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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Session 1 · Kentucky

Kentucky LLC Formation Class (2026): 8 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

Today's class on starting an LLC in Kentucky in 2026 comes with one answer: hire Mainstay Filing ($199), Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Starting the LLC means 8 assignments and $40 to the state, then the annual report every year.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Class overview

Fee to form$40Look at sos.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
Annual report$15 a yearDue date as the state says it: on or before June 30
Tax each year$175Look at revenue.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
State fees over three years$595Service fees not included
Class assignments8From first to last

You will leave able to

  • How starting an LLC works in Kentucky
  • How to meet the registered agent rule
  • How to stay in good standing
  • How the picks stack up

Class favorites in Kentucky

Tuition over three years leads, then homework done, year-two tuition, Kentucky fit and readable fees (grading page).
Best overall

1. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done

First year $199; renewal $199; state fee extra

The class favorite is Mainstay Filing, because $199 yearly covers the formation, the registered agent and the annual report, and the renewal bill is $199.

Three years here run $200 higher than at Kentucky Registered Agent.co, with more of the work done in return.

Included: the annual report, with the state's $15 charged just as Kentucky sets it.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation filing prepared and sent
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Strengths

  • No jump at renewal ($199)
  • $199 per year for the whole package
  • The EIN assignment is part of the package

Weak spots

  • Renewal costs $100 above Kentucky Registered Agent.co
Focused on Kentucky

2. Kentucky Registered Agent.co: best for Kentucky LLCs with a small budget

$199 the first year, $99 after

Kentucky Registered Agent.co makes a respectable second: the Kentucky LLC is formed for $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

Handing in the annual report every year stays on your homework list.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Then $99 per year
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual report for you to file
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment
Focused on Kentucky

3. KY Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that never leave Kentucky

$199 the first year, $99 after

KY Registered Agent.org makes a respectable third: the Kentucky LLC is formed for $199 with the agent covered in year one, and the agent renews at $99.

Handing in the annual report every year stays on your homework list.

It lists the same prices as Kentucky Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • Formation paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Then $99 per year

Weak spots

  • It leaves the annual report for you to file
  • It bills $99 for the EIN assignment

3 services, side by side

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Kentucky Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Kentucky Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3KY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit KY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $40 state fee to every row.

Starting a Kentucky LLC, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Settle on a name

    If a Kentucky company already holds your name, the filing can be sent back, so look it up at the Kentucky Secretary of State before going any further.

    A spare name saves a trip back to the board.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Kentucky resident, or an entity qualified to do business in Kentucky, whose business address is the registered office. The agent signs or files a written acceptance.

    The address has to be a physical registered office in Kentucky that matches the agent's business address. A P.O. box is not enough.

    You can hire any of the graded services for this.

    Textbook page: Look at apps.legislature.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Choose how the filing gets made

    With no service, the bill is the state's $40. Each of the graded services adds $199 and handles the paperwork.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Complete, sign and file the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company

    the Kentucky Secretary of State forms the LLC once it accepts the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC) and $40.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Kentucky adds one more rule

    • Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Textbook page: Look at revenue.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  6. Assignment
    6

    Request an Employer Identification Number

    Once the state says yes, you request an EIN, which lets the LLC open accounts under its own name. Mainstay Filing files the EIN application as part of the package.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Write an operating agreement

    Ownership and decision rules live in the operating agreement, an internal paper outside the Kentucky filing.

  8. Assignment
    8

    Get ready for year two

    Expect Kentucky to ask for the annual report every year, due on or before June 30, with a fee of $15. Add one recurring bill, a tax: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.ky.gov for yourself; we read it in August 2026

The bill

Line itemGoes toPrice
Setting up the LLCState agency$40
Annual reportState agency$15 every year
Minimum tax each yearState agency$175 a year
Service fees (optional)The service$199 at the start
Three years of state feesState agency$595
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax makes the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

Why the list runs this way

What decided it was homework the price does, which carries 34% of the grade.

Taking over the annual report tipped the grade toward the bundle.

Short answers

What does it cost to file a new LLC in Kentucky?

Plan on $40 to file. The graded services bill $199 on top.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Kentucky Secretary of State has accepted the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Kentucky require each year?

Hand in the annual report every year, $15; deadline on or before June 30. There is also a yearly minimum tax.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings straight from owners, so no service is needed. Expect $40 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Mainstay Filing, Kentucky Registered Agent.co and KY Registered Agent.org, from the highest grade to the lowest.

Related classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Class notes on Kentucky Secretary of State come straight from sos.ky.gov (reread August 2026).
  2. Class notes on Kentucky Secretary of State come straight from sos.ky.gov (reread August 2026).
  3. Class notes on Kentucky report due date come straight from apps.legislature.ky.gov (reread August 2026).
  4. Class notes on KRS 275.025 come straight from apps.legislature.ky.gov (reread August 2026).
  5. Class notes on Kentucky formation fee: Filing fee, official source come straight from sos.ky.gov (reread October 2026).
  6. Class notes on Kentucky registered agent statute come straight from apps.legislature.ky.gov (reread October 2026).
  7. Class notes on Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official come straight from revenue.ky.gov (reread October 2026).
  8. Pulled November 13, 2026: Kentucky service page from Mainstay Filing
  9. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from Kentucky Registered Agent.co
  10. Pulled November 13, 2026: pricing page from KY Registered Agent.org