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Quick answer · Kentucky

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Kentucky (2026), Ranked

Best foreign registration services in Kentucky for 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked in that order. Registering costs $90 at Kentucky, whoever files, plus $397 to $497 to a service over three years.

LLC Q and A editorial team ·

Quick answers

State registration fee
$90
Certificate required?
Not required
After registering
$15, annual report
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, KY Registered Agent.org then Kentucky Registered Agent.co

Kentucky: ranked picks

Prices come from each company's own page. See the method.
1#1 pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in several states

$199 plus state fee, then $149/yr

Reason for Mainstay Filing at the top: $199 in every state, with the first registered agent year included.

KY Registered Agent.org saves $100 over three years if the LLC never leaves Kentucky.

After the free year, the registered agent is $149 a year.

Price covers

  • Out-of-state registration filed
  • Registered agent, free first year
  • One fee for all fifty states

For

  • Service fee $199
  • No registered agent fee in year one
  • Price does not vary by state

Against

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above KY Registered Agent.org
Go to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Kentucky only

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

$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

KY Registered Agent.org ranks second since $199 files the registration and the agent renews at $99.

Price covers

  • Kentucky registration filing
  • First-year agent included

For

  • Year-one agent included
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 plus state fee

Against

  • Kentucky only; home state needs another agent
Go to KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Kentucky only

3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for another local option

$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

Kentucky Registered Agent.co ranks third since $199 files the registration and the agent renews at $99.

Same published prices as KY Registered Agent.org, so the order between them is close.

Price covers

  • Kentucky registration filing
  • First-year agent included

For

  • $199 plus state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • Year-one agent included

Against

  • Kentucky only; home state needs another agent
Go to Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side by side

#CompanyYear 1Per year after3-year costCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Out-of-state registration filed; registered agent, free first year; one fee for all fifty statesGo to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397kentucky registration filing; First-year agent includedGo to KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397kentucky registration filing; First-year agent includedGo to Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company price pages read November 13, 2026. State fees are identical for every pick.

Questions and replies

Must my LLC register here?

Register with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings first; do business in Kentucky second.

Unregistered, an LLC may face it cannot sue in Kentucky courts until registered (KRS 14A.9-020(1)); per-day penalties of $2.

sos.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record

What does registering cost?

$90 to the state, plus $199 for a service.

State fees reach $645 over three years, counting any recurring report and the minimum tax. apps.legislature.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record

Which form, filed where?

Registration goes through the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), handled by the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.

No home-state certificate is required.

Any recurring filing?

Expect the annual report ($15).

Due: Between January 1 and June 30 each year.

What decided #1?

Winning criterion for Mainstay Filing: chores removed from your list, weighted 26%.

Two criteria dominate: three-year price (36%) and chores removed from your list (26%).

An out-of-state LLC works in two states; the first pick serves both.

The five criteria

Kentucky registration requirements

RequirementRule or amountSource
Registration fee$90apps.legislature.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
Good standing certificateNot requiredsos.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
Annual report$15sos.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
Yearly minimum tax$175 a yearrevenue.ky.gov (October 2026) is the source of record
Three-year state total$645Sum of the rows above
Rows link to official sources; the final row is our own addition of filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

More replies

Is an agent needed at home too?

Yes, in most cases. A company active in every state, such as Mainstay Filing, can cover home and this state together.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Totals over three years: Mainstay Filing at $497, KY Registered Agent.org at $397, Kentucky Registered Agent.co at $397, services only.

Are the fees official?

State fees come from Kentucky's official documents. Service prices come from each company's price page. Both are dated here.

Is a service required?

No law requires a service; it is a paid convenience.

Does a service file it?

All of them do; only the service fee differs.

Which foreign registration service should I use in Kentucky?

Mainstay Filing, because you pay $199 plus Kentucky's fee, nothing for the registered agent in year one, then $149 a year. Then KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co.

Source list

  1. Reference line for Kentucky Secretary of State, drawn from sos.ky.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  2. Reference line for Kentucky Secretary of State, drawn from sos.ky.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  3. Reference line for Kentucky report due date, drawn from apps.legislature.ky.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  4. Reference line for KRS 275.025, drawn from apps.legislature.ky.gov and confirmed August 2026, as noted by our editors
  5. Reference line for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, drawn from sos.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  6. Reference line for Kentucky registered agent statute, drawn from apps.legislature.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  7. Reference line for Kentucky Secretary of State, business, drawn from sos.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  8. Reference line for Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, drawn from web.sos.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  9. Reference line for KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting, drawn from apps.legislature.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  10. Reference line for KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact, drawn from apps.legislature.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  11. Reference line for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability, drawn from revenue.ky.gov and confirmed October 2026, as noted by our editors
  12. Price page: Mainstay Filing Kentucky service page, accessed November 13, 2026
  13. Price page: KY Registered Agent.org pricing page, accessed November 13, 2026
  14. Price page: Kentucky Registered Agent.co pricing page, accessed November 13, 2026