Ohio

Foreign registration · Form FBE

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

What Ohio and Kentucky each ask for

	Ohio formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$5	$90 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	No annual report	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due		On or before June 30
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our Kentucky registered agent

From Ohio to Kentucky, step by step

We prepare and file Form FBE
It lists us as your Kentucky registered agent, next to your Ohio name and formation date. No Ohio paperwork holds up the Kentucky filing. After approval, your Ohio LLC is registered with Kentucky.

Will your Ohio name work for Kentucky?

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

Your Kentucky agent and the Ohio one

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; Ohio says statutory agent. Kentucky papers come to us; Ohio's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Ohio and Kentucky

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Ohio

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no Kentucky certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Ohio to Kentucky

Does my Ohio company need to register in Kentucky?

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

How much does it cost to register an Ohio LLC in Kentucky?

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Ohio.

Do I need Ohio'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 Ohio first.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and Kentucky?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), no Ohio yearly report and Kentucky's report ($15).

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

An Ohio 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 Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

Yes, but Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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The same move for a corporation