Foreign registration · Form FBE

Illinois LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

What Illinois and Kentucky each ask for

	Illinois formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$25	$90 at order
How it is handled	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	ilsos.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1), $75, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Illinois companies register with Kentucky

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

Your Illinois name and Kentucky's rules

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

Your Kentucky agent and the Illinois one

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

Staying in good standing in Illinois and Kentucky

Each year your LLC files Illinois's Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) ($75) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Illinois plus Kentucky comes to $239 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Illinois to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Illinois files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) ($75) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

Common questions: Illinois to Kentucky

Does my Illinois company need to register in Kentucky?

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

How much does the Kentucky registration cost?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Illinois.

Do I need Illinois'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 Illinois first.

What are the yearly costs for Illinois and Kentucky?

$239 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $75 to Illinois and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

An Illinois 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 Illinois registered agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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