Foreign registration · Form FBE

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

Kentucky registers a corporation from West Virginia as a foreign corporation on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of West Virginia here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your West Virginia records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

West Virginia and Kentucky side by side

	West Virginia formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Kentucky
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sos.wv.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	July 1 each year	On or before June 30
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Kentucky registered agent

How West Virginia companies register with Kentucky

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

Your West Virginia name and Kentucky's rules

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

Your Kentucky agent and the West Virginia one

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Kentucky's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and West Virginia

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Kentucky

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to Kentucky

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay West Virginia.

Do I need West Virginia'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 West Virginia first.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Kentucky's report ($15).

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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