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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 1 · Kentucky

Forming an LLC in Kentucky (2026): 8 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

Ranked by measured reading, the services for forming an LLC in Kentucky in 2026 are KY Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199). 8 procedures follow; the state's charge measures $40, and the annual report adds $15.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Key facts

State fee to file
$40sos.ky.gov (observed October 2026)
Annual report
$15 a yearDeadline as stated: on or before June 30
State minimum tax
$175revenue.ky.gov (observed October 2026)
Three years of state fees
$595Formation, reports and any minimum tax
Procedures on this sheet
8In sequence

Sheet aims

  • The Kentucky formation document, its price and its destination
  • Who may serve as the registered agent
  • The recurring upkeep
  • The services we recommend

Best reading

If you want someone else to file

Three-year cost and the number of procedures a price performs weigh the most; how we measure lists all five criteria.
Best reading

1. KY Registered Agent.org: best for Kentucky LLCs with limited funds

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

KY Registered Agent.org comes first since $199 above the state fee, with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

Its three-year total is lower than Mainstay Filing's, and cost carries 36% of the reading.

The annual report remains with the owner every year.

What the price performs

  • Formation filing
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • A low $99 renewal
  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 above the state fee

Measured limits

  • Filing the annual report is not something it performs
  • Assistance with the EIN is $99 more
Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for filing and upkeep on one invoice

$199/yr plus the $40 state fee

Mainstay Filing follows in second place: one annual charge of $199 replaces three separate purchases: the filing, the registered agent and the annual report.

Across three years the total is $200 higher than KY Registered Agent.org's.

The annual report is among the procedures it performs, and Kentucky's $15 fee is passed on at cost.

What the price performs

  • Filing with the state
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Annual report filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • State fee billed at cost

Measured strengths

  • No increase at renewal ($199)
  • A flat $199 yearly
  • It prepares the EIN application

Measured limits

  • $100 a year above KY Registered Agent.org's renewal
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
In-state service

3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that keep to Kentucky

$199 plus fees; $99 yearly after

Reading 3 belongs to Kentucky Registered Agent.co, because $199 above the state fee, with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

The annual report remains with the owner every year.

Its prices equal KY Registered Agent.org's, so either is acceptable.

What the price performs

  • Formation filing
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 above the state fee
  • A low $99 renewal

Measured limits

  • Filing the annual report is not something it performs
  • Assistance with the EIN is $99 more
Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Kentucky results compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, observed November 13, 2026. Each row also requires the $40 state fee.

Formation in sequence

  1. Procedure 1: Select a name

    Query the business records kept by the Kentucky Secretary of State. They show whether the name is already on the Kentucky register.

    TipCheck the matching web domain in the same sitting.

  2. Procedure 2: Place a registered agent on record

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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.

    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.

    TipAll of the ranked services provide a registered agent.

    Specimen: apps.legislature.ky.gov (observed October 2026)

  3. Procedure 3: Self-filing against a service

    The owner can file for $40 or add $199 for a service. The ranked services appear above.

  4. Procedure 4: Assemble and file the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company

    Deliver the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC) and $40 to the Kentucky Secretary of State. That filing forms the LLC.

    Specimen: sos.ky.gov (observed October 2026)

  5. Procedure 5: Satisfy Kentucky's additional requirement

    • Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Specimen: revenue.ky.gov (observed October 2026)

  6. Procedure 6: Request the LLC's federal tax ID

    Once approved, the LLC can receive a federal tax ID from the IRS, and the business bank account depends on it. The yearly price at Mainstay Filing covers this application.

  7. Procedure 7: Prepare an operating agreement

    Owners sign it to fix shares, votes and what follows a departure. It is a private document and is not filed.

  8. Procedure 8: Follow Kentucky's recurring filing

    Keeping the LLC active means filing the annual report every year ($15), by on or before June 30. Record the tax too: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Specimen: sos.ky.gov (observed August 2026)

What will be paid

WhatRecipientCost
Filing feePayable to the state$40
Annual reportPayable to the state$15 every year
Minimum tax, annualPayable to the state$175 a year
Help from a serviceThe service$199 for year one
Three years of state feesPayable to the state$595
The state's fees were read from official pages, which are listed below. Over three years they come to the filing, two reports and, in some states, a minimum tax.

How the Kentucky results were ordered

prevailed on measured cost over three years (36% of the reading), with close behind.

Counting the first three years, KY Registered Agent.org comes to $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing.

Questions readers ask

How large is the Kentucky state fee for a new LLC?

Kentucky charges $40. A ranked service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

Formation is complete when the Kentucky Secretary of State accepts the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC).

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Kentucky require each year?

Upkeep consists of the annual report ($15, every year, due on or before June 30). A yearly minimum tax also applies.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

A service is optional. An owner can file with the $40 fee, provided a registered agent is appointed.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order of the readings is KY Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Kentucky Registered Agent.co. KY Registered Agent.org is first because the Kentucky formation measures $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renewal reads $99.

Related sheets

Specimens and records

  1. To reproduce the Kentucky Secretary of State result, consult sos.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  2. To reproduce the Kentucky Secretary of State result, consult sos.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  3. To reproduce the Kentucky report due date result, consult apps.legislature.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  4. To reproduce the KRS 275.025 result, consult apps.legislature.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated August 2026.
  5. To reproduce the Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source result, consult sos.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  6. To reproduce the Kentucky registered agent statute result, consult apps.legislature.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  7. To reproduce the Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official result, consult revenue.ky.gov. Our observation of it is dated October 2026.
  8. Observation of KY Registered Agent.org's pricing page, November 13, 2026
  9. Observation of Mainstay Filing's Kentucky service page, November 13, 2026
  10. Observation of Kentucky Registered Agent.co's pricing page, November 13, 2026