Foreign registration · Form FBE

Pennsylvania LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

An LLC formed in Pennsylvania that wants to do business in Kentucky files Form FBE, with $90 in state fees. Kentucky asks nothing of Pennsylvania here, not even the Subsistence Certificate. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings from your Pennsylvania records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Pennsylvania vs Kentucky: the paperwork

	Pennsylvania formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	Pennsylvania Subsistence Certificate (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$40	$90 at order
How it is handled	Pennsylvania: online through Business Filing Services, or by mail on the copy and certificate request form	Filed with Kentucky
Office	Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	file.dos.pa.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $7, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	September 30	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Pennsylvania registered office	Our Kentucky registered agent

From Pennsylvania to Kentucky, step by step

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

Will your Pennsylvania name work for Kentucky?

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

Your Kentucky agent and the Pennsylvania one

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

Yearly filings: Kentucky and Pennsylvania

Each year your LLC files Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Pennsylvania plus Kentucky comes to $171 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Pennsylvania to Kentucky

A corporation formed in Pennsylvania files Form FBE with Kentucky ($90 in state fees, the same; no home-state certificate is needed). After that come Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Kentucky into Pennsylvania

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with Pennsylvania files Form DSCB:15-412 with $250 in state fees; no Kentucky certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Pennsylvania to Kentucky

Does my Pennsylvania company need to register in Kentucky?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay Pennsylvania.

Do I need Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania first.

What are the yearly costs for Pennsylvania and Kentucky?

$171 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $7 to Pennsylvania and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania registered office stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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