2025 fees Kentucky Secretary of State Rank #5 of 51

LLC Costs in Kentucky (KY)

$180 all-in for your first year - $40 to file, $15 annual report, plus a registered agent. Kentucky is $203 (53%) cheaper than the national average for first-year LLC costs.

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One of the lowest filing fees in the country at $40. Annual report is just $15. Kentucky is among the most affordable states for LLC formation and maintenance.

Updated 2025 · Source: Kentucky Secretary of State

Lower Articles filing fee

Lower Articles filing fee. $40 one-time SOS filing sits in the bottom third of Articles/formation fees nationwide.Forming an LLC in Kentucky costs about $180 in the first year, bottom-third of the 51-row book, about 53% below the national average, ranking #5 of 51. Fees are those published by the Kentucky Secretary of State; registered agent is a $125/yr market-rate line, not a vendor quote.

According to the Kentucky Secretary of State fee schedule; registered agent normalized at $125/yr. See methodology. How we calculate →

$40
One-time filing fee
$15 /yr
Annual report
$180
First-year total
#5 of 51
Cost rank (1 = cheapest)

Secretary of State fee strip

Fee strip KY · Kentucky SOS FY 2026 · rank #5

Kentucky · $180 · file $40 · no pub

  • PHOTO $40
  • SOS $15
  • EXPEDITE $180
  • PRIVILEGE #5/51
  • FILE near Montana
  • Y1 53% below avg

Cheap-third stack: stamps derive from this state's Secretary of State fee schedule, not a recommendation of where to form. Read with where this cheap-third stack ranks → · All 51 SOS fee rows →

1. Arizona$1752. Mississippi$1753. Missouri$1754. Kentucky$1805. Montana$1806. Colorado$185
First-year SOS-fee total for Kentucky and nearest-cost peers. Source: each Secretary of State + 51-row aggregate.

How the cheap-third $180 stack breaks down

How your $180 first-year total breaks down Registered agent is still the largest piece (69%) even though Kentucky sits in the cheaper third overall.
  • State filing fee $40
  • Annual Report (yr 1) $15
  • Registered agent $125
Cost Item Amount
State Filing Fee $40
Annual Report $15
Registered Agent $125/yr
Expedited Filing (optional) $40
Total, First Year $180

Ongoing tax burden after formation

Kentucky's 5% corporate tax rate ranks among the lowest corporate tax burdens nationally (#16 of 51 lowest), a durable advantage beyond the $180 formation cost above.

Corporate income tax
5%
5% corporate tax rate, #16 of 51 lowest nationally
Effective property tax rate
0.75%
Of assessed property value, per year

Sources: Tax Foundation state corporate tax rates, Census ACS effective property tax rates.

Fee check: Verify current LLC fees with the Kentucky Secretary of State at https://www.sos.ky.gov. Not legal or tax advice.

Kentucky LLC quick facts (cheap third)

Filing Fee $40
Annual Report $15 /yr
Processing Time 5-7 business days
Expedited $40 → Same business day
Online Filing Available
First-Year Total $180
File with Kentucky SOS

Similar Cost States

Arizona $175 Mississippi $175 Missouri $175 New Mexico $175

Still-cheaper peers

Even cheaper first-year SOS stacks than KY (already bottom-third):

Mississippi $175 Missouri $175 New Mexico $175

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data error on this page.

Sources used on this page
  • Kentucky Secretary of State - LLC filing fee, annual-report requirement, and processing time. www.sos.ky.gov
  • Federation of Tax Administrators - cross-check of state fee and tax figures. taxadmin.org
LLC fees and requirements sourced from the Kentucky Secretary of State. See our methodology for details.

Verify with the Kentucky Secretary of State →