Registered agent required
Yes
From apps.legislature.ky.gov, October 2026
Registered agent guide · Kentucky
Kentucky Registered Agents (2026): State Rules, Fees and the 3 Best Agents
If you are choosing an agent for Kentucky this year (2026), begin with Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and KY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), working down the list. Kentucky law calls for a registered agent on every LLC. State charges that recur come to $190 per year (42nd of 50).
Kentucky in numbers
42nd
of fifty for the state side of an annual budget
First place is the smallest bill. The whole table
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, per year
$190
The state's charges in a normal year
Our Kentucky recommendations
The methodology explains the order. Three-year service fees count 34%, the filings a price covers count 26%, and renewal price, fit with Kentucky rules and fee labeling make up the rest.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state businesses
$149 yearly, renewing at $149
Mainstay Filing takes the top place, as a $149 agent plan that travels with the company into any new state.
Three years of service fees come to $150 more than Kentucky Registered Agent.co; for that the price takes in more of the state's paperwork.
What the price buys
- An address inside the state, kept on file
- Anything served on the company is scanned and sent to you that business day, free of charge
- The first three letters from government agencies each year are scanned at no charge
- Also open to nonprofits, partnerships and corporations, not only LLCs
In its favor
- Works in every state
- $149 yearly, the same at renewal
Against it
- Costs $50 more each year than Kentucky Registered Agent.co
- This plan is for the agent only; reports are yours to file
2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a one-state business
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
Kentucky Registered Agent.co follows: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
What the price buys
- The registered office is an address inside the state
- Process served on the company is scanned and uploaded
In its favor
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
- A flat $99 a year
Against it
- Serves Kentucky alone
- The annual report is yours to send in
3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for an office address inside the state
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
KY Registered Agent.org follows: $99 each year and no change at renewal, a fit for a company that never leaves one state.
Its published prices match Kentucky Registered Agent.co's exactly, so the two sit side by side.
What the price buys
- The registered office is an address inside the state
- Process served on the company is scanned and uploaded
In its favor
- Beats Mainstay Filing on what you pay per year
- A flat $99 a year
Against it
- Serves Kentucky alone
- The annual report is yours to send in
Prices side by side
| No. | Service | Yearly price | Renews at | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Kentucky Registered Agent.co | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | KY Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Company price pages, copied November 12, 2026. State charges stay the same with any agent.
Upkeep calculator
Each agent's price is combined with the state charges that repeat (the annual report from year two) and the minimum tax. Formation fees are not in the total.
Kentucky next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 40th | Florida | $138.75 |
| 41st | Arkansas | $150 |
| 42nd | Kentucky | $190 |
| 43rd | North Carolina | $200 |
| 44th | Maryland | $300 |
All fifty states appear in Registered agent rules by state.
Kentucky registered agent requirements (official, Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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.
Who may serve: 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. Statute: KRS 14A.4-010.
What Kentucky bills each year
$15 every year for the annual report, by on or before June 30. The state sends its letters about it to your registered agent's address. Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
Paperwork the price takes on decided first place in Kentucky. It counts for 26% of the score; the remaining criteria are three-year service charge, year-two price, match to the state's calendar, fee labeling.
One agent for any state outranked the one-state option.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Kentucky LLC need a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who may act as the registered agent for Kentucky LLCs?
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.
What is the yearly price of registered agent service for Kentucky?
Among our picks the price is $99 to $149 a year.
What does the state itself charge an LLC each year?
About $190 a year by our yearly measure, which comes from the annual report ($15 every year) and the minimum tax.
Which registered agents are recommended on this page?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and KY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), with the best one first.
Which registered agent is the best choice?
Start with Mainstay Filing: $149 yearly in Kentucky and the same everywhere else, with a renewal price of $149. After that, Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org.
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 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 Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing: sos.arkansas.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 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
- Mainstay Filing, Kentucky service page: copied from the company site November 12, 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