Foreign registration · Form FBE

Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

A corporation formed in Iowa that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of Iowa here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your Iowa records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Iowa and Kentucky side by side

	Iowa formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Iowa companies register with Kentucky

We prepare and file Form FBE
It names us as your Kentucky registered agent, with your Iowa name and formation date. No Iowa paperwork holds up the Kentucky filing. After approval, your Iowa corporation is registered with Kentucky.

Your Iowa name and Kentucky's rules

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

Agents: Kentucky and Iowa

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

Staying in good standing in Iowa and Kentucky

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($60); Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Kentucky

An LLC formed in Iowa files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($30) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Iowa

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Iowa company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Iowa.

Do I need Iowa'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 Iowa first.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($60, every two years) and Kentucky's report ($15).

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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