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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 1 · Kentucky

Starting an LLC in Kentucky (2026): 8 Tasks and the 3 Best LLC Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help setting up an LLC in Kentucky, go with KY Registered Agent.org ($199), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), ranked best first. Expect 8 tasks and a $40 state fee, finishing with the annual report.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Formation fee
$40
Official page sos.ky.gov, last read October 2026
Annual report
$15 a year
Due date per the state: on or before June 30
State minimum tax
$175
Official page revenue.ky.gov, last read October 2026
State fees over three years
$595
State charges only
How many tasks
8
One by one

What this unit teaches

  • Where and how to file a Kentucky LLC
  • What the agent rule says
  • The state filing that recurs
  • How the picks stack up

The Kentucky honor roll

Five published criteria decide the order; read them on how we grade.

Top of the class

1. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a tight-budget formation

Our first pick$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Start the list with KY Registered Agent.org, because the formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

The decision is cost: across three years it totals less than Mainstay Filing.

You still handle the annual report every year.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer

One-state plan$199 and fees, then $99 each year

Second goes to Kentucky Registered Agent.co, since the formation costs $199 beyond the state fee, and the agent renews at $99.

You still handle the annual report every year.

It lists the same prices as KY Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A free first agent year
  • $199 to form

What to weigh

  • The annual report remains your responsibility
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who would rather hand off the work

Does most of the work$199 yearly plus the $40 state fee

Our third choice, Mainstay Filing: one price, $199 a year, pays for the filing, the registered agent and the annual report, and it stays at $199 when you renew.

After three years the total is $200 more than KY Registered Agent.org.

You never file the annual report yourself, and only the $15 state fee is added.

What the price covers

  • We mean: the filing is done for you
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed for you on time
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • The official fee, nothing added

What works

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • The EIN task is part of the package
  • Renews for $199

What to weigh

  • $100 a year more than KY Registered Agent.org at renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner 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.
3Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. The $40 state fee is left out of the figures.

How a Kentucky LLC gets formed

  1. Task 1

    Lock in a name

    If another Kentucky company already has your name, the filing can come back rejected, so run a search at the Kentucky Secretary of State first.

    If the first name fails, you want another ready.

  2. Task 2

    Settle who your registered agent will be

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

    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 services we rank all supply a registered agent.

    Source: Official page apps.legislature.ky.gov, last read October 2026

  3. Task 3

    File on your own, or get help

    The state charges $40 either way. Hiring help adds $199; see the ranked list for the order.

  4. Task 4

    Prepare and sign the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company

    What you need: the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), $40, and an address at the Kentucky Secretary of State to send it to.

    Source: Official page sos.ky.gov, last read October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Meet Kentucky's extra requirement

    • Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Source: Official page revenue.ky.gov, last read October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Request your EIN

    Wait for the state's approval, then request an EIN so the LLC can open accounts under its own name. If you hire Mainstay Filing, the EIN application is taken care of.

  7. Task 7

    Write an operating agreement

    An operating agreement says who owns the Kentucky LLC and how decisions get made. It stays in your records and is not sent to the state.

  8. Task 8

    Handle Kentucky's recurring filing

    The filing that repeats is the annual report ($15, every year, by on or before June 30). One more yearly cost goes in the budget, a tax: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Source: Official page sos.ky.gov, last read August 2026

Kentucky costs by task

TaskWho gets paidPrice
The formation taskThe state$40
Annual reportThe state$15 every year
Tax due every yearThe state$175 a year
A filing service (optional)Your service$199 to start
State fees for the first three yearsThe state$595
State amounts come from Kentucky's official fee schedules (see the sources below); service prices come from each company's site. The three-year state total adds the filing, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why KY Registered Agent.org is first

pulled ahead of on course fee across three years, a criterion worth 34%.

KY Registered Agent.org costs $397 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing costs $200 more.

Common questions

How much does Kentucky charge to set up an LLC?

The fee on the official schedule is $40. A recommended service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Kentucky Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), the paper that creates the company.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Kentucky require each year?

Send in the annual report every year with $15; the deadline is on or before June 30. A yearly minimum tax comes on top.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Yes. You pay the state $40 when you file, and the LLC still needs a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

KY Registered Agent.org, Kentucky Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Kentucky Secretary of State. Each statement rests on sos.ky.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Kentucky Secretary of State. Each statement rests on sos.ky.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Kentucky report due date. Each statement rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, last opened August 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for KRS 275.025. Each statement rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on sos.ky.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for Kentucky registered agent statute. Each statement rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. Hand-in notes for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official. Each statement rests on revenue.ky.gov, last opened October 2026.
  8. We opened the pricing page at KY Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  9. We opened the pricing page at Kentucky Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  10. We opened the Kentucky service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026