3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Kentucky (2026): Your Questions Answered
Wondering about foreign registration services in Kentucky, for 2026 our order is Mainstay Filing ($199), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199). Registering costs $90 at Kentucky for every filer, and services add $397 to $497 over three years.
Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·
The short answers
State fee to register
$90
Home-state certificate?
No
Once registered
$15, annual report
Who to ask
Mainstay Filing, Kentucky Registered Agent.co then KY Registered Agent.org
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever you pick.
What owners want to know
When must an out-of-state LLC register here?
Register with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings before your LLC starts doing business in Kentucky.
An unregistered LLC risks it has no standing to bring its own lawsuits (KRS 14A.9-020(1)); a fine for each day of $2.
looked up at sos.ky.gov in October 2026 to confirm
How much does registration cost?
Registering costs $90 at the state, plus $199 if you hire help.
Over three years the state's fees reach $645, counting any recurring report and the minimum tax. looked up at apps.legislature.ky.gov in October 2026 to confirm
What registers the LLC?
You need one document, the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), and the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings is where it is sent.
The state leaves the home-state certificate out of its requirements.
What do I owe once the LLC is registered?
Registered LLCs file the annual report: $15.
Timing, in the state's words: Between January 1 and June 30 each year.
Why is the list in this order?
On chores the price takes care of, worth 29%, Mainstay Filing comes out ahead.
We weigh five questions: what you pay over three years (33%), chores the price takes care of (29%), answers on the price page (14%), what happens at renewal (13%) and room to add states (11%).
Kentucky Registered Agent.co serves Kentucky only, so the home state would need someone else.
The last row is arithmetic, not a state figure: filing fee, plus the reports due in years two and three, plus a minimum tax where one applies. Open-ended costs stay out.
Questions people also ask
Does the state where I formed the LLC still need an agent?
Yes, and the two states do not share a rule book. Mainstay Filing works in both, so one account can cover the home state and this one.
What do the picks cost over three years?
Mainstay Filing comes to $497; Kentucky Registered Agent.co comes to $397; KY Registered Agent.org comes to $397, with state fees on top.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price is read from the company's own site.
Do I have to use a service?
Not at all. The state takes filings from owners directly. A service just saves you time, and it can double as your agent.
Will a service file the registration for me?
They do. All the picks prepare and send the registration, so the only thing that changes with your choice is the service fee.
Who should I ask first about a foreign registration service in Kentucky?
Mainstay Filing comes first: you pay $199 plus Kentucky's fee, owe nothing for the registered agent in year one and then $149 a year. Next are Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org.
Where did we look this up?
Our answer on Kentucky Secretary of State rests on sos.ky.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky Secretary of State rests on sos.ky.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky report due date rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on KRS 275.025 rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee rests on sos.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky registered agent statute rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky Secretary of State, business rests on sos.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Form FBE, Certificate of Authority rests on web.sos.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact rests on apps.legislature.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability rests on revenue.ky.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Mainstay Filing Kentucky service page, read November 13, 2026
Kentucky Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
KY Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026