How Long Does it Take to Form a Delaware LLC?

One of the most common questions clients ask us is, "How long will it take to form an LLC?". Today we're going to explain how the process of forming a Delaware LLC works and how long it takes.

The first step is ordering one of our LLC packages here. Our order forms are designed to be user-friendly but if you'd like a more detailed step-by-step of how to start an LLC, we have a helpful blog post here.

On the order form you'll be asked to select a name for your LLC as well as an alternate name. We only use the alternate name if the preferred name you chose is unavailable. If both names are unavailable, we will reach out to you immediately to request another alternate name. This can add to the processing time because we cannot submit the details for your LLC to the Delaware Secretary of State until we have a unique name for your LLC. There cannot be two entities with the same name in the state of Delaware.

After you submit your order for an LLC to The Incorporators Ltd., we prepare the Certificate of Formation and upload it directly into the Delaware Secretary of State's Corporate Information System. The Incorporators Ltd. has remote access to the state system, making it much faster to file your LLC through us, rather than sending paperwork to the state by mail or fax.

Our business hours are Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm and we generally file your order the same day. Orders placed after business hours will be processed the next morning.

Once we've established your LLC in the state database, the state will review the documents and filing, and generally return the filed Certificate of Formation electronically to us within three to five business days. If you wish to expedite this, you can add the State of Delaware 24 hour expedited service to your order for an additional fee. This means that the state will process it within 24 hours of receiving it. Remember, this does not mean 24 hours from the time you place your order with The Incorporators Ltd.

Once we receive the filed Certificate of Formation from the Secretary of State, we send it to you electronically along with the documents included in your package (the operating agreement, sample minutes, etc.). We always do this within hours of receiving it from the state (but usually immediately).

Packages that include hard copies of the documents (like our Basic LLC Package or our LLC Executive Package) will be sent to you via UPS along with any accessories included in the package. 

In short, the longest that it could take to form a Delaware LLC using our services is generally 3-5 business days. Many formations take less time. The fastest your LLC could be finalized is 24 hours or less, if you choose 24 Hour State of Delaware processing at checkout and you place your order during normal business hours. 

We hope this post was helpful in explaining how forming a Delaware LLC works and how long it takes to form an LLC. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or give us a call at 800-223-3928.