Foreign registration · Form FBE

California LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

To do business in Kentucky, an LLC formed in California registers there on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of California here, not even the Certificate of Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs Kentucky: the paperwork

	California formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Kentucky
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	On or before June 30
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Kentucky registered agent

How California companies register with Kentucky

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

Will your California name work for Kentucky?

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

Agents: Kentucky and California

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

Staying in good standing in California and Kentucky

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to Kentucky

A corporation formed in California files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Kentucky into California

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: California to Kentucky

Does my California company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Kentucky law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register a California LLC in Kentucky?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay California.

Do I need California'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 California first.

What are the yearly costs for California and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Kentucky's report ($15).

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Kentucky can add a penalty of $2 a day.

Does Kentucky require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

California companies leave by filing a Certificate of Withdrawal (Foreign Business Entity) ($40); until then, Kentucky's report stays due alongside California's filings.

Official sources

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