Foreign registration · Form FBE

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in Kentucky

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

What West Virginia and Kentucky each ask for

	West Virginia formed here	Kentucky registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (Foreign Business Entity)
State fee	$10	$90 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Kentucky
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
Official page	sos.wv.gov	web.sos.ky.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Annual Report, $15, every year
Due	July 1 each year	On or before June 30
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Kentucky registered agent

From West Virginia to Kentucky, step by step

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

Your West Virginia name and Kentucky's rules

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

Agents: Kentucky and West Virginia

Kentucky calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Kentucky's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Kentucky and West Virginia

Each year your LLC files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Kentucky's Annual Report ($15). With our $149 registered agent renewal, West Virginia plus Kentucky comes to $190 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Kentucky

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

The other way: Kentucky into West Virginia

An LLC formed in Kentucky that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10). See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Kentucky

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Kentucky?

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

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

$289 at checkout, with nothing to pay West Virginia.

Do I need West Virginia'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 West Virginia first.

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Kentucky?

$190 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $26 to West Virginia and $15 to Kentucky for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Kentucky?

A West Virginia 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Kentucky for year one.

Can I form a new Kentucky LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Kentucky later?

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

Official sources

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