Texas

Foreign registration · Form 304

Kentucky LLC Foreign Registration in Texas

An LLC formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in Texas files Form 304, with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Texas needs nothing from Kentucky: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Texas Secretary of State from your Kentucky records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Kentucky and Texas side by side

	Kentucky formed here	Texas registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 304
State fee	$10	$767.13 at order (filing fee $750 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with Texas
Required expedite		$50 at order (Texas Express)
Faster options		next-day $500, same-day $750
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Texas Secretary of State
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.state.tx.us
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	On or before June 30	May 15 each year
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Texas registered agent

From Kentucky to Texas, step by step

We prepare and file Form 304
It lists us as your Texas registered agent, next to your Kentucky name and formation date. No Kentucky paperwork holds up the Texas filing. Once Texas approves it, the Kentucky company can do business there.

Will your Kentucky name work for Texas?

Texas accepts your Kentucky name if it includes limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either. If another Texas company uses the Kentucky name, an alternate name is allowed. We search Texas's records for Kentucky's name on file before anything is filed.

Agents: Texas and Kentucky

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

Yearly filings: Texas and Kentucky

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Texas

A corporation formed in Kentucky files Form 301 with Texas ($767.13 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Texas's Franchise Tax Report + Public Information Report (no fee). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Texas company in Kentucky

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

Common questions: Kentucky to Texas

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Texas?

Yes, once a Kentucky business operates there; Texas law lists 16 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Texas registration cost?

$1,016.13 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite, with nothing to pay Kentucky.

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

No, Texas takes Form 304 without it.

How long does the Texas registration take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days with Texas's required expedite; nothing comes from Kentucky first. Faster state options: next-day $500, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Texas?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Kentucky's report ($15) and Texas's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Texas?

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

Does Texas require a registered agent?

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

Will Texas 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. Texas names must include limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either.

Can I form a new Texas LLC instead?

Yes, but Kentucky keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Texas's Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, and the original keeps Kentucky's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Texas later?

Kentucky companies leave by filing Form 608, Certificate of Withdrawal of Registration ($15); until then, Texas's report stays due alongside Kentucky's filings.

Official sources

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