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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Foreign LLC guide · Tennessee

Tennessee Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services

Mainstay Filing ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199): our 2026 order for foreign LLC registration in Tennessee. Almanac figures: $300 to register, $300 per report after. That ranks Tennessee 46th of 50.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

Tennessee, as the state prices it

46thacross 50 states, foreign LLC feesOrdered from least to most expensive. All fifty rows
Foreign registration fee
$300sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com (read October 2026)
Report each cycle
$300Annual report
Certificate from home
60 daysMust be at least this recent
State fees over three years
$900Years one to three, state fees only

Who files for you in Tennessee

Five published criteria, listed on the methodology page, decide the order.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

First on the list$199 to register, $149 yearly after

We enter Mainstay Filing first: $199 over the state fee, the registered agent free in year one, then $149 a year.

The premium over Tennessee Registered Agent.co is $100 across three years, and more of the state's paperwork gets handled for it.

The free agent year ends and $149 a year begins, wherever the company registers.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • The registered agent role costs nothing in year one
  • Fifty-state coverage

Strengths

  • A $199 service fee
  • One fee anywhere
  • Agent covered for the first year

Weak points

  • A higher agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for an inexpensive Tennessee filing

One state only$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Listed second: Tennessee Registered Agent.co, because a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Tennessee.

In the price

  • The Tennessee registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 plus the state fee
  • No agent charge in year one
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Weak points

  • Serves Tennessee alone
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for another Tennessee option

One state only$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Listed third: TN Registered Agent.org, because a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Tennessee.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co and this service publish the same prices.

In the price

  • The Tennessee registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • No agent charge in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Weak points

  • Serves Tennessee alone
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services, side by side

#EntryYear-one priceYears two onService fees over three years
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner 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.
Prices on file from November 12, 2026. Add the $300 state fee to each row.

Tennessee foreign LLC cost calculator

Registration fee $300, then the $300 report from year two, added to the service's prices.
Mainstay Filing for 3 years: $900 to the state, $497 to the service, $1,397 in all.

Tennessee among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
44thOregon$825
45thSouth Dakota$860
46thTennessee$900
47thDelaware$1,000
48thRhode Island$1,450
All fifty rows: Foreign LLC fees by state.

Tennessee registers foreign LLCs this way (2026)

The Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations takes the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233) and a $300 fee from foreign LLCs. Enclose certificate of existence or good standing, dated within 60 days.

Later on it files the annual report ($300), first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).

What to have ready

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, not more than 60 days.
  • Home-state legal name and formation date.
  • Someone to act as registered agent in Tennessee.
  • Funds for the $300 official fee.

If registration is skipped

The state's courts will not take a suit it files before registering (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts stay valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

How the Tennessee order was set

Requirements covered settled first place in Tennessee. It carries 28% of the score, and the other criteria are added cost over three years, renewal terms, fit with state rules, fee clarity.

A company registering in Tennessee already has a home state; covering both with one provider scored highest.

Quick answers

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Tennessee?

$300 for the filing. A service adds $199.

What is the foreign registration form in Tennessee?

Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233), filed with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.

Is a certificate from the home state required?

Yes, certificate of existence or good standing, dated within 60 days of the filing.

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the annual report for $300.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

The state's courts will not take a suit it files before registering (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts stay valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Does a foreign LLC need a registered agent in Tennessee?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should handle the registration?

Our entry order: Mainstay Filing (it files the Tennessee registration at $199 beyond the state's fee, with year one of agent service thrown in), then Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org.

Related entries

Citations for this entry

  1. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services from tnbear.tn.gov, read August 2026
  2. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services from sos.tn.gov, read August 2026
  3. Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source from sos.tn.gov, read October 2026
  4. Tennessee report due date from law.justia.com, read August 2026
  5. Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source from sos.tn.gov, read October 2026
  6. Tennessee registered agent statute from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read October 2026
  7. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read October 2026
  8. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation from sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read October 2026
  9. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 from publications.tnsosfiles.com, read October 2026
  10. Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC from capitol.tn.gov, read November 2026
  11. Oregon Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms from sos.oregon.gov, read October 2026
  12. Application for Authority, form instructions from sos.oregon.gov, read October 2026
  13. Business Registry fee schedule from sos.oregon.gov, read October 2026
  14. Registered agents and service of process from sos.oregon.gov, read October 2026
  15. Oregon Revised Statutes, chapter 63 from oregonlegislature.gov, read October 2026
  16. South Dakota Secretary of State, business services from sdsos.gov, read October 2026
  17. Filing fee schedule from sdsos.gov, read October 2026
  18. Foreign LLC application for Certificate of Authority from sdsos.gov, read October 2026
  19. SDCL 47-34A-1003, transacting business from sdlegislature.gov, read October 2026
  20. SDCL 47-34A-1008, effect of not registering from sdlegislature.gov, read October 2026
  21. Foreign LLC registration form from corpfiles.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  22. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX from delcode.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  23. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI from delcode.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  24. Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026 from corpfiles.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  25. Alternative entity annual tax instructions from corp.delaware.gov, read October 2026
  26. Form 450, Application for Registration from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  27. Business Services fee schedule from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  28. R.I from webserver.rilegislature.gov, read October 2026
  29. R.I from webserver.rilegislature.gov, read October 2026
  30. Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation from docs.sos.ri.gov, read October 2026
  31. Rhode Island other cost from tax.ri.gov, read October 2026
  32. Mainstay Filing (Tennessee service page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  33. Tennessee Registered Agent.co (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026
  34. TN Registered Agent.org (pricing page) as recorded November 12, 2026