Foreign registration · Form FBE

California Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

A corporation formed in California that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from California: no Certificate of Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs Kentucky: the paperwork

	California formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Kentucky
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually	On or before June 30
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Kentucky registered agent

How California companies register with Kentucky

We prepare and file Form FBE
It lists us as your Kentucky registered agent, next to your California name and formation date. No California paperwork holds up the Kentucky filing. Once Kentucky approves it, the California company can do business there.

Will your California name work for Kentucky?

We check your exact California name against Kentucky's records before filing.

Agents: Kentucky and California

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; California says agent for service of process. Kentucky papers come to us; California's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and California

Each year your corporation files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, California plus Kentucky comes to $189 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, California to Kentucky

An LLC formed in California files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in California

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with California files Form S&DC-S/N with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about Kentucky

Does my California company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay California.

Do I need California'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 California first.

What are the yearly costs for California and Kentucky?

$189 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to California and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

Yes: the California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550).

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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