No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score9.4out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. One plan at $149 a year goes wherever the company goes, renewing at $149.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the Kentucky filing and the annual report.
Its three-year total exceeds KY Registered Agent.org's by $150; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- An in-state street address on the public record
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
- Free scans of the first three government mailings each year
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above KY Registered Agent.org
- Unless you buy the formation package, you file the annual report
No.2
Best for a Kentucky-only company
2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.1out of 10
Second place: KY Registered Agent.org. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
KY Registered Agent.org lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
In the price
- A physical address in the state for the registered office
- Served legal papers are delivered to you as scans online
Why pick it
- Yearly price below Mainstay Filing's
- $99 a year, with no change at renewal
- Offers formation with a free first agent year
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for Kentucky; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
Kentucky specialist
3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for Kentucky specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score8.9out of 10
Third place: Kentucky Registered Agent.co. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
Kentucky Registered Agent.co provides the in-state registered office and posts scans of any legal papers served there to your account.
No difference in price or features separates KY Registered Agent.org from Kentucky Registered Agent.co; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- A street address in the state, on the public record
- Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded to your account
Why pick it
- $99 a year, with no change at renewal
- LLC formation offered, year-one agent service included
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
Weak spots
- The annual report is yours to file
- Built for Kentucky; elsewhere you need another agent
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.4 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | KY Registered Agent.org | 9.1 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on
How we rank, not any customer rating.
Kentucky registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
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| KY Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Kentucky's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
The reasoning for the order
Two criteria carry 31% each in this ranking, charge over three years and work taken off the founder. Renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight share 38%, and in Kentucky the decisive one was work taken off the founder.
Mainstay's plan reaches further: papers served on the company are scanned within the same business day at no cost, the price is identical across all fifty states, and three government letters a year are scanned free. KY Registered Agent.org charges less, so the margin is narrow.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What Kentucky requires of a registered agent (source: Kentucky Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical registered office in Kentucky that matches the agent's business address. A P.O. box is not enough. Authority: KRS 14A.4-010.
The Kentucky annual report: its fee and due date
In Kentucky, the annual report comes due every year. $15 is payable to the state, and the deadline is on or before June 30. Notices about it are sent to your registered agent.
Questions on Kentucky registered agents
Is a Kentucky LLC obliged to appoint a registered agent?
Yes. Kentucky law expects every LLC to appoint a registered agent with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a Kentucky registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the registered agent?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. A Kentucky resident, or an entity qualified to do business in Kentucky, whose business address is the registered office. The agent signs or files a written acceptance.
What is the deadline for the Kentucky annual report?
$15 goes to the state, and the filing falls due on or before June 30.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), KY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which Kentucky registered agent does the record favor?
Mainstay Filing, since the charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
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
- 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