Alabama

Foreign registration · Form FBE

Alabama Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

To do business in Kentucky, a corporation formed in Alabama registers there on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of Alabama here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your Alabama records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Alabama and Kentucky side by side

	Alabama formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$25	$90 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT), fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due		On or before June 30
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Alabama companies register with Kentucky

We prepare and file Form FBE
It names us as your Kentucky registered agent, with your Alabama name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Alabama first, so the Kentucky filing can go in right away. Once Kentucky approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

Your Alabama name and Kentucky's rules

We search Kentucky's records for Alabama's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Kentucky and Alabama

Alabama and Kentucky both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Alabama; ours takes Kentucky's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and Alabama

Alabama wants the Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) every year; Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Kentucky

An LLC formed in Alabama files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Alabama's Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in Alabama

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Alabama company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Kentucky registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Kentucky issues one to Alabama corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama corporation in Kentucky?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Alabama.

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

No, Kentucky takes Form FBE without it.

How long does the Kentucky registration take?

Kentucky's standard processing takes up to 3 business days; nothing comes from Alabama first.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and Kentucky's report ($15).

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

Yes: the Alabama registered agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT).

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

Alabama companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal (Foreign Business Entity); until then, Kentucky's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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