submission through the Document Filing and Certificate Request Service or by mail; Delaware does not publish a lower online base fee for the standard formation. A Delaware registered agent is mandatory unless the Delaware-based entity qualifies to act as its own agent.

Domestic corporation

$109.00 under the current Delaware corporate fee schedule for a standard domestic corporation Certificate of Incorporation, with additional statutory indexing/filing components reflected in the fee chart. Authorized shares and par value affect the franchise-tax calculation, not a simple one-price formation quote; use Delaware's stock fee and franchise-tax calculators for a charter-specific amount.

Standard turnaround

Regular documents received in proper form with complete fees are processed in the regular queue, and the Division records the date and time received when processed. Delaware warns that busy-season volume and errors can delay work; mail-return time is additional. Online submission is generally faster for receipt and payment confirmation but is not a guarantee of immediate legal review.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For Delaware, the filing office is Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as Delaware Corporations Information System (DCIS/eCorp). The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision point	What the current profile says
Domestic formation	LLC: $110.00 to file a Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation. The Division's form states the fee and allows submission through the Document Filing and Certificate Request Service or by mail; Delaware does not publish a lower online base fee for the standard formation. A Delaware registered agent is mandatory unless the Delaware-based entity qualifies to act as its own agent. Corporation: $109.00 under the current Delaware corporate fee schedule for a standard domestic corporation Certificate of Incorporation, with additional statutory indexing/filing components reflected in the fee chart. Authorized shares and par value affect the franchise-tax calculation, not a simple one-price formation quote; use Delaware's stock fee and franchise-tax calculators for a charter-specific amount.
Foreign qualification	LLC: The Delaware Division requires a foreign LLC doing business in Delaware to file a foreign qualification/registration statement with a certificate of existence from its home jurisdiction. The current fee schedule should be used for the exact fee and any state-license components; the reviewed public pages did not expose a single current 2026 foreign-LLC fee in a text result. Delaware registered-agent maintenance and the $300 annual alternative-entity tax remain separate. Corporation: A foreign corporation doing business in Delaware files a Foreign Qualification form and a certificate of existence from its formation jurisdiction. The fee is entity/form specific under the Division's corporate fee schedule; verify the current charge before filing. Foreign corporations file a $125.00 annual report by June 30 and are subject to the corresponding filing penalty if late.
Recurring maintenance	LLC: Delaware LLCs, LPs, and GPs do not file annual reports. Each Delaware LLC owes an annual tax of $300.00, due June 1. Failure to pay produces a $200.00 penalty plus 1.5% interest per month on the tax and penalty. The tax continues while the entity remains active on the Delaware record, even if it has no revenue or operations. Corporation: Domestic Delaware corporations file annual reports and pay franchise tax online by March 1. Exempt domestic corporations pay a $25.00 report fee; non-exempt domestic corporations pay a $50.00 report fee plus franchise tax. Foreign corporations file a $125.00 annual report by June 30. Late domestic reports incur a $200.00 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest on tax and penalty; foreign corporations incur a $125.00 penalty.
Registered agent	Every Delaware business entity must maintain a registered agent in Delaware. The agent may be an individual resident or a business entity authorized to do business in Delaware, with a Delaware registered office for service. A Delaware-based entity may act as its own agent if it meets the physical-address and availability requirements. Agent identity/contact details are maintained in the public record, and Delaware separately regulates commercial registered-agent contacts.

Choose your next guide

01↗

Business lookup

A focused Delaware operating guide for business lookup.

02↗

Annual reports

A focused Delaware operating guide for annual reports.

03↗

Good standing

A focused Delaware operating guide for good standing.

04↗

Registered agent

A focused Delaware operating guide for registered agent.

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.