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Biz Formation Report

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration report · Tennessee

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)

By the Biz Formation Report editorial team

Biz Formation Report ranks foreign registration services in Tennessee for 2026 as Mainstay Filing ($199), TN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing earns the top grade: the Tennessee registration is filed for $199, and the registered agent is free in year one, then $149 a year.

No.1

Best here

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

Score9.6out of 10
$199 added to the state's fee, $499 at checkout; $149 a year for the agent after that

Top grade, Mainstay Filing: $199 added to the state fee in any state, with a year of registered agent service included.

From year two the agent runs $149 a year, one price for every state.

Over three years Mainstay costs $100 more than TN Registered Agent.org; our grading treats the broader coverage as worth that.

What you get

  • Registration paperwork handled and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
  • Legal papers served on the company scanned free, the same business day

Good

  • $199 service fee plus the state's fee
  • One price across all fifty states
  • Served papers scanned within the same business day, free
  • Registered agent at no cost in year one

Weak spots

  • The agent renews at $149, $50 more than TN Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing review
No.2

Best local option

2. TN Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding Tennessee alone

Score9.2out of 10
A $199 service fee and the state fee, then the agent at $99

Second grade, TN Registered Agent.org: the Tennessee registration for $199 with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • A first year of registered agent service

Good

  • $199 for registration, plus the state fee
  • Agent renewal of $99
  • The first year as your registered agent is included

Weak spots

  • Serves Tennessee only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the TN Registered Agent.org review
No.3

Low renewal

3. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for registering in Tennessee only

Score9.0out of 10
$199 service fee and the state fee on top; the agent is $99 annually from year two

Third grade, Tennessee Registered Agent.co: the Tennessee registration for $199 with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

The two state services, TN Registered Agent.org and Tennessee Registered Agent.co, match on price and features, and the order between them is a narrow call.

What you get

  • The registration filing
  • Year-one registered agent service

Good

  • $99 annually to keep the agent
  • Registers the company at $199 plus filing fees
  • Includes a year of registered agent service

Weak spots

  • Serves Tennessee only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Tennessee Registered Agent.co review

Summary of the 3 grades

RankProviderGradeService feeYear twoBest fitSite
1Mainstay Filing9.6$199$149/yrCompanies with a presence in several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2TN Registered Agent.org9.2$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Tennessee Registered Agent.co9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Each grade out of 10 comes from Biz Formation Report's editors and the weighted criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings are involved.

Tennessee foreign registration service prices, 2026: year one, renewal and three-year outlay

ProviderYear 1Year 2Year 3Three-year outlayYear-one agent covered
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
TN Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included

All prices were taken from the companies' own websites on November 12, 2026. Tennessee's $300 registration fee is payable on top of each row and is not part of these totals.

How the grades were set

Biz Formation Report grades three-year bill and what the money buys at 32% each, leaving 36% for renewal handling, local rules match and pricing openness. In Tennessee, what the money buys settled the order.

Foreign registration always involves two states, and one provider with one price in both graded best on coverage, ahead of TN Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Tennessee foreign LLC registration: fee, document and filing office

To register, the outside company submits the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233) to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, with a state fee of $300. Tennessee also wants certificate of existence or good standing, dated within 60 days of the filing.

After registration the company owes the annual report ($300), due first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).

Documents to have on hand

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, dated within 60 days of filing.
  • The legal name as recorded in the home state, and the date of formation.
  • An in-state registered agent; any provider in this report can serve.
  • Payment of the $300 state fee with the filing.
  • The due date of the annual report and its $300 fee, noted in your calendar.

The cost of skipping Tennessee registration

An unregistered foreign LLC has no right to sue in Tennessee courts until it registers (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts remain enforceable (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Tennessee foreign registration service: common questions

Must an LLC from another state register with Tennessee?

Yes, as soon as it transacts business there. Until then it has no standing to bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.

How much does Tennessee foreign registration cost?

$300 goes to the state and $199 to the service.

Which form handles foreign registration with Tennessee?

The state names the form in the facts above; it is sent to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.

Does Tennessee demand proof of good standing from the home state?

Yes. The filing needs certificate of existence or good standing, issued no more than 60 days ago.

Is a registered agent still needed after foreign registration?

Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state has to remain on file.

What is the best foreign registration service for Tennessee?

Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the state's fee, with the registered agent free for year one and one price in every state.

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Source notes

  1. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (verified August 2026)
  2. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (verified August 2026)
  3. Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source (verified October 2026)
  4. Tennessee report due date (verified August 2026)
  5. Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source (verified October 2026)
  6. Tennessee registered agent statute (verified October 2026)
  7. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign LLC (verified October 2026)
  8. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation (verified October 2026)
  9. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 (verified October 2026)
  10. Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC provisions (verified November 2026)
  11. Pulled November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Tennessee service page
  12. Pulled November 12, 2026: TN Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages
  13. Pulled November 12, 2026: Tennessee Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages