Class 3 · Kentucky
Foreign LLC Registration in Kentucky (2026): a 4-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Services
Before you begin
What you will learn
- When an out-of-state LLC must register with Kentucky
- The official form and fee
- Staying in good standing
- Our graded picks and the reasoning
If you would like help with the filing
1. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations
Mainstay Filing gets our top grade for Kentucky: you pay $199 plus state fees to register, and the first year with a registered agent is free.
You pay $100 more than at KY Registered Agent.org over three years and do less of the paperwork yourself.
After year one, the agent costs $149 a year.
What the price covers
- The filing is done for you
- The registered agent costs nothing in year one
- One fee in every state
Marks in its favor
- The first agent year is included
- Any state at one fee
- $199 above the state fee
Where it loses points
- The agent renews at $149, $50 higher than KY Registered Agent.org
2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a budget registration
For number 2 we picked KY Registered Agent.org: registering costs $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is covered.
What the price covers
- Your Kentucky registration is prepared and filed
- One year of agent service
Marks in its favor
- $199 and the state fee
- A low $99 renewal
- A free first agent year
Where it loses points
- A one-state service
3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a low agent renewal
For number 3 we picked Kentucky Registered Agent.co: registering costs $199 plus state fees, and year one of the agent is covered.
It costs exactly what KY Registered Agent.org does.
What the price covers
- Your Kentucky registration is prepared and filed
- One year of agent service
Marks in its favor
- A low $99 renewal
- $199 and the state fee
- A free first agent year
Where it loses points
- A one-state service
The 3 graded picks compared
| # | Service | First year | From year two | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | KY Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
The steps
-
Step
1Check whether registration applies
Doing business in Kentucky through an LLC from another state calls for a foreign registration. Operating unregistered means: If the LLC might ever need to sue, registering first matters (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Each day without registration can add $2.
Where this comes from: Look it up at sos.ky.gov; last checked October 2026
-
Step
2Choose the Kentucky registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical registered office in Kentucky that matches the agent's business address. A P.O. box is not enough.
Each of our picks includes the registered agent.
Where this comes from: Look it up at apps.legislature.ky.gov; last checked October 2026
-
Step
3Prepare and file the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
What the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings needs from you is the filing named above and a $90 fee.
Where this comes from: Look it up at apps.legislature.ky.gov; last checked October 2026
-
Step
4Stay registered
What recurs is the annual report, $15, between January 1 and June 30 each year. A tax rule to know: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
What each step costs in Kentucky
| Item | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Registering the LLC | To the state | $90 |
| Annual report | To the state | $15 |
| Minimum tax each year | To the state | $175 a year |
| A service, if you use one | Your service | $199 up front |
| State total over three years | To the state | $645 |
How we graded the Kentucky picks
What settled it was homework the price handles, worth 33% of the grade.
Two states are involved when you register, and a single provider for both pulled ahead of KY Registered Agent.org.
Questions students ask
What does Kentucky charge for registering a foreign LLC?
$90 at the state office. Service fees: $199.
Which form do I file to register?
The form to use is the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), and the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings is where it goes.
What if the LLC does business there without registering?
If the LLC might ever need to sue, registering first matters (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Each day without registration can add $2.
What is due after registering?
Step 4 covers it: the annual report for $15.
Which services are in this lesson?
The graded list holds Mainstay Filing, KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co, best grade first.
Which service should handle the registration?
By grade: Mainstay Filing, KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co. Mainstay Filing is first because $199 beyond the state fee, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year afterward.
Class references
- Want to see Kentucky Secretary of State for yourself? Open sos.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky Secretary of State for yourself? Open sos.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky report due date for yourself? Open apps.legislature.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see KRS 275.025 for yourself? Open apps.legislature.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open sos.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky registered agent statute for yourself? Open apps.legislature.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings for yourself? Open sos.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Form FBE, Certificate of Authority for yourself? Open web.sos.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority for yourself? Open apps.legislature.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required for yourself? Open apps.legislature.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Want to see Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official for yourself? Open revenue.ky.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
- Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026
- KY Registered Agent.org, pricing page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026
- Kentucky Registered Agent.co, pricing page, as it appeared on November 13, 2026