Foreign registration · Form 21

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 21, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin also asks for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your Kentucky records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Kentucky and Wisconsin each ask for

	Kentucky formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form 21, Application for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed on Wisconsin's paper form
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report, $65, every year
Due	On or before June 30	March 31 each year after qualification
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

From Kentucky to Wisconsin, step by step

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our Wisconsin order. Wisconsin accepts it within 60 days of Kentucky's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 21
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Kentucky name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once Kentucky's certificate is in hand, Wisconsin's filing goes in. After approval, your Kentucky corporation is registered with Wisconsin.

First-year cost, Kentucky to Wisconsin

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of Wisconsin registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$309

Wisconsin's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Kentucky name and Wisconsin's rules

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

Agents: Wisconsin and Kentucky

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

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Kentucky

Each year your corporation files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Kentucky plus Wisconsin comes to $229 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form 521 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($80). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Kentucky

A corporation formed in Wisconsin that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no Wisconsin certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to Wisconsin

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a Kentucky business operates there; Wisconsin does not count a one-off deal finished within 30 days.

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does it cost to register a Kentucky corporation in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout plus $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $309 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Wisconsin wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Wisconsin?

$229 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $15 to Kentucky and $65 to Wisconsin for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

Wisconsin can charge a Kentucky company up to $65 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Wisconsin corporation instead?

Yes, but Kentucky keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25), and the original keeps Kentucky's Annual Report.

Official sources

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