Frequently Asked Questions

The Division of Corporations will no longer provide filing history over the telephone or through Live Chat. The options for obtaining corporate information are:

1. Search for Business Entity – On the Web – We offer the ability to search for a business entity on the web by name or file number. Search results will return both active and inactive entities, however, this does not provide entity status. The entity information provided free of charge, includes the entity name, file number, incorporation/formation date, registered agent name, address and phone number along with the entity kind, type, and residency.
2. Corporate Status – On the Web – We offer corporate/entity status on the web. Please note: this is not a good standing certificate, certified by the Secretary of State. You may check status on the web for a fee of $10.00 per entity for status or $20.00 per entity for more detailed information including current franchise tax assessment, current filing history and more. You may charge a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card. Corporate status on the web. Please note: All transactions submitted on this site are non-refundable.

Unfortunately no, but you may contact our office at (302) 739-3073 and request UCC information. You may also contact a UCC Authorized Searcher for UCC information.

Businesses choose Delaware not for one single reason, but because we provide a complete package of incorporations services. The Delaware General Corporation Law is the most advanced and flexible business formation statute in the nation. The Delaware Court of Chancery is a unique, more than 225 year old business court that has written most of the modern U.S. corporation case law. Delaware’s State Government is business-friendly and accessible. Our Division of Corporation is a model state-of-the-art efficiency and our staff provides prompt, friendly and professional service to clients, attorneys, registered agents and others. These factors have all contributed to making Delaware a premier legal home to companies around the world.

No. Delaware law requires every corporation to have and maintain a Registered Agent in the State who may be either an individual resident, a domestic corporation, or a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in Delaware whose business office is identical with the corporation’s registered office.

Delaware Law requires every entity to appoint a Registered Agent with a physical office address in the State of Delaware. If the entity is not physically located in Delaware, they must appoint a Registered Agent to fulfill the requirement. Registered Agents are responsible for accepting Service of Process, as well as providing information for billing and tax obligations to the entities they represent. More information regarding Registered Agents can be found here.

No, but you should contact an attorney concerning legal matters. The Delaware Division of Corporations acts solely in an administrative capacity and does not provide legal advice.

Yes, Delaware law requires every corporation that is doing business in this state but is formed in another state or jurisdiction to submit a completed “Foreign Qualification” form with the Division of Corporations along with a Certificate of Existence issued by that state or jurisdiction.

The Division of Corporations offers a variety of services including “1-Hour”, “2-Hour”, “Same Day” and “Next Day” Expedited Services which are designed to meet your business needs.  Processing times may vary during our busy season, as they are based upon the volume of items received in our office. All requests are returned regular USPS mail. Please provide an express mail account number with your order for FedEx or UPS express service return. Mail delivery times may vary due to the postal service provider. No requests can be returned via fax or email.

Information on the Corporate Transparency Act can be found here.

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) went into effect on January 1, 2024, which requires certain entities in the United States to report information about their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).  Click here for further information and related links.  You do not need to provide this information to the Division of Corporations.

DBA’s or Doing Business As.. names are registered in the Prothonotary’s office in the county in which you are doing business. You may download the required form from the Delaware Courts website at https://courts.delaware.gov/forms/.

• New Castle County – (302) 255-0800
• Kent County – (302) 739-3184
• Sussex County – (302) 855-7055

The most common way is to file a Certificate of Amendment. You may call (302) 739-3073 if you have questions on properly completing your filing.

Information on how to submit a filing or request can be found here.  You may call (302) 739-3073 if you need further assistance.

Yes, however in-person customer visits are by appointment only. Click here for information regarding appointments.

You may file a Certificate of Change of Registered Agent. or if you wish, you may file a Certificate of Amendment.

