Delaware LLC Registered Agent — Step 2 of 8
Every Delaware LLC must name a registered agent with a real Delaware street address — it's required on your Certificate of Formation. The agent receives legal documents and state mail on your behalf. Here's what they do, whether you can be your own, and a quick tool to decide between handling it yourself and hiring a service.
A Delaware registered agent is required and must have a physical street address in Delaware (no P.O. boxes) and be available during business hours to accept legal documents. You can be your own agent if you have a Delaware address, but most owners — especially out-of-state ones — hire a commercial agent for about $50–$300/year to stay compliant and keep their address private.
- Required?
- Yes
- DE street address
- Required
- P.O. box OK?
- No
- Be your own?
- If DE address
- Commercial cost
- $50–$300/yr
- Address public?
- Yes
- Next step
- Step 3 →
What a Delaware Registered Agent Does
A registered agent is your LLC's official point of contact with the state. Their job is to be reliably reachable at a Delaware address so that legal papers and government notices always have a place to land. Delaware law requires every LLC to name one on its Certificate of Formation.
- Receives service of process — lawsuits and legal summons are delivered to the agent.
- Accepts state correspondence — franchise tax notices and official mail from the Division of Corporations.
- Maintains a physical Delaware address — a real street address, available during normal business hours.
The requirements
- A physical street address in Delaware — no P.O. boxes or mail-forwarding-only addresses.
- Available during standard business hours to accept documents in person.
- Either a Delaware resident individual (18+) or a company authorized to do business in Delaware.
DIY or Hire? Agent Decision Finder
Check anything that applies to you and we'll suggest whether to be your own agent or hire a commercial service:
Be Your Own Agent vs. Hire a Service
Why almost everyone hires an agent in DelawareMost people who form in Delaware don't live there — so they need a service simply to have a valid in-state address. Even Delaware residents often hire one to keep their home address off the public filing and to avoid being handed a lawsuit at their kitchen table. A good agent also forwards your franchise-tax reminders so you never miss the June 1 deadline.
- ✓Free Delaware registered agent the first year
- ✓Uses their address so yours stays private
- ✓Forwards franchise-tax reminders & legal mail
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Delaware Registered Agent — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The registered-agent requirements here — the mandatory physical Delaware street address (no P.O. boxes), business-hours availability, the resident-or-authorized-company rule, the $50–$300 typical commercial cost, and the public-record nature of the agent's address — reflect Delaware's entity statutes and Division of Corporations practice. This is educational information, not legal advice.
About Ahmad Adil → Delaware LLC Overview →