Mainstay Filing takes the top spot because $199 prepares the Kentucky registration and the registered agent role costs nothing in year one, then $149 a year.
Past the free first year, agent service runs $149 a year, and that holds in every state.
Its three-year total is $100 above KY Registered Agent.org's, and what the price covers justifies that gap for us.
In the price
- Registration paperwork done for you
- The registered agent role costs nothing in year one
- Service of process scanned and uploaded within the same business day, free
Good
- The same price in each of the fifty states
- No charge for registered agent service in year one
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above KY Registered Agent.org
KY Registered Agent.org makes the list at number two because $199 above the state fee gets the company registered in Kentucky, and the agent renews at $99.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- The first year as registered agent
Good
- An agent price of $99 in year two
- The registered agent role is free for the first year
- $199 for the service, state fee extra
Watch for
- Kentucky only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Kentucky Registered Agent.co makes the list at number three because $199 above the state fee gets the company registered in Kentucky, and the agent renews at $99.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
The published prices and features of KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co are identical, so the order between them is a coin flip between solid options.
In the price
- Registration prepared and filed
- A first year as your registered agent
Good
- First-year registered agent service is part of the deal
- $199 to register, plus state fees
- An agent price of $99 in year two
Watch for
- Kentucky only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
Kentucky foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $90 Kentucky registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
Why these made the shortlist
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In Kentucky, what the price covers made the difference.
Registering in a second state touches two states, and one provider with one price in both scored highest on coverage, ahead of KY Registered Agent.org.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Kentucky: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings on the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE). The state fee is $90.
Each year after that, the company files the annual report for $15, due between January 1 and June 30 each year.
What to have ready before you file
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A registered agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $90 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the annual report and its $15 fee.
The cost of skipping Kentucky registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Kentucky courts (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). The state can charge $2 for each day.
Common questions about Kentucky foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Kentucky?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Kentucky?
The state fee is $90, and service fees run $199.
What is the Kentucky foreign registration form called?
It is the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), submitted to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a registered agent?
Yes. The company keeps a registered agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which foreign registration services made this shortlist?
Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), listed from the top pick down.
Which service leads the Kentucky foreign registration shortlist?
Mainstay Filing, because the fee is $199 plus the state's own, with a free first year as registered agent, and the price is identical in every state.
Where the figures come from
- Kentucky Secretary of State (checked again August 2026)
- Kentucky Secretary of State (checked again August 2026)
- Kentucky report due date (checked again August 2026)
- KRS 275.025 (checked again August 2026)
- Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Kentucky registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings (checked again October 2026)
- Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (checked again October 2026)
- KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority (checked again October 2026)
- KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required (checked again October 2026)
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Kentucky service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from KY Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Kentucky Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026