How to Start an LLC in Kentucky (2026): 8 Steps and the 3 Best LLC Services
Mainstay Filing ($199), KY Registered Agent.org ($199) and Kentucky Registered Agent.co ($199) are our 2026 picks, in that order, for starting an LLC in Kentucky. The lesson itself has 8 steps, and the one fee every route shares is the $40 filing fee.
Prices from each company's own site, read November 12, 2026. The $40 state fee is extra in every row.
Forming the LLC, in order
Step1
Step 1: Name the company
Search the register kept by the Kentucky Secretary of State first. If the name is taken, choose another before you file.
TipPick a spare name too, in case the first is taken.
Step2
Step 2: Pick your 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.
Two routes: file yourself and pay only the $40 state fee, or let a service do it for $199 more. Our picks are above.
Step4
Step 4: Send in the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company
This filing creates the company: the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC), $40, sent to the Kentucky Secretary of State.
Official source: Per sos.ky.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Step5
Step 5: The extra Kentucky step
Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Official source: Per revenue.ky.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Step6
Step 6: Get an EIN from the IRS
The EIN is the company's federal tax number. It comes from the IRS once the state has approved the LLC. This step is included with Mainstay Filing.
Step7
Step 7: Draft the operating agreement
Put ownership and decision rules into an operating agreement and keep it with the company papers.
Step8
Step 8: Stay in good standing with Kentucky
Keep the company in good standing with the annual report: $15 every year, due on or before June 30. Plus the state's yearly tax: Limited Liability Entity Tax: a $175 minimum each year to the Department of Revenue.
Official source: Per sos.ky.gov, last confirmed August 2026
Kentucky costs by step
Cost item
Paid to
Amount
Forming the LLC
Paid to the state
$40
Annual report
Paid to the state
$15 every year
Tax each year
Paid to the state
$175 a year
Help from a service
Your service
$199 up front
State fees for three years
Paid to the state
$595
The state rows are official figures; the service row uses each company's published price. The three-year total leaves service fees out.
How we ranked the Kentucky picks
What decided it: lesson steps handled, 35% of our rubric.
Having the annual report handled outweighed KY Registered Agent.org's lower three-year cost.
Kentucky questions
What does it cost to form an LLC in Kentucky?
The state's fee is $40. With a service, add $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
The state's form is the Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company (Form KLC) (submitted to the Kentucky Secretary of State).
Is a registered agent required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does Kentucky require each year?
The annual report: $15, every year, due on or before June 30. There is also a yearly minimum tax.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
You can: send the filing and the $40 fee yourself, and you still need a registered agent.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
We'd go with Mainstay Filing, because you pay $199 a year and the annual report is filed for you along with the agent service. Then KY Registered Agent.org and Kentucky Registered Agent.co.