Foreign registration · Form 635_0010

Kentucky LLC Foreign Registration in Iowa

An LLC formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in Iowa files Form 635_0010, with $100 in state fees. Iowa also asks for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 90 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Services using your Kentucky records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Kentucky and Iowa side by side

	Kentucky formed here	Iowa registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form 635_0010, Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with Iowa
Paid expedite		5-business-day $15, 2-business-day $50
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.iowa.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Biennial Report, $30, every two years
Due	On or before June 30	April 1 of odd-numbered years
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Iowa registered agent

From Kentucky to Iowa, step by step

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our Iowa order. Iowa accepts it within 90 days of Kentucky's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form 635_0010
It names us as your Iowa registered agent, with your Kentucky name and formation date and the certificate attached. The Kentucky certificate comes first; then the Iowa filing goes in. After approval, your Kentucky LLC is registered with Iowa.

First-year cost, Kentucky to Iowa

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$100
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of Iowa registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$309

Iowa's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Will your Kentucky name work for Iowa?

If Iowa's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Kentucky company. We check your exact Kentucky name against Iowa's records before filing.

Agents: Iowa and Kentucky

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

Staying in good standing in Kentucky and Iowa

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Iowa

A corporation formed in Kentucky files Form 635_0110A with Iowa ($100 in state fees, the same). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Iowa's Biennial Report ($60). See the corporation filing.

Registering an Iowa company in Kentucky

An LLC formed in Iowa that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no Iowa certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Kentucky owners ask about Iowa

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Iowa?

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

How much does the Iowa registration cost?

$299 at checkout plus $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $309 in all (checkout is $100 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Iowa wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 90 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Iowa?

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

What if I don't register with Iowa?

A Kentucky company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Iowa require a registered agent?

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

Will Iowa accept my Kentucky name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Kentucky name at home.

Can I form a new Iowa LLC instead?

Yes, but Kentucky keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Iowa's Biennial Report ($30), and the original keeps Kentucky's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Iowa later?

Kentucky companies leave by filing a Statement of Withdrawal ($10); until then, Iowa's report stays due alongside Kentucky's filings.

Official sources

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