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LLC 101 Guide

Section 3 · Kentucky

Foreign LLC Registration in Kentucky (2026): 4 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Ranked for 2026, the services worth hiring for registering an out-of-state LLC in Kentucky are Mainstay Filing ($199), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199). 4 tasks cover the filing, the $90 fee and what you owe afterward.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Registration fee
$90
Taken from apps.legislature.ky.gov in October 2026
Report fee
$15
Annual report
Three years of state fees
$645
Registration, reports and any minimum tax
How many tasks
4
Each one explained

By the end you will know

  • When registration is required
  • What to file and what it costs
  • Staying in good standing
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Kentucky

Cost over three years leads, then assignments completed, renewal price, Kentucky fit and plain pricing (grading page).

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for several registrations

Best overall$199 to register, $149 per year after

Mainstay Filing comes out first, and the reason is that it files the Kentucky registration for $199 plus the state's fee, and the first agent year costs nothing.

Over three years it costs $100 above Kentucky Registered Agent.co, and in return more of the work is handled.

After the free first year, the agent costs $149 a year in any state.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • Covers all fifty states

What works

  • First year of the agent is included
  • Any state, one fee
  • $199 plus the state fee

What to weigh

  • $50 more a year for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for one extra state

Kentucky specialist$199 to register, $99 per year after

Pick number 2 is Kentucky Registered Agent.co, where the Kentucky registration is filed for $199 and includes a year of agent service, with renewal at $99.

What the price covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • Serves Kentucky alone
Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

Kentucky specialist$199 to register, $99 per year after

Pick number 3 is KY Registered Agent.org, where the Kentucky registration is filed for $199 and includes a year of agent service, with renewal at $99.

Kentucky Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 above the state fee
  • $99 a year for the agent after that
  • Agent covered in year one

What to weigh

  • Serves Kentucky alone
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Kentucky's $90 registration fee.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    When registration is required

    If your LLC came from elsewhere and operates in Kentucky, foreign registration is how it gets permission. If you skip it: Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Kentucky courts (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). A per-day charge of $2.

    Source: Taken from sos.ky.gov in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Arrange a 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.

    The picks above supply one.

    Source: Taken from apps.legislature.ky.gov in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Work through the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)

    Fill in the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), include $90, and mail or upload it to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

    Source: Taken from apps.legislature.ky.gov in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    What comes after

    You keep the registration going by filing the annual report at $15, between January 1 and June 30 each year. One tax rule applies: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

What each task costs in Kentucky

What forReceiverCost
Registration feeState office$90
Annual reportState office$15
Minimum tax each yearState office$175 a year
Service, if you hire oneThe provider$199 at the start
State fees for the first three yearsState office$645
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How the grades came out

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Kentucky Registered Agent.co renews for less, but covering several states counted for more.

Questions students ask

How much does Kentucky charge an out-of-state LLC to register?

$90 to the state. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Registering here means sending the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Until it registers, the LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Kentucky courts (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). A per-day charge of $2.

What is due after registering?

Next comes the annual report at $15.

Which services are in this lesson?

We graded Mainstay Filing, Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 beyond the state fee in any state, with year one of the agent included. After it come Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org.

Reading list and sources

  1. Everything about Kentucky Secretary of State above traces to sos.ky.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  2. Everything about Kentucky Secretary of State above traces to sos.ky.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  3. Everything about Kentucky report due date above traces to apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  4. Everything about KRS 275.025 above traces to apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  5. Everything about Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source above traces to sos.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  6. Everything about Kentucky registered agent statute above traces to apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  7. Everything about Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings above traces to sos.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  8. Everything about Form FBE, Certificate of Authority above traces to web.sos.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  9. Everything about KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority above traces to apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  10. Everything about KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required above traces to apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  11. Everything about Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official above traces to revenue.ky.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  12. Kentucky service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  13. pricing page of Kentucky Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page of KY Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026