Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 275.135 (2026)

Members or managers as agents

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, every member shall be an agent of the limited liability company for the purpose of its business or affairs, and the act of any member, including but not limited to the execution in the name of the limited liability company of any instrument, for apparently carrying on in the usual way the business or affairs of the limited liability company of which he is a member, shall bind the limited liability company, unless the member so acting has, in fact, no authority to act for the limited liability company in the particular matter, and the person with whom the member is dealing has knowledge or has received notification of the fact that the member has no such authority. (2) If the articles of organization provide that management of the limited liability company is vested in a manager or managers: (a) No member, solely by reason of being a member, shall be an agent of the limited liability company; and (b) Every manager shall be an agent of the limited liability company for the purpose of its business or affairs, and the act of any manager, including, but not limited to, the execution in the name of the limited liability company of any instrument, for apparently carrying on in the usual way the business or affairs of the limited liability company of which he is the manager shall bind the limited liability company, unless the manager so acting has, in fact, no authority to act for the limited liability company in the particular matter, and the person with whom the manager is dealing has knowledge or has received notification of the fact that the manager has no such authority. (3) An act of a manager or a member which is apparently not for the carrying on in the usual way of the business or affairs of the limited liability company shall not bind the limited liability company unless, at the time of the transaction or at any other time, the act is authorized in accordance with the operating agreement. (4) An act of a manager or member in contravention of a restriction on authority shall not bind the limited liability company to persons having knowledge of the restriction. Effective: July 15, 2010 History: Repealed and reenacted 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 51, sec. 107, effective July 15, 2010. -- Amended 2007 Ky. Acts ch. 137, sec. 107, effective June 26, 2007. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 341, sec. 25, effective July 15, 1998. -- Created 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 389, sec. 27, effective July 15, 1994. Legislative Research Commission Note (7/15/2010). 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 51, sec. 183, provides, "The specific textual provisions of Sections 1 to 178 of this Act which reflect amendments made to those sections by 2007 Ky. Acts ch. 137 shall be deemed effective as of June 26, 2007, and those provisions are hereby made expressly retroactive to that date, with the remainder of the text of those sections being unaffected by the provisions of this section."

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2009–2024 · leading case: In re Lexington Hosp. Grp., LLC, 577 B.R. 676 (Bankr. E.D. Ky. 2017).
In re Lexington Hosp. Grp., LLC, 577 B.R. 676 (Bankr. E.D. Ky. 2017). · cites it 7× “§ 275.135. [PCG Reply at p. 2.] The relevant parts of K.”
Patmon v. Hobbs, 280 S.W.3d 589 (Ky. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 4× “KRS 275.135(1). But where the articles vest authority in a manager or managers, every manager is an agent of the limited liability company for the purpose of its business or affairs.”
Pannell v. Shannon, 425 S.W.3d 58 (Ky. 2014). · cites it 2× “Under Kentucky law, LLC members are agents of the LLC by default, see KRS 275.135(1), but they do not have to be.”
Griffin v. Jones, 975 F. Supp. 2d 711 (W.D. Ky. 2013). “at 594 (citing KRS 275.135(2)(b)). Consequently, CJM was bound to act not only in the interests of the companies, but also owed them a basic duty of faithfulness and loyalty.”
Kenneth L. Ramsey v. Dapple Stud, LLC (Ky. 2024). · cites it 3× “As to an LLC manager’s authority, KRS 275.135(2) is clear: (2) If the articles of organization provide that management of the limited liability company is vested in a manager or managers: (a) No member, solely by reason of being a member, shall be an agent of the limited…”
Curare Lab'y LLC (Bankr. W.D. Ky. 2022). “ncluding, but not limited to, the execution in the name of the limited liability company of any instrument, for apparently carrying on in the usual way the business or affairs of the limited liability company of which he is the manager shall bind the limited liability company,…”
Auslander Props., LLC v. Joseph Herman Nalley (Ky. 2018). “Hargis rests largely upon the rationale expressed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 7 See KRS 275.135(1). We also note that a member of an LLC may elect whether to be classified as an employee for workers’ compensation purposes but need not do so.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 275.135(1) — 3 cases
Patmon v. Hobbs, 280 S.W.3d 589 (Ky. Ct. App. 2009). “KRS 275.135(1). But where the articles vest authority in a manager or managers, every manager is an agent of the limited liability company for the purpose of its business or affairs.”
Pannell v. Shannon, 425 S.W.3d 58 (Ky. 2014). “Under Kentucky law, LLC members are agents of the LLC by default, see KRS 275.135(1), but they do not have to be.”
Auslander Props., LLC v. Joseph Herman Nalley (Ky. 2018). “Hargis rests largely upon the rationale expressed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 7 See KRS 275.135(1). We also note that a member of an LLC may elect whether to be classified as an employee for workers’ compensation purposes but need not do so.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 275.135(2) — 1 case
Kenneth L. Ramsey v. Dapple Stud, LLC (Ky. 2024). “As to an LLC manager’s authority, KRS 275.135(2) is clear: (2) If the articles of organization provide that management of the limited liability company is vested in a manager or managers: (a) No member, solely by reason of being a member, shall be an agent of the limited…”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 275.135(2)(a) — 1 case
Pannell v. Shannon, 425 S.W.3d 58 (Ky. 2014). “Under Kentucky law, LLC members are agents of the LLC by default, see KRS 275.135(1), but they do not have to be.”
— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 275.135(2)(b) — 4 cases
Patmon v. Hobbs, 280 S.W.3d 589 (Ky. Ct. App. 2009). “KRS 275.135(1). But where the articles vest authority in a manager or managers, every manager is an agent of the limited liability company for the purpose of its business or affairs.”
Griffin v. Jones, 975 F. Supp. 2d 711 (W.D. Ky. 2013). “at 594 (citing KRS 275.135(2)(b)). Consequently, CJM was bound to act not only in the interests of the companies, but also owed them a basic duty of faithfulness and loyalty.”
Curare Lab'y LLC (Bankr. W.D. Ky. 2022). “ncluding, but not limited to, the execution in the name of the limited liability company of any instrument, for apparently carrying on in the usual way the business or affairs of the limited liability company of which he is the manager shall bind the limited liability company,…”
Kenneth L. Ramsey v. Dapple Stud, LLC (Ky. 2024). “As to an LLC manager’s authority, KRS 275.135(2) is clear: (2) If the articles of organization provide that management of the limited liability company is vested in a manager or managers: (a) No member, solely by reason of being a member, shall be an agent of the limited…”
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