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Foreign LLC guide · Kentucky

Kentucky Foreign LLC Fees (2026): Data on File and the 3 Best Services

Desk ranking for a foreign LLC registration in Kentucky, 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199). Fee to get in: $90. Fee per report afterward: $15. Rank 38th of 50.

Desk note by LLC Data Desk ·

Kentucky: data sheet

38thrank, 50 states, foreign LLC cost1 = smallest bill. Open the 50-state table
Fee to register
$90Pulled October 2026 from apps.legislature.ky.gov
Report
$15Annual report
Minimum tax, yearly
$175Pulled October 2026 from revenue.ky.gov
Total owed to the state, 3 yrs
$645First filing, then two upkeep years, with yearly minimum tax added

Services ranked for Kentucky

Weights are on the method page. The two heaviest: three-year fees and coverage.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a later third or fourth state

First choice$199 plus state fee; agent $149/yr from yr 2

First, Mainstay Filing, because $199 over the state fee, registered agent free in year one, then $149 a year.

Three-year service fees: $100 above Kentucky Registered Agent.co. In return, more of the state's paperwork is done for you.

From the second year, agent service is $149 a year.

What the fee covers

  • Registration filed on your behalf
  • Registered agent: no fee in year one
  • One fee, any state

Pros

  • One fee, any state
  • Service fee $199
  • Year-one agent service included

Cons

  • Kentucky Registered Agent.co's agent renews for $50 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a small yearly agent fee

Local pick$199 plus state fee; agent $99/yr from yr 2

Spot 2, Kentucky Registered Agent.co. $199 service fee, $99 agent renewal.

What the fee covers

  • Registration filing prepared for you
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Service fee $199

Cons

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Kentucky

Local pick$199 plus state fee; agent $99/yr from yr 2

Spot 3, KY Registered Agent.org. $199 service fee, $99 agent renewal.

Ties with Kentucky Registered Agent.co on price.

What the fee covers

  • Registration filing prepared for you
  • A year of agent service

Pros

  • Service fee $199
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two

Cons

  • Home state needs a separate agent
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The ranking as numbers

#ServiceYr 1Yr 2+Service fees, 3 yrs
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.
Company price pages, pulled November 12, 2026. Add the $90 state fee to each row.

Kentucky foreign LLC cost calculator

Registration fee $90, report $15 from year two; service fees are added.
Total, 3 years, Mainstay Filing: $1,142. State $645; service $497.

Kentucky next to nearby ranks

RkStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
35thMaine$550
37thArkansas$570
38thKentucky$645
39thNorth Carolina$650
40thMaryland$700
Foreign LLC fees by state lists every state, least expensive first.

How Kentucky registers foreign LLCs (2026)

An outside LLC registers by sending the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) and $90 to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

Then each cycle the annual report ($15), between January 1 and June 30 each year. Taxes: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

Have ready

  • Registered home-state name and date of formation.
  • A registered agent inside the state, from any pick below.
  • Payment of the $90 state fee.

Consequences of staying unregistered

Register first if the LLC may need to sue there (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Per-day rate: $2.

Reasoning

Mainstay Filing wins on scope of the price, worth 29%; Kentucky Registered Agent.co is next.

A foreign LLC already has a home state, so one provider for both states scored best.

Kentucky FAQ

Fee for a foreign LLC to register in Kentucky?

$90 at the state office. A service adds $199.

Foreign registration form for Kentucky?

Use the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE); it goes to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

Anything due yearly from a foreign LLC?

Yes, the annual report, fee $15.

What if the LLC works there unregistered?

Register first if the LLC may need to sue there (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Per-day rate: $2.

Kentucky: a registered agent for a foreign LLC?

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

Which service do you pick for foreign registration?

Rank Mainstay Filing first (it files the Kentucky registration for $199 on top of the state fee, first agent year included), then Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org.

Keep going

Basis for this page

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