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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Foreign LLC guide · Kentucky

Kentucky Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services

The 2026 Kentucky entry for foreign LLC registration names Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Kentucky's fee for a foreign LLC is $90 plus $15 for each yearly report, which is 38th of 50.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

Kentucky: the entry in figures

38thof 50 states for foreign LLC feesLowest fees rank first. Compare all states
Foreign registration fee
$90October 2026, apps.legislature.ky.gov
Report each cycle
$15Annual report
Yearly minimum tax
$175October 2026, revenue.ky.gov
State fees over three years
$645The registration and two years of upkeep, with the minimum tax each year

Kentucky: the almanac's picks

Three-year service fees and filings covered count most; the methodology gives all five weights.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

First on the list$199 and fees; $149 a year later

We enter Mainstay Filing first: a $199 service fee in any state, first agent year included.

KY Registered Agent.org comes in $100 lower across three years, yet coverage counts ahead of that gap in our method.

The free agent year ends and $149 a year begins, wherever the company registers.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • The registered agent role costs nothing in year one
  • The same service fee in each state

Strengths

  • $199 over the state fee
  • Covers your next state too
  • No agent charge in year one

Weak points

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

2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

In-state option$199 and fees; $99 a year later

KY Registered Agent.org holds second place: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

In the price

  • The Kentucky registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • No agent charge in year one
  • $199 and the state fee
  • Agent renews at $99

Weak points

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

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

In-state option$199 and fees; $99 a year later

Kentucky Registered Agent.co holds third place: $199 plus the state fee, first agent year included, then $99 a year for the agent.

Price for price it matches KY Registered Agent.org; either does the job.

In the price

  • The Kentucky registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • No agent charge in year one
  • Agent renews at $99

Weak points

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

3 services, side by side

#EntryYear-one priceYears two onService fees over three years
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as the companies publish them, taken November 12, 2026. The state's $90 fee is not counted above.

Kentucky foreign LLC cost calculator

Registration fee $90, then the $15 report from year two, added to the service's prices.
Mainstay Filing for 3 years: $645 to the state, $497 to the service, $1,142 in all.

Kentucky among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
35thMaine$550
37thArkansas$570
38thKentucky$645
39thNorth Carolina$650
40thMaryland$700
All fifty rows: Foreign LLC fees by state.

The Kentucky filing for out-of-state LLCs

Out-of-state LLCs use the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) and register with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings ($90).

On a repeating basis it files the annual report ($15), between January 1 and June 30 each year. The state tax rule also applies: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

What to have ready

  • Home-state legal name and formation date.
  • Someone to act as registered agent in Kentucky.
  • Payment of the $90 state fee.

Risks of working unregistered

Registration has to come before any lawsuit the LLC wants to bring there (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Per-day penalty: $2 may apply.

What settled the order

Mainstay Filing won on requirements covered, which is worth 28%; KY Registered Agent.org came next.

Because a foreign LLC lives in two states, coverage decided the order.

Questions on Kentucky

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Kentucky?

$90 for the filing. Add $199 for a service.

What is the foreign registration form in Kentucky?

Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the annual report for $15.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

Registration has to come before any lawsuit the LLC wants to bring there (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Per-day penalty: $2 may apply.

Does a foreign LLC need a registered agent in Kentucky?

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

Who should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing first, because $199 plus Kentucky's own fee, then $149 a year for the agent from year two. After it: KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co.

Other entries

Citations for this entry

  1. sos.ky.gov for Kentucky Secretary of State, read August 2026
  2. sos.ky.gov for Kentucky Secretary of State, read August 2026
  3. apps.legislature.ky.gov for Kentucky report due date, read August 2026
  4. apps.legislature.ky.gov for KRS 275.025, read August 2026
  5. sos.ky.gov for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source, read October 2026
  6. apps.legislature.ky.gov for Kentucky registered agent statute, read October 2026
  7. sos.ky.gov for Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings, read October 2026
  8. web.sos.ky.gov for Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, read October 2026
  9. apps.legislature.ky.gov for KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority, read October 2026
  10. apps.legislature.ky.gov for KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required, read October 2026
  11. revenue.ky.gov for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official, read October 2026
  12. maine.gov for Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities, read October 2026
  13. maine.gov for Form MLLC-12, read October 2026
  14. legislature.maine.gov for 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification, read October 2026
  15. legislature.maine.gov for 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not, read October 2026
  16. legislature.maine.gov for 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying, read October 2026
  17. legislature.maine.gov for 31 MRSA § 1680, fees, read October 2026
  18. sos.arkansas.gov for Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and, read October 2026
  19. sos.arkansas.gov for Form FL-01, read October 2026
  20. arkleg.state.ar.us for Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act, read October 2026
  21. sos.arkansas.gov for 2026 LLC franchise tax report and instructions, read October 2026
  22. sos.arkansas.gov for Form FL-04, application for cancellation, read October 2026
  23. sosnc.gov for North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration, read October 2026
  24. sosnc.gov for Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority, read October 2026
  25. sosnc.gov for Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign, read October 2026
  26. ncleg.gov for G.S, read October 2026
  27. sosnc.gov for Annual report due dates, read October 2026
  28. egov.maryland.gov for Maryland Business Express, read October 2026
  29. egov.maryland.gov for Business Express fee schedule, read October 2026
  30. mgaleg.maryland.gov for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1002, registration, read October 2026
  31. mgaleg.maryland.gov for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1009, activities that are, read October 2026
  32. mgaleg.maryland.gov for Corporations and Associations § 4A-1007, effect of not, read October 2026
  33. mgaleg.maryland.gov for Tax-Property § 11-101, annual report, read October 2026
  34. Kentucky service page of Mainstay Filing, taken November 12, 2026
  35. Pricing page of KY Registered Agent.org, taken November 12, 2026
  36. Pricing page of Kentucky Registered Agent.co, taken November 12, 2026