LLC Formation in Kentucky (2026): 8 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
If you are hiring for starting an LLC in Kentucky in 2026, we rank Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. The primer has 8 moves. The state charges $40 and $15 for the annual report.
From the Founder Primer desk
Key facts
Filing fee
$40
Check it yourself at sos.ky.gov; we read it in October 2026
Annual report
$15 a year
Deadline, as the state words it: on or before June 30
Tax each year
$175
Check it yourself at revenue.ky.gov; we read it in October 2026
Three-year state cost
$595
No service fees counted
Move count
8
Listed below
You will know
The official Kentucky fee and form
What the registered agent rule asks
What you file every year after
Which services we pick and why
If you want someone else to file
Marked on the scoring page: three-year cost (27%), to-dos cleared (38%), renewal, fit with Kentucky's rules and readable pricing.
Top mark$199 first year, $199 renewal, state fee extra
1. Mainstay Filing: best for dropping the annual report paperwork
In Kentucky, Mainstay Filing is number one: one bill of $199 a year clears three to-dos (filing, registered agent, annual report).
The three-year premium over KY Registered Agent.org is $200; the 38% weight on to-dos cleared outweighs it.
The annual report is on its to-do list, and Kentucky's $15 fee is billed to you at cost.
Inside the price
The filing is made for you
Registered agent all year
Annual report filed on time
EIN application included
State fee at cost
In its favor
No extra fee for the EIN application
Renews at $199
Flat $199 a year
Against it
Renewal is $100 higher than KY Registered Agent.org
Kentucky specialist$199 year one, $99 later
2. KY Registered Agent.org: best for a bootstrapped formation
KY Registered Agent.org is a fair second choice: $199 on top of the state fee, agent free in year one, then $99 a year.
You file the annual report yourself every year.
Inside the price
The filing is made for you
Agent service for year one
In its favor
First agent year included
$99 yearly from year two
$199 above the state fee
Against it
The annual report stays with you
The EIN application costs $99 extra
Kentucky specialist$199 year one, $99 later
3. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for a local filer
Kentucky Registered Agent.co is a fair third choice: $199 on top of the state fee, agent free in year one, then $99 a year.
Prices come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. Every row owes the $40 state fee as well.
The primer, move by move
Move 1
Make sure the name is yours to use
Start at the Kentucky Secretary of State: its business records show whether a Kentucky company already uses your name.
Look up the matching domain at the same time.
Move 2
Fill the registered agent seat
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.
Hire any one of our picks for this.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at apps.legislature.ky.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 3
Who files it?
Skip the service: $40 to the state. Use one of our picks: $199 more, and you skip the forms.
Move 4
Submit the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company
This is the filing that creates the company: the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), sent to the Kentucky Secretary of State with $40.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sos.ky.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 5
Kentucky adds one more rule
Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at revenue.ky.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 6
Get your EIN
Approval first. Then the IRS. The Mainstay Filing package already includes this move.
Move 7
Get the owners' deal on paper
Owners sign it to settle shares, votes and what happens when someone leaves. It is private and never filed.
Move 8
Plan for year two
Every year the LLC files the annual report and pays $15; deadline on or before June 30. The state also charges a tax: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at sos.ky.gov; we read it in August 2026
Kentucky costs by move
What
Payee
Total
Filing fee
State office
$40
Annual report
State office
$15 every year
Tax due each year
State office
$175 a year
A service, if you hire one
Your service
$199 for year one
State fees for three years
State office
$595
These are the official Kentucky fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the year-two and year-three reports and any minimum tax.
The logic behind the order
To-dos the price takes off you is 38% of the mark, and it is where moved ahead in Kentucky.
Kentucky wants the annual report every year, so a price that files it beat a lower one that leaves it to you.
Kentucky quick answers
How big is the Kentucky formation fee?
$40 goes to the state. Services we rank charge $199 on top.
Which form creates the LLC?
The Kentucky Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), the paper that forms the company.
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Kentucky require each year?
Kentucky requires the annual report every year, at $15, with the deadline stated as on or before June 30. There is also a yearly minimum tax.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
You can: the state wants $40, and you name a registered agent yourself or hire one.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Mainstay Filing, since the founder pays $199 a year and skips three separate vendors for filing, registered agent and annual report. Then KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co.