North Carolina

Foreign registration · Form FBE

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

Kentucky registers an LLC from North Carolina as a foreign LLC on Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of North Carolina here, not even the Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings using your North Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What North Carolina and Kentucky each ask for

	North Carolina formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Kentucky
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sosnc.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $203, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	April 15	On or before June 30
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From North Carolina to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your North Carolina name work for Kentucky?

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

Agents: Kentucky and North Carolina

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

Yearly filings: Kentucky and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Carolina plus Kentucky comes to $367 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Kentucky

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

Registering a Kentucky company in North Carolina

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: North Carolina to Kentucky

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Kentucky?

Yes, once a North Carolina 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 North Carolina.

Do I need North Carolina'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 North Carolina first.

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Kentucky?

$367 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $203 to North Carolina and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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