Foreign registration · Form FBE

Montana LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

Montana and Kentucky side by side

	Montana formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Montana Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Montana: online	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Montana Secretary of State, Business Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	biz.sosmt.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $20, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	April 15	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Montana registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

How Montana companies register with Kentucky

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

Your Montana name and Kentucky's rules

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

Agents: Kentucky and Montana

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

Yearly filings: Kentucky and Montana

Each year your LLC files Montana's Annual Report ($20) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Montana plus Kentucky comes to $184 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Montana to Kentucky

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

The other way: Kentucky into Montana

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Montana files Montana's registration (no form number) with $70 in state fees; no Kentucky certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Montana owners ask about Kentucky

Does my Montana company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once a Montana 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 Montana.

Do I need Montana'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 Montana first.

What are the yearly costs for Montana and Kentucky?

$184 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $20 to Montana and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A Montana 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 Montana registered agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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