Foreign registration · Form FBE

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

What Iowa and Kentucky each ask for

	Iowa formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From Iowa to Kentucky, step by step

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

Your Iowa name and Kentucky's rules

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

Your Kentucky agent and the Iowa one

Iowa and Kentucky both call it a registered agent. Kentucky papers come to us; Iowa's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Iowa

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Iowa company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once an Iowa 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 Iowa.

Do I need Iowa'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 Iowa first.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and Kentucky's report ($15).

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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The same move for a corporation