Foreign registration ratings · Tennessee
3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)
1. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for adding Tennessee and nothing else
Service fee $199, state fee on top; agent $99 a year after that
Tennessee Registered Agent.co is rated first: $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.
The plan lists an in-state street address as the registered office and scans papers served there into your account.
On three-year sums it comes out ahead of Mainstay Filing.
What you get
- Filing with the state
- The first year as your registered agent
Pros
- A year of registered agent service is in the price
- Registers the company for $199 plus state fees
- Then $99 yearly for the agent
Trade-offs
- Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
- EIN application billed at $99
2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies registered in more than one state
$199 with the state's fee added ($499 at checkout); agent renewal $149
Mainstay Filing is rated second: the Tennessee registration costs $199, and the registered agent is free for year one and $149 a year after.
After a free year one, agent service is $149 yearly anywhere the company registers.
Tennessee Registered Agent.co is $100 cheaper on the three-year sum, and that lowers Mainstay Filing's cost rating.
What you get
- The registration, prepared and filed for you
- A free first year of registered agent service
- No-fee scans of service of process on the day it is received
Pros
- The same amount in all fifty states
- $199 service fee, state fee separate
- Registered agent, no charge in year one
- Same-business-day scans of service of process, no fee
Trade-offs
- Agent renewal of $149 is $50 over Tennessee Registered Agent.co
3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for Tennessee registrations only
$199 for the service, plus state fees, then $99 a year for the agent
TN Registered Agent.org is rated third: $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.
The plan lists an in-state street address as the registered office and scans papers served there into your account.
TN Registered Agent.org copies Tennessee Registered Agent.co on amounts and plan features, so there is little between them.
What you get
- Filing with the state
- Registered agent service for year one
Pros
- $99 per year to keep the agent
- Registered agent service for year one is included
- $199 to register, state fee on top
Trade-offs
- Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
- EIN application billed at $99
The 3 ratings summarized
| Line | Service | Rating | Service fee | Year two | Best for | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee Registered Agent.co | 9.5 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal we rank here | Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.0 | $199 | $149/yr | Companies that register in several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | TN Registered Agent.org | 8.7 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal we rank here | Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Tennessee foreign registration service amounts for 2026: year one, renewal and three-year sum
| Service | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year sum | Agent paid for year one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
| TN Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
Why Tennessee Registered Agent.co is on top
The rating method counts cost over years one to three and inclusions per price at 27% each and splits 46% among renewal price and terms, fit with state rules and price clarity. For Tennessee, cost over years one to three was the deciding line.
Tennessee Registered Agent.co sums to $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both services include year one of agent service, so the renewal amount decided the order.
Each criterion and its weight is listed on How we rank.
Tennessee foreign LLC registration: amount, form and office
A company from another state registers by lodging the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233) with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations; the state amount is $300. Tennessee also needs certificate of existence or good standing, issued inside 60 days of the filing.
Registration adds one recurring line: the annual report ($300), due first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).
Have these ready
- Certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days before the filing.
- Home-state legal name, spelled exactly, and the formation date.
- An in-state registered agent; every service rated here can fill the role.
- $300 to the state, paid with the filing.
- The date of the annual report and its $300 fee on your calendar.
What skipping Tennessee registration costs
An unregistered outside LLC may not sue in Tennessee courts until it registers (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Contracts it signs remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).
Tennessee foreign registration service: your questions
Is registration compulsory for an outside LLC doing business in Tennessee?
Yes, once it does business there. An unregistered company cannot bring suit in the state's courts.
What are the costs of foreign registration in Tennessee?
$300 to the state plus $199 to the service.
What form does Tennessee use to register a foreign LLC?
the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations handles it; the form's exact title is on the facts line above.
Must the filing include a home-state certificate for Tennessee?
Yes: certificate of existence or good standing, with an issue date within 60 days.
Must a registered agent stay on file after registering?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on record.
Which foreign registration service holds the top rating in Tennessee?
Tennessee Registered Agent.co, as the Tennessee registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 yearly.
Source lines
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (ledger date August 2026)
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (ledger date August 2026)
- Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source (ledger date October 2026)
- Tennessee report due date (ledger date August 2026)
- Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source (ledger date October 2026)
- Tennessee registered agent statute (ledger date October 2026)
- Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign LLC (ledger date October 2026)
- Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation (ledger date October 2026)
- Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 (ledger date October 2026)
- Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC provisions (ledger date November 2026)
- Tennessee Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages: amounts read November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Tennessee service page: amounts read November 12, 2026
- TN Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages: amounts read November 12, 2026