Foreign registration · Form FBE

Michigan LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

An LLC formed in Michigan that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of Michigan here, not even the Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your Michigan records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Michigan vs Kentucky: the paperwork

	Michigan formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Michigan Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	Michigan: online, emailed to the MiLogin for Business account	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Corporations Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	michigan.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Statement, $25, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	February 15	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Michigan resident agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From Michigan to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your Michigan name work for Kentucky?

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

Your Kentucky agent and the Michigan one

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

Staying in good standing in Michigan and Kentucky

Each year your LLC files Michigan's Annual Statement ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Michigan plus Kentucky comes to $189 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Michigan to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Michigan files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Michigan's Annual Report, Form CSCL/CD-2500 ($25) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Kentucky company in Michigan

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Michigan files Form CSCL/CD 760 with $50 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Questions Michigan owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Michigan company need to register in Kentucky?

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

How much does it cost to register a Michigan LLC in Kentucky?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Michigan.

Do I need Michigan'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 Michigan first.

What are the yearly costs for Michigan and Kentucky?

$189 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to Michigan and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

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