Kentucky LLC Operating Agreement
Set out who owns your Kentucky LLC, who manages it, and how profits are split — and download a print-ready PDF. Single-member or multi-member. Free, no signup. The preview updates as you type.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Kentucky LLC act rules · as of 2026
- Required by law?
- No — but strongly recommended
- Recognized form
- "any agreement, written or oral, among all of the members" — KRS 275.015(21) (for a single-member LLC, includes written documents or agreements between the sole member and the company)
- Governing act
- Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act (KRS ch. 275; short title per KRS 275.001)
Without an agreement: Profits and losses allocated on the basis of the agreed value, as stated in company records, of the contributions made by each member — KRS 275.205. Source: KRS 275.015(21) (definition); KRS 275.180 (written-agreement requirements for certain waivers) · verify ↗.
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Why your Kentucky LLC needs this — even single-member
- It overrides the default rules. Without an agreement, the Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act (KRS ch. 275; short title per KRS 275.001) decides how profits are split and who can act for the company — not you.
- It protects limited liability. A written agreement is core evidence that the LLC is a real, separate entity.
- Banks and lenders ask for it. Opening a business account or getting a loan routinely requires it.
Kentucky law
No — Kentucky does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): No requirement to adopt an operating agreement; KRS ch. 275 default rules govern absent an agreement.. But without one, the default rules of the Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act (KRS ch. 275; short title per KRS 275.001) decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: KRS 275.015(21) (definition); KRS 275.180 (written-agreement requirements for certain waivers). Check the current Kentucky LLC rules before relying on any default.
Frequently asked questions
Is an operating agreement required in Kentucky?
No — Kentucky does not require an operating agreement (as of 2026): No requirement to adopt an operating agreement; KRS ch. 275 default rules govern absent an agreement.. But without one, the default rules of the Kentucky Limited Liability Company Act (KRS ch. 275; short title per KRS 275.001) decide ownership, management, and profit questions for you — which is why one is strongly recommended even for single-member LLCs. Source: KRS 275.015(21) (definition); KRS 275.180 (written-agreement requirements for certain waivers).
Does the operating agreement get filed with the state?
No. Unlike the formation certificate (articles of organization), the operating agreement is an internal document — you sign it, keep it with your records, and give each member a copy. Banks, lenders, and courts may ask to see it, but no Kentucky agency records it.
Can the agreement be oral in Kentucky?
Kentucky's statute recognizes: "any agreement, written or oral, among all of the members" — KRS 275.015(21) (for a single-member LLC, includes written documents or agreements between the sole member and the company) (KRS 275.015(21) (definition); KRS 275.180 (written-agreement requirements for certain waivers)). Even where oral or implied agreements count, put yours in writing — proving an oral term in a dispute between members is exactly the fight the document exists to prevent.
How does Kentucky compare? See which states actually require an operating agreement, every claim cited to the state LLC act.
How Kentucky compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Kentucky: KRS 275.015(21) (definition); KRS 275.180 (written-agreement requirements for certain waivers) ↗.
- Kentucky is one of 47 of 51 jurisdictions that leave the operating agreement optional (statutory default rules apply without one) (4 require an LLC to have an operating agreement).
The rest of what Kentucky requires
The figures below are Kentucky's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Kentucky page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- No statutory limit Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 30 days after move-out Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Ky. Rev. Stat. §383.580 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 7 days to pay or quit KRS § 383.660; § 383.695 (URLTA jurisdictions only) ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 14 days KRS § 383.660; § 383.695 (URLTA jurisdictions only) ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $2,500 KRS 24A.230; KRS 24A.270 (fee) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Division of the District Court · filing fee Set as the District Court filing fee for claims of $500 or less (KRS 24A.270); in practice roughly $50-$70 including certified-mail or sheriff service — confirm the current amount with the circuit court clerk or kycourts.gov. KRS 24A.230; KRS 24A.270 (fee) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Kentucky Revised Statutes ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Kentucky KYTC / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization recommended Ky. Rev. Stat. §457.050 (form §457.420) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Clerk (KRS 382.110(1) — recorded 'in the county clerk's office of the county in which the property ... is located') · no witnesses KRS 382.130; KRS 382.135 ↗
LLC operating agreement in other states
More Kentucky legal forms
Different state? See LLC operating agreements by state →