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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Kentucky

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Kentucky (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Kentucky the order reads KY Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199). KY Registered Agent.org posts the top score: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Kentucky, agent renewing at $99.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. KY Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Kentucky

9.4 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

KY Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its three-year total undercuts Mainstay Filing, which earns real points on cost.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • Year one as your registered agent is included

Watch for

  • Limited to Kentucky; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. KY Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best for multi-state companies

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($289 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

KY Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free first year as your registered agent
  • Same-business-day scans of service of process at no charge

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Same price across all fifty states
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than KY Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best local option

3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Kentucky only

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Kentucky Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • A year of registered agent service is built in

Watch for

  • Limited to Kentucky; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 KY Registered Agent.org 9.4 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 9.1 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Kentucky Registered Agent.co 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Kentucky foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
KY Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Kentucky Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Kentucky's $90 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Kentucky the tie was broken by cost across three years.

KY Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Kentucky: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity) (Form FBE) to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings, with a $90 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($15), due between January 1 and June 30 each year.

Gather these before filing

  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $90, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $15 fee.

The price of ignoring Kentucky registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Kentucky courts until it registers (KRS 14A.9-020(1)). A per-day penalty of $2 may accrue.

Kentucky foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Kentucky make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Kentucky?

Expect $90 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Kentucky?

The form goes to the Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings; its exact name is in the facts above.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

KY Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Kentucky?

KY Registered Agent.org, since the Kentucky registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Kentucky Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  2. Kentucky Secretary of State, as of August 2026
  3. Kentucky report due date, as of August 2026
  4. KRS 275.025, as of August 2026
  5. Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Kentucky registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings, as of October 2026
  8. Form FBE, Certificate of Authority, as of October 2026
  9. KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority, as of October 2026
  10. KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required, as of October 2026
  11. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for KY Registered Agent.org
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: Kentucky service page for Mainstay Filing
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Kentucky Registered Agent.co