Kentucky charitable solicitation registration: requirements, fees, and deadlines

Who must register

Kentucky generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Kentucky Attorney General — Charity Registration before soliciting contributions there, unless an exemption applies. Requirements attach to out-of-state charities soliciting Kentucky residents as well as local ones.

KRS 367.657(1) verbatim · official source

How to register in Kentucky

1. 01Kentucky's 'registration' is simply filing a copy of your most recent federal Form 990 with the Attorney General before soliciting — no application, no certificate, no fee. The duty attaches only to organizations the IRS requires to file a 990 (whether 990-EZ/990-N filers are covered is unconfirmed — the statute says 'federal Form 990'). New organizations without a 990 yet file a notice of intent before soliciting, which expires December 31 of that year.KRS 367.657(1) (990-required organizations file a copy of the most recent 990 with the AG prior to any solicitation; notice of intent for new orgs per 40 KAR…
2. 02Refile each year at the same time you file the 990 with the IRS — the Kentucky deadline is your federal one, extensions included. Submission is by mail only, on CD or thumb drive as PDF (the AG accepts no electronic submissions). Kentucky imposes no audit or review requirement on charities.KRS 367.657(3) (filed each year at the same time the form is filed with the IRS); AG page (mail-only channel, PDF on CD/thumb drive); KRS 367.658 (audit powe…

Exemptions we check for

• Likely exempt if it is not required by the IRS to file a federal Form 990 — Kentucky's filing duty attaches only to organizations 'required by the Internal Revenue Service to file a federal Form 990' (KRS 367.657(1)), so churches and religious organizations exempt from the federal return have nothing to file.

  KRS 367.657(1) scope limiter (verbatim) — the duty's own trigger excludes non-990-required orgs; reinforced by KRS 367.660(2) (religious-purpose solicitation…

The state, not Steadworthy, decides whether an exemption applies.

If you use a paid fundraiser

Using a professional solicitor doesn't change a Kentucky charity's own filing duty — the 990-copy requirement turns on IRS filing status, not on who fundraises. Professional solicitors carry their own obligations to the AG, including campaign reports the AG may have audited.

KRS 367.657 (charity duty keyed solely to 990-required status); KRS 367.658 (professional solicitors' campaign reports and AG-requested audits).

If you haven't registered yet

Kentucky's teeth are criminal rather than administrative: knowingly soliciting without the required filing — or knowingly giving the Attorney General false or incorrect information in any required statement or report — is a Class D felony. There is no late-fee schedule; getting current means making the overdue 990 filing (or notice of intent) with the Attorney General.

KRS 367.990(10)(c) (knowing violation of KRS 367.657 or false/incorrect information in required filings — Class D felony; subsection renumbered from (9)(c) i… · how to get current, calmly

Kentucky registration: common questions

Does a charity need to register to solicit donations in Kentucky?

Yes. Kentucky generally requires charitable organizations to register with the Kentucky Attorney General — Charity Registration before soliciting contributions in the state, unless an exemption applies. The requirement reaches out-of-state charities soliciting Kentucky residents.

How much does charitable registration cost in Kentucky?

The initial registration fee is No fee, and renewal is No fee. Fees are stated as the state sets them; where a fee varies with contributions, the tiers are cited on this page.

When is the Kentucky charitable registration renewal due?

15th day of the 5th month after fiscal year end. The date is computed from the organization's own fiscal year end under the rule this page cites, so it differs between charities.

Are any charities exempt from registering in Kentucky?

Kentucky recognizes exemptions, and this page lists each one we check for with its statutory citation. The state, not a third party, decides whether an exemption applies.

Nearby states

Fundraising rarely stops at a border — where Kentucky charities also commonly solicit:

• IllinoisRequired
• IndianaNo requirement
• MissouriRequired
• OhioRequired
• TennesseeRequired
• VirginiaRequired
• West VirginiaRequired

Citations

• KRS 367.657(1) verbatim · source · verified 2026-07-23
• KRS 367.657 (file 'with the Attorney General'); 1024 Capital Center Drive, Frankfort. · source · verified 2026-07-23
• AG page (affirmative) · source · verified 2026-07-23
• Free annually — the duty is filing the 990 copy, no fee attaches (statute + AG page). · source · verified 2026-07-23
• KRS 367.657(3) · source · verified 2026-07-23
• Mail only — AG page · source · verified 2026-07-23
• KRS 367.657(1) scope limiter (verbatim) — the duty's own trigger excludes non-990-required orgs; reinforced by KRS 367.660(2) (religious-purpose solicitation… · source · verified 2026-07-23
• KRS 367.657(1) (990-required organizations file a copy of the most recent 990 with the AG prior to any solicitation; notice of intent for new orgs per 40 KAR… · source · verified 2026-08-07
• KRS 367.657(3) (filed each year at the same time the form is filed with the IRS); AG page (mail-only channel, PDF on CD/thumb drive); KRS 367.658 (audit powe… · source · verified 2026-08-07
• KRS 367.990(10)(c) (knowing violation of KRS 367.657 or false/incorrect information in required filings — Class D felony; subsection renumbered from (9)(c) i… · source · verified 2026-08-07
• KRS 367.657 (charity duty keyed solely to 990-required status); KRS 367.658 (professional solicitors' campaign reports and AG-requested audits). · source · verified 2026-08-07

Statuses and requirements reflect public records and cited sources as of the dates shown. Informational, not legal advice.