Foreign registration · Form FBE

Wisconsin Corporation Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

Wisconsin and Kentucky side by side

	Wisconsin formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the anniversary of the articles' effective date	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Wisconsin registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Wisconsin companies register with Kentucky

We prepare and file Form FBE
It names us as your Kentucky registered agent, with your Wisconsin name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Wisconsin first, so the Kentucky filing can go in right away. After approval, your Wisconsin corporation is registered with Kentucky.

Will your Wisconsin name work for Kentucky?

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

Agents: Kentucky and Wisconsin

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

Staying in good standing in Wisconsin and Kentucky

Each year your corporation files Wisconsin's Domestic Business Corporation Annual Report ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Wisconsin plus Kentucky comes to $189 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Wisconsin to Kentucky

An LLC formed in Wisconsin files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Kentucky that registers with Wisconsin files Form 21 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Wisconsin owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in Kentucky?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Wisconsin.

Do I need Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin first.

What are the yearly costs for Wisconsin and Kentucky?

$189 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Wisconsin and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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