The Kentucky tally
Figures come from each company's own pricing. Add the $90 state fee to any row.
1. KY Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state
Top of the tally
Service $199, agent renewal $99
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Row one is KY Registered Agent.org, because $199 to register with a year of agent service, then $99 a year.
A three-year tally under Mainstay Filing's earns this row first place.
Included lines
- Filing prepared and sent
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- A modest renewal of $99
- A service fee of $199
- First-year agent service is covered
Minus column
- Another company is needed for the home state
2
2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for one more registration
Local line
Service $199, agent renewal $99
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Kentucky Registered Agent.co takes line 2 since $199 to register with a year of agent service, then $99 a year.
The figures match KY Registered Agent.org.
Included lines
- Filing prepared and sent
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- First-year agent service is covered
- A service fee of $199
- A modest renewal of $99
Minus column
- Another company is needed for the home state
3
3. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and the ones after
Bundled
Service $199, agent renewal $149
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $149/yr
- Three-year tally
- $497
Third line: Mainstay Filing, because $199 to file, no agent charge in year one, and the same price in every state.
Three years here come to $100 more than KY Registered Agent.org.
From year two the agent row bills $149 a year.
Included lines
- The foreign filing, booked
- Registered agent, year one free
- Any state, one fee
Gains
- $199 on top of Kentucky's fee
- Agent costs nothing in year one
- Ready for the next state you add
Minus column
- A pricier agent renewal at $149
What each row adds up to
Year one and then renewals, per the prices read November 13, 2026. None of the totals cross in ten years.
Cost calculator
Choose a number of years to see each row's total by then.
Official state fees
Each row above links its official source. The final line is our own addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs such as publication.
Why the table is ordered this way
Three-year tally put KY Registered Agent.org in row one. That column carries 39% of the sort, and jobs ticked off, renewal step, break-even tally and price on the page make up the rest.
On the three-year column KY Registered Agent.org sits at $397, a $100 advantage over Mainstay Filing.
Kentucky foreign LLC registration fee and rules (official)
An LLC formed in another state registers with Kentucky before doing business there, by filing the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings ($90).
Without registration, expect it cannot sue in Kentucky courts until it registers (KRS 14A.9-020(1)); daily fines of $2.
Per source sos.ky.gov, last tallied October 2026 for this entry
The zero-service option
Filing yourself leaves only the state's fees, $645 over three years. A service adds $397 to $497 to take on the paperwork.
Kentucky price questions
What does Kentucky charge to register an LLC formed elsewhere?
$90 at the state office, plus a service fee of $199.
What do three years of service add up to?
Three years of service total $397 to $497.
Which form registers the LLC?
The registration is Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), submitted to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.
What recurring filing follows the registration?
The annual report costs $15.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
There is no break-even point inside ten years.
Which foreign registration service is the best value for Kentucky?
KY Registered Agent.org comes first, with Kentucky Registered Agent.co and Mainstay Filing behind it.
What each entry rests on
- August 2026 entry: Kentucky Secretary of State, source sos.ky.gov
- August 2026 entry: Kentucky Secretary of State, source sos.ky.gov
- August 2026 entry: Kentucky report due date, source apps.legislature.ky.gov
- August 2026 entry: KRS 275.025, source apps.legislature.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, source sos.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: Kentucky registered agent statute, source apps.legislature.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: Kentucky Secretary of State, business, source sos.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, source web.sos.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting, source apps.legislature.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact, source apps.legislature.ky.gov
- October 2026 entry: Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability, source revenue.ky.gov
- KY Registered Agent.org, pricing page: entered November 13, 2026
- Kentucky Registered Agent.co, pricing page: entered November 13, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page: entered November 13, 2026