3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Kentucky (2026), Step by Step
In Kentucky for 2026, compare Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), ranked best first. Registration at the state costs $90 for every filer, and three years of service fees add $397 to $497.
Written by the Simple Filing Guide editorial team
Do this first
Fee at the state
$90
Attach a certificate?
Not needed
Afterward
$15, annual report
Our shortlist
Mainstay Filing, KY Registered Agent.org then Kentucky Registered Agent.co
Kentucky: the ranking
The order follows our five checks: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for your second, third and fourth state
Year one $199; later years $149
Start with Mainstay Filing in Kentucky: it charges $199 plus state fees and waives the registered agent the first year.
Choosing KY Registered Agent.org would save $100 over three years, with the limit that it covers one state.
Every state charges the same $149 a year for the registered agent after year one.
Checklist: what is included
State registration done for you
Registered agent, covered in year one
Priced identically in any state
What works
A free first year of agent service
$199 to file the registration
The price does not change by state
Gaps
KY Registered Agent.org renews its agent $50 lower
Each company's listed prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are extra and do not vary by pick.
What to know before you file
Does my LLC from another state have to register?
If your LLC was formed in another state and will operate in Kentucky, register first.
The cost of skipping it includes it cannot act as a plaintiff (KRS 14A.9-020(1)); a fine for each day of $2.
sos.ky.gov, confirmed October 2026, official source
How much does registration cost?
Registering through the state costs $90, and a service adds $199.
The state will have collected $645 by the end of year three. apps.legislature.ky.gov, confirmed October 2026, official source
What is the application called?
The Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings handles registrations, and the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) is the one to file.
A home-state certificate is not part of this filing.
Are there ongoing fees to plan for?
The state wants a annual report later, priced at $15.
Filings come due Between January 1 and June 30 each year.
What decided the ranking?
Filing jobs included, at 27%, puts Mainstay Filing first.
Start with total for three years, then filing jobs included, then three smaller checks.
You will need an agent at home as well, and handling both states from one account saves effort.
State-set fees come from Kentucky's publications; what services charge comes from the prices they post.
Do I need to hire a service?
No. You can file with the state yourself; a service saves time and can act as your agent, but nothing makes you hire one.
Is filing part of the service?
Yes, filing is part of what these companies sell, and the state fee does not move.
Who is your first choice in Kentucky?
Mainstay Filing is on top because $199 over the state fee registers you, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year after; KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co follow.
Verify these facts
Kentucky Secretary of State: confirmed August 2026 using sos.ky.gov
Kentucky Secretary of State: confirmed August 2026 using sos.ky.gov