No.1
Top pick on this page
1. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a Kentucky LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.1out of 10
First place: Kentucky Registered Agent.co. Kentucky formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the registered agent free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Kentucky every year.
Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and cost is one of our two most heavily weighted criteria.
In the price
- Articles prepared and filed
- A first year as your registered agent
Why pick it
- The first year as registered agent is free
- $199 to form the LLC, state fee on top
- The agent renews at $99 annually
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Formation, agent and report
2. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee ($239 due at checkout)
Score8.9out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 a year buys the Kentucky filing, registered agent service and the annual report, and renewal is $199.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the annual report for you. Kentucky charges $15 every year for it, due on or before June 30; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
Kentucky Registered Agent.co costs $200 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- Formation paperwork prepared and lodged
- A full year as your registered agent
- Annual report prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- Covers the EIN application
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the annual report
- Kentucky's fee is passed along at cost
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above Kentucky Registered Agent.co's
No.3
Best local option
3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a filing made only in Kentucky
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score8.6out of 10
Third place: KY Registered Agent.org. Kentucky formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the registered agent free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The annual report lies outside its published prices, so you file it with Kentucky every year.
Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org publish the same price and the same features, so either is a defensible choice.
In the price
- Articles prepared and filed
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- The agent renews at $99 annually
- Formation at $199, with the filing fee extra
- Twelve months as your registered agent come with it
Weak spots
- The annual report is not prepared for you
- 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 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | 9.1 | $199 | $99/yr | A Kentucky business holding down its costs | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 8.9 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the annual report under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | KY Registered Agent.org | 8.6 | $199 | $99/yr | A Kentucky business holding down its costs | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
Scores out of 10 are editorial marks set by The Startup Judge from the criteria on
How we rank. They are not customer ratings.
Kentucky LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the annual report |
|---|
| Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| KY Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Kentucky's $40 filing fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
What decided the order
The method behind these rulings gives 31% to charge over three years and 31% to work taken off the founder, with renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight dividing 38%. What settled Kentucky was charge over three years.
Over three years Kentucky Registered Agent.co totals $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the annual report as well, yet an owner can do it alone for the state fee, so the lower charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The Kentucky LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC) with the Kentucky Secretary of State, budget $40. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Obligations after the Kentucky filing is accepted
File the annual report every year; the date is on or before June 30. $15 goes to the state. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on Kentucky LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in Kentucky?
The state filing fee is $40; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), lodged with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
Does a Kentucky LLC have to name a registered agent on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a registered agent when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in Kentucky.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the annual report, filed every year, due on or before June 30, at a state fee of $15.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which Kentucky LLC service does the record favor?
Kentucky Registered Agent.co, since the formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
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 other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Kentucky Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: KY Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026