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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 2 · Kentucky

The Kentucky Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

For naming a registered agent in Kentucky in 2026, this unit puts Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and KY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) at the top of the class, in that order. The 6 tasks below cover what Kentucky requires of a registered agent, who may serve, which address counts and how to put the agent on record.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

Legally required
Yes
apps.legislature.ky.gov (page read October 2026)
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
As each company lists them
Annual report
$15 a year
sos.ky.gov (page read August 2026)
State minimum tax
$175
revenue.ky.gov (page read October 2026)
Unit tasks
6
Each one explained

You will leave able to

  • What Kentucky requires of a registered agent
  • Who can act as agent
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents at the top of the class

Services we recommend 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 LLCs that may grow into other states

Start with this one$149 yearly, $149 at renewal

Mainstay Filing comes out first, and the reason is that $149 per year from a provider that also covers any state you add later.

Against Kentucky Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $150, outweighed by the 31% weight on assignments completed.

What the price covers

  • A registered office in Kentucky
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • $149 a year, same at renewal
  • Goes with you to any state

What to weigh

  • Kentucky Registered Agent.co is $50 a year lower
  • An agent-only plan, so no report filing
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for one-state companies

Kentucky specialist$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

Pick number 2 is Kentucky Registered Agent.co, where $99 a year, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in Kentucky
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • $99 a year, same at renewal
  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing

What to weigh

  • Kentucky only; each other state needs its own agent
  • Annual report stays your job
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 local alternative

Kentucky specialist$99 yearly, $99 at renewal

Pick number 3 is KY Registered Agent.org, where $99 a year, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

It lists the same prices as Kentucky Registered Agent.co.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in Kentucky
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to weigh

  • Kentucky only; each other state needs its own agent
  • Annual report stays your job
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

A comparison of the services

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Kentucky Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3KY Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. The state bills the same whichever agent you name.

The unit, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Read what Kentucky requires

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

    Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov (page read October 2026)

  2. Task 2

    Who can take the role

    A Kentucky resident, or an entity qualified to do business in Kentucky, whose business address is the registered office. The agent signs or files a written acceptance. Legal source: KRS 14A.4-010.

  3. Task 3

    Learn the registered office rule

    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 service we recommend supplies the in-state address.

  4. Task 4

    Be your own agent or hire one

    Owners who qualify can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Task 5

    Report the agent's details

    A new company names its agent when it files the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC); to replace the agent later, file again with the Kentucky Secretary of State.

    Source: sos.ky.gov (page read October 2026)

  6. Task 6

    Check the record every year

    Each year the annual report confirms the details for $15, by on or before June 30. Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Source: sos.ky.gov (page read August 2026)

The bill

What forWho gets paidPrice
Agent serviceThe service company$99 to $149 a year
Agent renewalThe service company$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportState office$15 every year
Minimum tax each yearState office$175 a year
Three years of state cost equals the filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sources are listed below.

The reasoning behind the order

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

Covering all fifty states counted for more than Kentucky Registered Agent.co did under our grading.

Check your Kentucky answers

Does a Kentucky LLC have to have a registered agent?

Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Can I be my own registered agent?

An owner can serve if qualified; tasks 2 and 3 hold the tests.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes; the Kentucky Secretary of State accepts change filings, and task 5 says what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in Kentucky?

Our recommended agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The yearly item is the annual report, which costs $15, together with the yearly minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing is first, Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org follow, and Mainstay Filing wins on assignments the price completes.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Kentucky report due date: apps.legislature.ky.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for KRS 275.025: apps.legislature.ky.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.ky.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Kentucky registered agent statute: apps.legislature.ky.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official: revenue.ky.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Kentucky service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page of Kentucky Registered Agent.co, taken on November 13, 2026
  10. pricing page of KY Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026