No.1
Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate ($289 due at checkout in all); the agent costs $149 a year from the second year
Score9.6out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Kentucky registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
After the free first year, the agent is $149 annually, whichever state the company chooses.
Its three-year total exceeds KY Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Registration paperwork handled for you
- Registered agent service is free in year one
- Free same-business-day scans of anything served on the company
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- One price in each of the fifty states
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than KY Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best for a Kentucky-only company
2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Kentucky
$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually
Score9.3out of 10
Second place: KY Registered Agent.org. The Kentucky registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- Kentucky registration filed for you
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- The first year as registered agent is free
- Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
Weak spots
- Serves Kentucky only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Low renewal
3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for Kentucky registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score9.2out of 10
Third place: Kentucky Registered Agent.co. The Kentucky registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- Kentucky registration filed for you
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- Covers the first year of registered agent service
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Kentucky only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.6 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | KY Registered Agent.org | 9.3 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | 9.2 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Kentucky foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| KY Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Kentucky's $90 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The reasoning for the order
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Kentucky, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of KY Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Kentucky: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE). The state fee is $90.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $15, with a due date of between January 1 and June 30 each year.
Items to gather before filing
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $90 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $15 fee.
Consequences of operating in Kentucky unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Kentucky courts (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). Penalties accrue at $2 per day.
Questions on Kentucky foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Kentucky?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Kentucky run in total?
The state fee is $90; service charges run $199.
What does Kentucky call its foreign registration form?
The Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), lodged with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Kentucky?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Kentucky Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Kentucky Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- Kentucky report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- KRS 275.025, on the record as of August 2026
- Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Kentucky registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings, on the record as of October 2026
- Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, on the record as of October 2026
- KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority, on the record as of October 2026
- KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: KY Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Kentucky Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026