Foreign registration · Form FBE

North Dakota LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

An LLC formed in North Dakota that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky needs nothing from North Dakota: no Certificate of Good Standing. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your North Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What North Dakota and Kentucky each ask for

	North Dakota formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$20	$90 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed with Kentucky
Office	North Dakota Secretary of State	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	firststop.sos.nd.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $50, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	November 15	On or before June 30
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From North Dakota to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your North Dakota name work for Kentucky?

We check your exact North Dakota name against Kentucky's records before filing.

Agents: Kentucky and North Dakota

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

Yearly filings: Kentucky and North Dakota

Each year your LLC files North Dakota's Annual Report ($50) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Dakota plus Kentucky comes to $214 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to Kentucky

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

The other way: Kentucky into North Dakota

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $135 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Common questions: North Dakota to Kentucky

Does my North Dakota company need to register in Kentucky?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay North Dakota.

Do I need North Dakota'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 Dakota first.

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and Kentucky?

$214 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $50 to North Dakota and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

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

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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The same move for a corporation