How to Start an LLC in Kentucky: Form KLC, Steps & Fees (2026)
Kentucky is one of the least expensive states in the country for forming an LLC. The official state filing fee is $40, the annual report that follows runs $15, and the formation document itself is short. This guide walks through the statute, the form, and each step in order.
The formation document: Articles of Organization (form KLC)
A Kentucky LLC comes into existence when the Kentucky Secretary of State accepts your Articles of Organization. The official form name is "Articles of Organization - Profit Limited Liability Company," and it carries the letter code KLC. Kentucky labels business filings with letter codes instead of numeric form numbers: KLC for a profit LLC, PLC for a professional LLC, NLC for a nonprofit LLC.
The content requirements come from KRS 275.025, which says the articles "shall set forth" a name that satisfies KRS 14A.3-010 and "the registered office and initial registered agent that satisfy the requirements of KRS 14A.4-010."
You can file two ways:
- Online through the Secretary of State's FastTrack portal
- On paper with the form KLC PDF
Either way, the official Kentucky filing fee is $40, confirmed on the state's fee schedule.
Every step, in order
- Search and choose your name. The name must satisfy KRS 14A.3-010, which means it includes a limited liability company designator and stays distinguishable from names already registered with the Secretary of State. Check availability in the state's business records before you commit to logos or domains.
- Appoint your registered agent. KRS 14A.4-010 requires a registered office at a physical Kentucky address and an agent whose business address matches that office. The agent signs the appointing document or delivers a written acceptance. Our registered agent service is included for your first year when we form your LLC.
- File form KLC and pay the $40 fee. Submit online through FastTrack or mail the paper form. The articles list your company name plus the registered office and initial registered agent.
- Adopt an operating agreement. Kentucky does not ask you to file one, but banks request it, and it settles ownership percentages, voting, and buyout terms before a dispute ever starts.
- Request an EIN from the IRS. The federal tax ID is free at IRS.gov and arrives immediately for most online applications. Skip any company that charges for this.
- Mark June 30 on your calendar. Kentucky's annual report window opens January 1, and the report is due on or before June 30 each year with a $15 fee. Your first one lands the year after the calendar year you formed.
What Kentucky expects after formation
Ready to get started?
Get StartedThree obligations continue for the life of the company: keep a registered agent and registered office on file continuously, file the $15 annual report inside the January 1 to June 30 window, and keep personal and company finances separate so the liability shield holds. Kentucky also imposes a Limited Liability Entity Tax (LLET) with a $175 minimum on gross receipts or revenues, which is separate from anything you file with the Secretary of State.
Let the registered agent lapse or skip the annual report, and the state moves toward administrative dissolution, which strips the protection you formed the company to get.
Have us file it
Our formation service is $199 plus the $40 state fee. We prepare the articles, submit them to the Secretary of State, and include your first year of registered agent service in that price. After the first year, registered agent service renews at $99 per year.