Delaware's company register is run by the Division of Corporations, inside the Department of State in Dover. The Division files formation papers, collects the yearly franchise tax and LLC tax, and issues certificates of status. Lookups run on its ICIS system, and filings go through the Document Filing and Certificate Request Service.
The rules here differ from most states in three ways. LLCs and partnerships file no annual report and pay a flat yearly tax instead. Corporations pay franchise tax on their shares along with a March 1 annual report. And the free entity search does not tell you whether a company is in good standing: that costs a small fee.
Delaware entity search
The ICIS entity search is free. It accepts only two inputs, the entity name or the file number. A hit shows the name, file number, formation date, entity kind and type, residency and the registered agent's name, address and phone.
| Official business search | icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| You can search by | business name, entity or file number (file number) (icis.corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Name availability check | icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/NameReserv/NameReservation.aspx (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
- Search by entity name or file number only.
- Not case sensitive.
- Use quotation marks around a name for an exact match.
- Do not type the entity ending (Inc., LLC) in the box on the name availability page.
- Results include active and inactive entities, so a hit does not show current status.
From icis.corp.delaware.gov, checked .
Officer and director names are not public through this search or the status service. Delaware also does not allow automated tools on the search, so look records up by hand.
Delaware status terms
Good Standing means the entity's existence has not ended, by choice or by state action. The terms that signal trouble are mostly tax related. A company that pays late shows Ceased Good Standing. An LLC with three years of unpaid tax becomes Cancelled, Failure to Pay Tax, and a corporation with a year of unpaid franchise tax becomes Void.
| Status shown | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good Standing | The entity's existence has not been terminated either voluntarily or administratively. |
| Voluntarily Cancelled | A certificate of cancellation was filed to end the entity's existence. |
| Dissolved | A certificate of dissolution was voluntarily filed by the corporation. |
| Expired | An LLP or LLLP did not file its annual report on time. |
| Forfeited, Failure to appoint a R/A | A corporation resigned its registered agent and did not appoint a new one within 30 days. |
| Cancelled, Failure to Pay Tax | An LP, LLC or partnership did not pay its annual tax for 3 years from the due date. |
| Cancelled, Failure to Appoint a R/A | An LP, LLC or partnership did not appoint a new registered agent within 30 days of resignation. |
| Void, AR's or Tax Delinquent | A corporation unpaid on franchise tax for 1 year, or a foreign corporation with no annual reports for 2 years. |
| Ceased Good Standing | The entity did not pay its annual taxes on time. |
| AR filed, Tax delinquent | Corporation filed its annual report but tax is still due. |
| AR delinquent, Tax paid | Corporation paid tax but has not filed the annual report. |
| AR delinquent, Tax due | Corporation has neither filed the annual report nor paid tax. |
| PPoB Non-Compliant | Corporation filed and paid but its principal place of business address is non-compliant under 8 Del. C. 502(a)(4). Combined variants exist with the AR and tax statuses above. |
| Merged / Consolidated / Converted / Transferred / Withdrawn / Surrendered / Revoked | The entity ended or left Delaware through that filing; Revoked applies to an LLP that did not file its annual report. |
| Relinquished / Parent Cancelled / Cancelled; Divided | Registered series or divided entity statuses tied to a cancelled parent or a certificate of division. |
Status wording from icis.corp.delaware.gov, checked .
Division of Corporations fees
A Certificate of Formation for an LLC costs $110. A Certificate of Incorporation starts at $109, and the amount rises with authorized shares. A foreign LLC registers for $200, and a foreign corporation qualifies for $245.
| Form an LLC | $110 (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Form a corporation | $109 (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Form a nonprofit | $109 (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Register an out-of-state LLC | $200 (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Reserve a name | $75 (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Annual or biennial report | LLC: No annual report. Pays annual tax of $400 instead.; corporation: Annual report filing fee: $50 non-exempt domestic, $25 exempt domestic, $250 foreign, plus franchise tax (minimum $175 authorized shares method or $400 assumed par value method; maximum $200,000, or $250,000 for Large Corporate Filers). (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Good standing certificate | Short form certificate of status $50; long form $175; online status check $10 (status only) or $20 (status, last 5 filings, tax due) which is not an official certificate. Expedited: short form $40 (24-hour) or $50 (same day); long form $60 or $80. (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Faster processing | 1-hour $1,000 (until 9 p.m. ET); 2-hour $500 (until 7 p.m.); same day $100 to $200 (before 2 p.m.); next day (24-hour) $50 to $100 (before 7 p.m.). Formation of an LLC: same day $100, 24-hour $50. (corpfiles.delaware.gov, checked ) |
Rather not file it yourself? Ask our private filing service about forming or reporting in Delaware. State fees are separate.
