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Keep it simple · Kentucky

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Kentucky (2026), Plainly

We'd line up the foreign registration services in Kentucky for 2026 as Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Kentucky charges $90 to register, and the services add $397 to $497 over three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

Quick take

You pay the state
$90
Attach a certificate?
No
What comes next
$15, annual report
Our picks
Kentucky Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then KY Registered Agent.org

Who we'd use in Kentucky

The order comes from our five checks: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.
Our favorite

1. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for adding just this one state

$199 up front, then $99 a year

Kentucky Registered Agent.co is our favorite here, because $199 files the registration, and the agent costs $99 each year after.

It's the cheaper of the two over three years, and cost is our first check.

Your money buys

  • The foreign filing, submitted
  • Agent included for year one

The good

  • Year two onward: $99
  • A free agent year at the start
  • Starts at $199 plus the state fee

Trade-offs

  • Nothing outside this state
Works in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for your second, third and fourth state

$199 up front, then $149 a year

Number 2 is Mainstay Filing: it charges $199 plus state fees and waives the registered agent for the first year.

Over three years it costs $100 more than Kentucky Registered Agent.co, and we weigh cost the most.

Starting in year two, the registered agent runs $149 a year.

Your money buys

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Registered agent, no charge the first year
  • One service fee in all fifty states

The good

  • $199, with state fees on top
  • A free first year of agent service
  • No change in price by state

Trade-offs

  • Its agent renewal of $149 is $50 higher than Kentucky Registered Agent.co
One-state pick

3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a one-state add-on

$199 up front, then $99 a year

KY Registered Agent.org takes third, because $199 files the registration, and the agent costs $99 each year after.

The same published prices as Kentucky Registered Agent.co, so go with whichever you like.

Your money buys

  • The foreign filing, submitted
  • Agent included for year one

The good

  • Year two onward: $99
  • A free agent year at the start
  • Starts at $199 plus the state fee

Trade-offs

  • Nothing outside this state

How they compare

#WhoFirst yearRenews atOver three yearsIn the price
1Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397the foreign filing, submitted; agent included for year oneCheck out Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497application prepared and sent; registered agent, no charge the first year; one service fee in all fifty statesCheck out Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397the foreign filing, submitted; agent included for year oneCheck out KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Each company's listed prices on November 13, 2026. State fees come on top and don't change by pick.

Straight answers

When does my LLC need to register?

You register with the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings before your LLC starts doing business in Kentucky.

Without registration, you may see Kentucky's courts won't hear its claims (KRS 14A.9-020(1)); daily fines of $2.

sos.ky.gov, last seen October 2026

How much should I put aside to register?

$90 goes to the state, and a service costs $199 on top.

By the end of year three you'll have paid the state $645. apps.legislature.ky.gov, last seen October 2026

What registers the LLC?

The Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings handles the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE), and one filing does it.

You don't need a good standing certificate from home.

What does staying registered cost?

The state wants a annual report later on, priced at $15.

The due date reads: Between January 1 and June 30 each year.

Why is the list in this order?

It's cost across three years (33% of the score), and Kentucky Registered Agent.co does best there.

33% of the score is cost across three years, 31% is work taken off your hands, and three smaller checks split ties.

Picking Kentucky Registered Agent.co over Mainstay Filing keeps $100 in your pocket across three years.

See how we score

Kentucky requirements, with sources

The ruleDetailsWhere we found it
State filing fee$90apps.legislature.ky.gov, last seen October 2026
Proof of existenceNosos.ky.gov, last seen October 2026
Annual report$15sos.ky.gov, last seen October 2026
Yearly minimum tax$175 a yearrevenue.ky.gov, last seen October 2026
What the state gets in three years$645Our total of the lines above
Each figure above links to the state's official page. The final line is our addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs.

Also worth knowing

What about my home state?

Both states apply their own rules, so your home state still wants an agent. A company that works in every state, like Mainstay Filing, can cover the pair.

What's the three-year total for each?

Kentucky Registered Agent.co: $397 / Mainstay Filing: $497 / KY Registered Agent.org: $397, and state fees are separate.

Can I check these fees?

Every state fee links to its official page. Every service price is read from the company's own site.

Does the state make me use a service?

No law says you must hire anyone.

Is filing included in what they sell?

They do. What the state charges is fixed, and only the service fee varies.

Which foreign registration service would you hire in Kentucky?

Kentucky Registered Agent.co wins on cost across three years, ahead of Mainstay Filing and KY Registered Agent.org.

Where we got this

  1. sos.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky Secretary of State, seen August 2026
  2. sos.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky Secretary of State, seen August 2026
  3. apps.legislature.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky report due date, seen August 2026
  4. apps.legislature.ky.gov: the page for KRS 275.025, seen August 2026
  5. sos.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, seen October 2026
  6. apps.legislature.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky registered agent statute, seen October 2026
  7. sos.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky Secretary of State, business, seen October 2026
  8. web.sos.ky.gov: the page for Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, seen October 2026
  9. apps.legislature.ky.gov: the page for KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting, seen October 2026
  10. apps.legislature.ky.gov: the page for KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact, seen October 2026
  11. revenue.ky.gov: the page for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability, seen October 2026
  12. pricing page from Kentucky Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026
  13. Kentucky service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page from KY Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026