Maryland

Foreign registration · Form FBE

Maryland LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

To do business in Kentucky, an LLC formed in Maryland registers there on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from Maryland: no Certificate of Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your Maryland records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What Maryland and Kentucky each ask for

	Maryland formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$20	$90 at order
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1), $300, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	April 15	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Maryland resident agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Maryland companies register with Kentucky

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

Your Maryland name and Kentucky's rules

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

Agents: Kentucky and Maryland

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; Maryland says resident agent. Your current resident agent stays for Maryland; ours takes Kentucky's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Maryland and Kentucky

Each year your LLC files Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maryland plus Kentucky comes to $464 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Maryland files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Maryland's periodic report ($300) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in Maryland

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Maryland to Kentucky

Does my Maryland company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once a Maryland 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 Maryland.

Do I need Maryland'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 Maryland first.

What are the yearly costs for Maryland and Kentucky?

$464 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $300 to Maryland and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A Maryland 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 Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

Yes, but Maryland keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and the original keeps Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1).

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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