Hawaii

Foreign registration · Form FBE

Hawaii LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

An LLC formed in Hawaii that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from Hawaii: no Good Standing Certificate. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your Hawaii records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Hawaii vs Kentucky: the paperwork

	Hawaii formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Hawaii Good Standing Certificate (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Hawaii: online	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	cca.hawaii.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form C5), $12.50, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	Last day of the quarter in which the LLC was organized (Q1 organized -> Mar 31	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Hawaii registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From Hawaii to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your Hawaii name work for Kentucky?

We search Kentucky's records for Hawaii's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Kentucky and Hawaii

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

Staying in good standing in Hawaii and Kentucky

Each year your LLC files Hawaii's Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form C5) ($12.50) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Hawaii plus Kentucky comes to $176.50 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Hawaii to Kentucky

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

Registering a Kentucky company in Hawaii

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Hawaii files Form FLLC-1 with $51 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Hawaii owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Hawaii company need to register in Kentucky?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Hawaii.

Do I need Hawaii'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 Hawaii first.

What are the yearly costs for Hawaii and Kentucky?

$176.50 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $12.50 to Hawaii and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A Hawaii 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 Hawaii registered agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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