We offer the ability to check name availability and reserve entity names through our website. You can reserve a Corporate, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Registered Series, Statutory Trust, General Partnership & Limited Liability Partnership name for a period of 120 days for a fee of $75.00 per name. The name you choose must be distinguishable from corporations or other entities reserved or registered under the laws of Delaware. The Delaware Corporation Law Annotated requires that all Corporate, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Registered Series, Statutory Trust, General Partnership & Limited Liability Partnership names be submitted in application form accompanied with the appropriate fee of $75 per name. You may also file your Corporate, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Registered Series, Statutory Trust, General Partnership & Limited Liability Partnership name application on the web for the appropriate fee of $75 per name. Note: The application must contain the name and address of the applicant. This cannot be the name of the entity being reserved, and the address cannot be an alternate address of the applicant, such as a registered agent or virtual office address. You may use ACH debit from your checking or savings account or charge a Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card. Reserve your Corporate, Limited Liability Company, Limited Partnership, Registered Series, Statutory Trust, General Partnership & Limited Liability Partnership name on the web.

The State of Delaware does not provide legal advice. We recommend that you contact a Certified Public Accountant or an Attorney who specializes in Delaware Law. You may also visit Delaware Division of Revenues website for their Legal Business Structure Table for a break down of each entity type and how it may effect your business. If you are planning to conduct business in Delaware or hire employees in Delaware, please visit the Registration Process Flow Chart.

All Domestic and Foreign Limited Liability Companies, Limited Partnerships, and General Partnerships formed or registered in Delaware are required to pay an annual tax of $300.00. There is no requirement to file an Annual Report.

Pursuant to Title 8 Chapter 5 Subsection 503 (c) 1 the entity had a class or series of stock listed on a national securities exchange and 2 reported in its financial statements prepared in accordance with United States GAAP or IFRS and included in its most recent annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any similar agency outside the United States with responsibility for enforcing securities laws or serving as a public repository for the corporation’s financial disclosures, both of the following:

1. 1. consolidated annual gross revenues equal to or greater than $750,000,000 or consolidated assets equal to or greater than $750,000,000; and
   2. consolidated annual gross revenues not less than $250,000,000 and consolidated assets not less than $250,000,000;

No, if it has been identified as a Large Corporate Filer the Taxes cannot be recalculated it is a flat fee and pro-rations do not apply.

If the company no longer qualifies as a Large Corporate Filer and we have not updated the record, please contact our office for instructions on what is required to update our records.

A soft cover copy is available from LexisNexis bookstore. You may also visit the Delaware Code online.

Delaware Courts:

1. 1. • Chancery Court
      • Chancery Court Opinions
      • Supreme Court
      • Superior Court

Adoption documents for a foreign country often require apostilles or authentications. The Delaware Division of Corporations can apostille or authenticate documents notarized by a Delaware Notary, certified vital records from the State of Delaware, and official State documents (e.g., background checks). When such services are requested for personal use (such as an adoption) the Division discounts its fees to $30.00 for any documents that are presented simultaneously. This fee structure enables prospective international adoptive parents to minimize their costs by having all of their apostille and authentication documents processed at one time. As a further convenience, requests received via mail are typically processed on the same business day and hand delivered requests will be completed within 2 hours. To help expedite your request, mailed requests must include a cover memo clearly stating the purpose of the request (e.g. adoption in China). Documents may be either hand delivered, mailed or express mailed to: Division of Corporations – John G. Townsend Bldg. – 401 Federal Street – Suite 4 – Dover, DE 19901. Documents that are not picked up from our office will be sent regular first class mail unless a Federal Express or UPS or envelope is provided with the request. Please contact our office at (302) 739-3073 with any questions.

If a document is received by this office in proper form with all required fees paid when received, the document will be filed with the date and time it was received in this office as soon as we are able to process the regular, non-expedited work for that date.  Processing time for regular (non-expedited) work varies based upon the volume of items received by our office. Prior to submitting your Filing/Document request, you may contact our office to find out what date is currently being processed for regular work to help you determine if you need to request expedited service for your submission.  If you have already submitted your Filing/Document request, you may contact our office for assistance in upgrading your item to expedited service. Please see our fee chart for a listing of our fees. All requests are returned regular USPS mail. Please provide an express mail account number with your order for FedEx or UPS express service return. Mail delivery times may vary due to the postal service provider. No requests can be returned via fax or email.

Frequently Asked Questions about Franchise Tax.