For LLC formation services in Kentucky in 2026, we'd rank Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and KY Registered Agent.org ($199), best first. Whoever you pick, Kentucky charges $40 to file, and the services run $397 to $597 over three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
State fee
$40, one time
Every year after
$15 a year + $175 yearly minimum tax
Registered agent
Yes, you have to
Our pick
Kentucky Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then KY Registered Agent.org
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.
You'll file the annual report every year, and it's $15 each time. Here's the date the state gives: on or before June 30. Don't miss it. You also owe the yearly minimum tax.
Nobody's making you hire anyone. State fees alone run $595 across three years.
That $397 to $597 over three years is what you pay somebody else to deal with the paperwork and the agent role.
Why this order?
On money out the door in three years (35% of the score), Kentucky Registered Agent.co wins.
We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).
Mainstay Filing costs $200 more over three years than Kentucky Registered Agent.co, which comes to $397.
The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.
Still wondering?
Who handles the EIN?
Only Mainstay Filing throws it in. At the others it's $99 (Kentucky Registered Agent.co) and $99 (KY Registered Agent.org).
What do the picks cost over three years?
Kentucky Registered Agent.co comes out at $397; Mainstay Filing comes out at $597; KY Registered Agent.org comes out at $397, before state fees.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each state fee links to its official page, and each service price comes from the company's own site.
Is a service required?
No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.
What does the LLC owe every year?
You'll file the annual report every year, and it's $15 each time. Here's the date the state gives: on or before June 30. Don't miss it. You also owe the yearly minimum tax.
What's the best LLC service in Kentucky?
Kentucky Registered Agent.co is first: it starts at $199 with the first agent year thrown in, and from year two you pay $99. Then comes Mainstay Filing and KY Registered Agent.org.