Kentucky Registered Agent Primer (2026): 6 Moves and the 3 Best Agents
Our order for appointing a registered agent in Kentucky, 2026, is Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), KY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($99 a year). Learn the rule, the eligibility test, the address test and the filing in 6 moves.
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.
Move 3
Pick a compliant 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.
With a service, the public record shows its address, not yours.
Move 4
Serve yourself or hire one
Pass the tests above and you can name yourself. One of our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.
Move 5
Name the agent in the filing
For a new Kentucky LLC the agent goes on the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC). A change later is its own filing with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
Where this comes from: Per sos.ky.gov, as of October 2026
Move 6
Track the repeating filing
File the annual report on time ($15, on or before June 30) and the agent record stays right. Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Where this comes from: Per sos.ky.gov, as of August 2026
What the agent costs in Kentucky
Cost item
Payee
Price
A professional agent
The provider
$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agent
The provider
$99 to $149 a year
Annual report
Paid to the state
$15 every year
Minimum tax, annual
Paid to the state
$175 a year
State amounts are Kentucky's official fees (sources below); service prices come from each company's site. Three years of state cost is the filing, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.
How we ordered the Kentucky picks
To-dos the price takes off you is 38% of the mark, and it is where moved ahead in Kentucky.
One agent for any state beat the one-state plan.
Kentucky questions
Does Kentucky force an LLC to keep a registered agent?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, when you meet the who-may-serve and address rules in moves 2 and 3.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes, any time. Move 5 shows how to file the change with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
What does a registered agent cost in Kentucky?
Our picks charge $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
Expect to file the annual report and pay $15 every year, and to pay the yearly minimum tax.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Our order: Mainstay Filing, KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co. Mainstay Filing leads because $149 a year, $149 when it renews, same plan in all fifty states.