Kentucky: key figures
38th
in the foreign LLC state fee comparison
Fee the state takes at registration
$90
Report you must file again
$15
Annual report
Tax owed every year
$175
What the state collects in 3 years
$645
Three years of state fees for a foreign LLC, plus a minimum tax each year
What we would pick in Kentucky
Five weighted criteria set the order (see the
method): three-year fees 33%, filings covered 26%, and then renewal terms, fit with Kentucky rules and a clear state fee.
Our #1
1. KY Registered Agent.org: best for adding only Kentucky
$199 to register, then $99 a year
Our first choice is KY Registered Agent.org. You pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.
You pay less over three years than at Mainstay Filing, and that is the criterion we weigh most.
What your money gets you
- Handles the foreign registration filing for you
- A year of agent service
What works
- The first agent year is free
- $99 a year for the agent afterward
- $199 above the state fee
What to weigh
- Your home state needs a separate agent
Biggest reach
2. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every added state
$199 to register, then $149 a year
Mainstay Filing is second for you since $199 plus Kentucky's state fee, then $149 a year for the agent from year 2.
KY Registered Agent.org costs $100 less over three years, and that explains the order.
After year 1 the agent is $149 a year wherever you register.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration and files it
- Your registered agent for the first year is free
- A service for all fifty states
What works
- A year of agent service at no cost
- Your next state is covered too
- $199 on top of Kentucky's fee
What to weigh
- A renewal $50 above KY Registered Agent.org's
Local option
3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a smaller agent renewal
$199 to register, then $99 a year
Last on the list is Kentucky Registered Agent.co, because you pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.
KY Registered Agent.org and this provider charge the same.
What your money gets you
- Handles the foreign registration filing for you
- A year of agent service
What works
- The first agent year is free
- $199 above the state fee
- $99 a year for the agent afterward
What to weigh
- Your home state needs a separate agent
Prices side by side
Prices as shown on November 13, 2026. Remember to add the $90 state fee to each row.
Work out your total
The registration fee is $90, with a $15 report from year 2, and provider fees are added on top.
How Kentucky compares with the states near it in the ranking
Kentucky foreign registration: the fee, the form and the office
To get your out-of-state LLC registered, deliver the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings with $90.
After you register, you must file the annual report ($15), between January 1 and June 30 each year. A state tax rule applies as well: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Gather these first
- The name and formation date as your home state lists them.
- A registered agent with an office here, which any ranked provider can give you.
- Money set aside for the $90 state charge.
What not registering can cost you
A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). A daily fine: $2 can apply.
What decided the order
KY Registered Agent.org pulled ahead of Mainstay Filing on price over three years, which is weighted 33%.
With KY Registered Agent.org, three years of provider fees come to $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing.
Kentucky foreign registration service questions
How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Kentucky?
$90 to the state. Provider fees are $199.
Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Kentucky?
Use the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) and send it to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.
Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?
Yes, you file the annual report and pay $15.
What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?
A lawsuit you file before registering is blocked until you make the filing (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). A daily fine: $2 can apply.
Must I appoint a registered agent when registering in Kentucky?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?
We would choose KY Registered Agent.org first (it registers you in Kentucky for $199 and includes a year of agent service; the agent then costs $99 a year), with Mainstay Filing and Kentucky Registered Agent.co behind it.
Where this briefing comes from
- Want to double-check Kentucky Secretary of State? Go to sos.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky Secretary of State? Go to sos.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky report due date? Go to apps.legislature.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check KRS 275.025? Go to apps.legislature.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in August 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source? Go to sos.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky registered agent statute? Go to apps.legislature.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings? Go to sos.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form FBE, Certificate of Authority? Go to web.sos.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority? Go to apps.legislature.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required? Go to apps.legislature.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official? Go to revenue.ky.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities? Go to maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form MLLC-12? Go to maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 31 MRSA § 1680, fees? Go to legislature.maine.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form FL-01? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act? Go to arkleg.state.ar.us, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check 2026 LLC franchise tax report and instructions? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form FL-04, application for cancellation? Go to sos.arkansas.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration? Go to sosnc.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority? Go to sosnc.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign? Go to sosnc.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check G.S? Go to ncleg.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Annual report due dates? Go to sosnc.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Maryland Business Express? Go to egov.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Business Express fee schedule? Go to egov.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- Want to double-check Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report? Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov, where we confirmed the details in October 2026.
- The page we used for KY Registered Agent.org (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
- The page we used for Mainstay Filing (Kentucky service page) was open to us on November 13, 2026
- The page we used for Kentucky Registered Agent.co (pricing page) was open to us on November 13, 2026