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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 3 · Tennessee

Foreign LLC Registration in Tennessee (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Our 2026 Tennessee picks for registering an out-of-state LLC, strongest to weakest, are Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199). Do you have to register at all? Start there; 5 tasks follow, with a $300 state fee at the end.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

Cost to register
$300
Taken from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com in October 2026
Good-standing proof
60 days
How fresh it has to be
Recurring report
$300
Annual report
State cost, years 1 to 3
$900
Registration and reports
Tasks in this unit
5
Listed below

Course objectives

  • When the rule kicks in
  • The official form and fee
  • What staying registered costs
  • The services at the top of the class

Who we would hire in Tennessee

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year cost and assignments completed count most.

Top of the class

1. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for a small yearly agent fee

Best overall$199 and the $300 state fee, then $99 yearly

Our first pick is Tennessee Registered Agent.co; the Tennessee registration is filed for $199 and includes a year of agent service, with renewal at $99.

A smaller three-year total than Mainstay Filing earns it first place; cost counts 34%.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Then $99 per year
  • Agent covered in year one

What to weigh

  • Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs on the move

Upkeep covered$199 and the $300 state fee, then $149 yearly

Pick number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where a $199 service fee plus Tennessee's fee, then $149 a year for the agent.

It runs $100 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co over three years, and cost is 34% of the grade.

After the free first year, the agent costs $149 a year in any state.

What the price covers

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • A service for all fifty states

What works

  • $199 on top of Tennessee's fee
  • Any state, one fee
  • The agent costs nothing in year one

What to weigh

  • Renewal $50 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

In-state service$199 and the $300 state fee, then $99 yearly

TN Registered Agent.org takes third place: the Tennessee registration is filed for $199 and includes a year of agent service, with renewal at $99.

Its prices are the same as Tennessee Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • The filing is done for you
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 and the state fee

What to weigh

  • Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. None of the rows includes the $300 state fee.

Registering with Tennessee, task by task

  1. Task 1

    Does the rule apply to you?

    LLCs formed outside Tennessee file a foreign registration to transact business here. Skipping registration has a price: An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Tennessee (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

    Source: Taken from publications.tnsosfiles.com in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    Enclose certificate of existence or good standing, issued no more than 60 days.

    Order it at the end so it is fresh when you file.

  3. Task 3

    Choose the Tennessee registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a Tennessee street address, with the county. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the recommended services can fill this seat.

    Source: Taken from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Put together the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company

    That filing is the registration, and the state bills $300 for it.

    Source: Taken from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com in October 2026

  5. Task 5

    What comes after

    Plan for the annual report and its $300 fee (first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year)).

What this unit costs

EntryWho gets paidCost
Registration feeThe state$300
Annual reportThe state$300
Service, if you hire oneThe provider$199 for year one
State fees for the first three yearsThe state$900
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

The reasoning behind the order

Course fee across three years settled first place in Tennessee. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the other 66% comes from assignments the price completes, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Common questions

How much does Tennessee charge an out-of-state LLC to register?

$300 at the state office. Our recommended services add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in task 4 and send it to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff in Tennessee (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

What is due after registering?

Next comes the annual report at $300.

Which service should handle the registration?

Tennessee Registered Agent.co is first, Mainstay Filing and TN Registered Agent.org follow, and Tennessee Registered Agent.co wins on course fee across three years.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services. Each statement rests on tnbear.tn.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services. Each statement rests on sos.tn.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source. Each statement rests on sos.tn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for Tennessee report due date. Each statement rests on law.justia.com, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on sos.tn.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for Tennessee registered agent statute. Each statement rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, last opened October 2026.
  7. Hand-in notes for Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign. Each statement rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, last opened October 2026.
  8. Hand-in notes for Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation. Each statement rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, last opened October 2026.
  9. Hand-in notes for Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286. Each statement rests on publications.tnsosfiles.com, last opened October 2026.
  10. Hand-in notes for Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC. Each statement rests on capitol.tn.gov, last opened November 2026.
  11. We opened the pricing page at Tennessee Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  12. We opened the Tennessee service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  13. We opened the pricing page at TN Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026