Expedited service is sold by the hour. One hour service costs $1,000 and two hour service costs $500. For an LLC formation, same day costs $100 and 24 hour service costs $50. Without an expedite, the Division publishes no standard time, as regular processing depends on volume.
Delaware franchise tax and LLC tax
An LLC, LP or GP pays a $400 annual tax on or before June 1 for the prior calendar year, with no report attached. If it stays unpaid, a $200 penalty and 1.5 percent monthly interest are added. An LLC certificate is cancelled after three years of unpaid tax.
The fee, the due date, late penalties and the filing steps are in our Delaware annual report guide.
Corporations file an annual report and pay franchise tax online by March 1. A non-exempt domestic corporation pays a $50 report fee. Franchise tax starts at $175 under the Authorized Shares Method or $400 under the Assumed Par Value Capital Method, and is capped at $200,000 for most filers.
Delaware name rules
An LLC name must include "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." or "LLC". A corporation name needs a word such as company, corporation, limited or one of the other terms listed in the statute. Corporation names cannot use "bank" or "trust" except in narrow cases.
| LLC name must include | "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." or "LLC" (delcode.delaware.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Corporation name must include | Must contain one of: association, company, corporation, club, foundation, fund, incorporated, institute, society, union, syndicate or limited (or abbreviations). Division may waive for corporations with assets of at least $10,000,000 or for nonprofit professional associations. (delcode.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Words that are limited | Corporation names cannot contain "trust" (except as allowed by section 395) or "bank" (limited exceptions for banking institutions and subsidiaries). (delcode.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| How different a name must be | Name must be "such as to distinguish it upon the records in the office of the Division of Corporations" from other entities and reserved names, unless the holder gives written consent or the Division finds a waiver serves the state. LLCs: "distinguishable upon the records in the office of the Secretary of State", same consent exception. 8 Del. C. 102(a)(1); 6 Del. C. 18-102. (delcode.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation fee | $75 (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation lasts | 120 days, renewable for successive 120-day periods (delcode.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Reservation form | corpfiles.delaware.gov/llc-nameres.pdf (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
A reservation costs $75 per name and holds it for 120 days. You can renew it for more 120 day periods. On the availability page, choose the entity type first and leave the ending, such as LLC, out of the box.
Registered agent in Delaware
Every entity must have and maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Delaware. The business can be its own agent only if it has a physical Delaware presence. (corp.delaware.gov, checked )
Changing the agent is a $50 filing. If your agent resigns, appoint a new one within 30 days, or a corporation is forfeited and an LLC is cancelled. Our guide to changing a registered agent covers the steps.
Delaware certificate of status
Delaware sells two kinds of proof. The short form certificate of status costs $50 and the long form certificate of good standing costs $175. An online status check for $10 is cheaper, but it is not an official certificate, so use it for your own checks only.
What it costs, where to order it and what blocks it are in our Delaware good standing guide.
Trade names in Delaware
Trade names, or DBAs, are no longer filed with the county Prothonotary. They are now registered statewide with the Division of Revenue through Delaware One Stop, for $25 per trade name. The business needs a Delaware business license first.
Contact the Delaware Division of Corporations
| Office | Delaware Department of State (Secretary of State) (sos.delaware.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Division | Division of Corporations (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Officeholder | Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez (sos.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Phone | (302) 739-3073 (option 2 general information, option 3 franchise tax, option 0 all other) (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Hours | Phone: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday except state holidays. Live support 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Mailing address | PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903 (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
| Street address | 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, John G. Townsend Building, Dover, DE 19901 (corp.delaware.gov, checked ) |
Live support runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., a shorter window than the phone line. Mail goes to PO Box 898 in Dover. Keep the file number handy when you call.
Sources
- sos.delaware.gov/: office name, officeholder. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/contact/: division, mailing address, street address, phone, contact page, hours. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/directweb/: business search. Checked .
- icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/EntitySearch/NameSearch.aspx: search fields, search tips. Checked .
- icis.corp.delaware.gov/Ecorp/NameReserv/NameReservation.aspx: name check. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/: name check. Checked .
- delcode.delaware.gov/title6/c018/sc01/index.html: LLC name endings, name reservation term. Checked .
- delcode.delaware.gov/title8/c001/sc01/index.html: corporation name endings, restricted words, name rule. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/faqs/: name reservation fee. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/corpformsllc09/: name reservation form. Checked .
- corpfiles.delaware.gov/Fee_Schedule/AugustFee2026.pdf: LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, expedite fees, certificate fee. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/frtax/: report fee. Checked .
- corp.delaware.gov/howtoform/: registered agent rule. Checked .
- icis.corp.delaware.gov/ecorp/FieldDesc.aspx: status terms. Checked .