Ohio

Foreign registration · Form FBE

Ohio Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

Ohio and Kentucky side by side

	Ohio formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due		On or before June 30
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Ohio companies register with Kentucky

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

Your Ohio name and Kentucky's rules

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

Agents: Kentucky and Ohio

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; Ohio says statutory agent. Kentucky papers come to us; Ohio's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and Ohio

Ohio has no annual report for corporations; Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to Kentucky

An LLC formed in Ohio files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Ohio

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with Ohio files Form 530A with $99 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Ohio owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Ohio company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Ohio.

Do I need Ohio'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 Ohio first.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and Kentucky's report ($15).

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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