Foreign registration · Form FBE

South Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

To do business in Kentucky, a corporation formed in South Dakota registers there on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from South Dakota: no Certificate of Good Standing/Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your South Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What South Dakota and Kentucky each ask for

	South Dakota formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	South Dakota Certificate of Good Standing/Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$20	$90 at order
How it is handled	South Dakota: online	Filed with Kentucky
Office	South Dakota Secretary of State	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sosenterprise.sd.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	By the first day of the registration anniversary month each year (form opens that day	On or before June 30
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From South Dakota to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your South Dakota name work for Kentucky?

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

Your Kentucky agent and the South Dakota one

South Dakota and Kentucky both call it a registered agent. Kentucky papers come to us; South Dakota's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in South Dakota and Kentucky

South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year; Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Kentucky

An LLC formed in South Dakota files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in South Dakota

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with South Dakota files South Dakota's registration (no form number) with $750 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Questions South Dakota owners ask about Kentucky

Does my South Dakota company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay South Dakota.

Do I need South Dakota'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 South Dakota first.

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Kentucky?

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

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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