Fee to file with the state
$40
From sos.ky.gov, October 2026
LLC cost guide · Kentucky
Starting an LLC in Kentucky (2026): Official Costs and the 3 Best Services
If you are forming an LLC for Kentucky this year (2026), begin with Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), working down the list. Formation: $40. Annual report: $15, every year. Three-year rank among states: 43rd of 50.
The Kentucky fee sheet
43rd
of fifty for the state side of a three-year budget
Rank 1 charges the least. Every state compared
Annual report
$15 / yr
The state sets the deadline as on or before June 30. From sos.ky.gov, August 2026
Minimum tax, per year
$175
From revenue.ky.gov, October 2026
State charges, years one to three
$595
Only the state's own charges, across three years, counting a minimum tax in each of the three years
Services that file for you, for Kentucky
The order follows five published criteria. They are set out on the methodology page.
1. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a plain Kentucky LLC
$199 plus fees, then $99 each year
First on the list is Kentucky Registered Agent.co, since the Kentucky filing for $199 with the first agent year free, then $99 each year for the agent.
The three-year service bill is smaller than Mainstay Filing's, which is our heaviest criterion.
You, not the service, file the annual report every year.
What the price buys
- The state filing that creates the LLC
- First year of agent service
In its favor
- Nothing more to pay for the agent in year one
- Then $99 per year
- $199 above the state fee
Against it
- No annual report service
- The EIN application is outside the price ($99)
2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for Kentucky-only LLCs
$199 plus fees, then $99 each year
KY Registered Agent.org follows: the Kentucky filing for $199 with the first agent year free, then $99 each year for the agent.
You, not the service, file the annual report every year.
Kentucky Registered Agent.co charges the same.
What the price buys
- The state filing that creates the LLC
- First year of agent service
In its favor
- Nothing more to pay for the agent in year one
- $199 above the state fee
- Then $99 per year
Against it
- No annual report service
- The EIN application is outside the price ($99)
3. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that runs itself on paper
$199 a year, with $239 for the state fee at checkout
In third place we have Mainstay Filing, because for $199 a year it files the Kentucky formation, serves as registered agent and prepares the annual report, with a renewal price of $199.
Over three years its service fees are $200 higher than Kentucky Registered Agent.co's, and cost weighs 34% of the score.
The annual report is filed by Mainstay, with Kentucky's $15 charge passed through unmarked.
What the price buys
- Your formation is prepared and filed
- Registered agent duties covered all year
- Your annual report is prepared and sent in
- Your EIN application goes in with the rest
- What the state charges is billed as it stands
In its favor
- $199 yearly with everything bundled
- EIN filing needs no extra payment
- $199 at renewal, no increase
Against it
- $100 extra each year from year two
The picks in numbers
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | KY Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199/yr | $597 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Every price was copied from its company's page on November 12, 2026. Every row needs the $40 state fee added.
State and service charges, by year
Pick a number of years and a service. The state portion follows the official schedule: $40 to form, then the annual report from year two, and the minimum tax each year.
Kentucky next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 41st | Florida | $402.50 |
| 42nd | North Carolina | $525 |
| 43rd | Kentucky | $595 |
| 44th | Maryland | $700 |
| 45th | Tennessee | $900 |
The complete ranking applies one method to all fifty states.
Filing the Kentucky LLC: fee and form
The Kentucky Secretary of State collects $40 when the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC) is submitted. It is billed at cost by every service below.
Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
The report Kentucky wants after formation
The annual report is due every year, by on or before June 30 and costs $15. The state taxes the LLC too: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Why Kentucky Registered Agent.co is first
In Kentucky the deciding criterion was three-year service charge, at 34% of the total.
Kentucky Registered Agent.co charges $397 over three years in service fees, $200 under Mainstay Filing.
Kentucky FAQ
How much does the state charge to start an LLC in Kentucky?
Official filing fee: $40. The services here charge $199 in the first year.
What fee goes with the Kentucky annual report?
$15 every year, filed on or before June 30.
Where does Kentucky stand on LLC fees?
Kentucky is 43rd of 50 for three-year state fees, at $595; the smallest bill ranks first.
Does Kentucky require a registered agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Does the state tax LLCs every year as well?
Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Which service should file my LLC?
We would pick Kentucky Registered Agent.co (a $199 formation charge and a $99 agent renewal), followed by KY Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.
Sources for this chapter
- Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State: sos.ky.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Kentucky report due date: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for KRS 275.025: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Kentucky registered agent statute: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official: revenue.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Fla: flsenate.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: dos.fl.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source: flsenate.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: dos.fl.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: dos.fl.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: flsenate.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for N.C: sosnc.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for North Carolina formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State: sosnc.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State: sosnc.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Md: mgaleg.maryland.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source: mgaleg.maryland.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Maryland formation fee: Filing fee, official source: egov.maryland.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation: dat.maryland.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.tn.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: tnbear.tn.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: sos.tn.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: sos.tn.gov, opened October 2026
- Kentucky Registered Agent.co, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- KY Registered Agent.org, pricing page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page: copied from the company site November 12, 2026