How to Change Your Registered Agent in Delaware (2026)
To change your Delaware LLC's registered agent, file a Certificate of Amendment with the Delaware Division of Corporations. The filing fee is $50.
Delaware's own law sets the rules for who can serve as your agent. You can mail the signed certificate, hand-deliver it or upload it through the state's online portal. A professional registered agent service can handle the whole process too.
Before you file anything, contact your new agent first. Get their yes. Delaware's own filing guide requires this step before it will process your paperwork.
Quick Summary
- The filing fee is $50, the same whether you mail, hand-deliver or upload your certificate.
- Delaware lets an LLC serve as its own registered agent, unlike most other states.
- Your new agent's consent comes first, before you submit anything.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company |
| Filing fee | $50 (certified copy +$50) |
| Statute | 6 Del. C. § 18-104 |
| Consent required | Yes, from your new agent, before you file |
| Filing address | Delaware Division of Corporations, 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901 |
| Online portal | eCorp Business Services, Document Filing and Certificate Request |
Who Can Be a Delaware Registered Agent
Delaware's registered-agent rule is unusually flexible. Your LLC can act as its own registered agent. The only condition: its registered office has to match a business office it actually keeps in Delaware [1]. Most states don't allow this.
You can also name an individual who lives in Delaware. Or you can pick a domestic or foreign business entity that's authorized to operate there.
Whichever you choose, the agent needs a real street address and office in Delaware. It must stay open during normal business hours to accept service of process. A P.O. box doesn't qualify.
If the agent is a business, it must keep that office open most of the time. A person agent must show up often enough to get mail. Either way, the job stays the same. They take legal notices and other state mail for your LLC, then pass them on to you.
Naming yourself puts your address on the public record. That's one reason many owners compare the best registered agent services instead of listing a home or office address directly.
1. Filing by Mail
Pick your new agent and line up their consent first. Then fill out the Certificate of Amendment and send it to the Delaware Division of Corporations. The steps below cover Delaware specifically. For the process in every state, see our national guide on changing your registered agent.
Download the Certificate of Amendment Changing Only the Registered Office/Agent of Limited Liability Company. Fill in your LLC's name, the new registered office address and your new agent's name.
An owner or manager at your LLC signs the form. Add a cover memo with your name, address and phone number. That way the Division can reach you if something needs fixing.
Mail the signed form and cover memo together. Add a $50 check made out to "Delaware Secretary of State." Send it to the Division of Corporations, John G. Townsend Building, 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901.
The Division doesn't post a fixed wait time for regular mail filings. Wait time depends on how many other filings came in first. Call the office if you need to plan around a deadline. Paid rush tiers exist too, for an added fee: 1-hour, 2-hour, same-day and next-day.
2. Filing In Person
Bring the same signed form, cover memo and payment to the Division's Dover office. Use the address above. Walk-in orders can't be paid by card, so bring a check or cash instead.
Walk-in filings still wait in the same line as mailed ones. Dropping off your form in person doesn't mean same-day results. You'd need to pay for a rush tier for that.
3. Filing Online Through eCorp Business Services
The Division's eCorp Business Services site has a Document Filing and Certificate Request tool for signed uploads. It's a drop-off tool, not instant e-filing. Your uploaded form still moves through the same line as a mailed one.
Set up a My eCorp account first. The site can then fill in your details for you. Upload your signed, done form once you're set. Card payment works here, but the charge doesn't hit until the Division actually works your order.
The service runs Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Eastern. On Friday it closes earlier, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. It's closed on weekends and state holidays.
4. Using a Professional Registered Agent Service
Hiring a professional registered agent service is another route. It's a good option if you'd rather skip the paperwork. For context, small businesses make up 98.7% of all Delaware businesses [2].
The best registered agent services in Delaware charge their own yearly fee. That's on top of the Division's $50 filing fee. But they handle the form, the mail or upload, and your new agent's yes for you.
A full-service firm typically locks in the new agent's yes. Then it files the form with the Division and becomes your registered agent going forward. Still setting up the company? Our guide on the best LLC formation services in Delaware covers those first steps.
FAQs
Does the Filing Fee Change Depending on How I File?
No, the filing fee doesn't change depending on how you file. It's $50 whether you mail your form, hand it in or upload it through eCorp Business Services. A certified copy of your filed form costs an extra $50 if you ask for one.
Can My LLC Be Its Own Registered Agent in Delaware?
Yes, Delaware lets your LLC serve as its own registered agent, one of its more distinctive rules. Most states require a separate individual or company instead. You can also name an individual Delaware resident or an eligible business entity, if you'd rather not use the LLC itself.
Does the New Agent Need to Sign Anything Before I File?
No, your new agent doesn't need to sign anything before you file. The Certificate of Amendment only needs a signature from your LLC's own owner or manager. Even so, Delaware's filing guide requires you to reach out and lock in their agreement first.
References:
- https://delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc01/index.html
- https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Delaware_2025-State-Profile.pdf
