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Filing Verdict

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

Foreign registration verdict · Tennessee

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)

Filing Verdict's 2026 verdict on foreign registration services in Tennessee: TN Registered Agent.org ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order. TN Registered Agent.org takes first place: $199 plus the state fee, with a year of registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.
The Filing Verdict editorial team
Our top pick
Spot 1

1. TN Registered Agent.org: best for companies adding only Tennessee

$199 service fee, state fee added; $99 a year from year two

9.3Editorial score
out of 10

TN Registered Agent.org wins here: the Tennessee registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

The three-year total beats Mainstay Filing's, and that cost advantage carries real weight in our method.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of registered agent service

What we like

  • Service fee $199, state fee extra
  • The first registered agent year is included
  • Year-two agent cost of $99

Cons

  • Covers Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full TN Registered Agent.org verdict
Best local option
Spot 2

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for Tennessee registrations only

Service fee $199, state fee extra; agent $99 yearly after year one

9.0Editorial score
out of 10

Second place goes to Tennessee Registered Agent.co: the Tennessee registration for $199 with the first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan gives the company an in-state street address as its registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned to your online account.

On price and features TN Registered Agent.org and Tennessee Registered Agent.co match line for line, which makes this a close call between safe choices.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of registered agent service

What we like

  • A $199 service fee plus the registration fee
  • $99 per year keeps the agent from year two
  • A year of registered agent service is part of the price

Cons

  • Covers Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application is billed separately ($99)
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Tennessee Registered Agent.co verdict
Best for multi-state companies
Spot 3

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

$199 plus the state's fee, $499 at checkout, then $149 a year for the agent

8.7Editorial score
out of 10

Third place goes to Mainstay Filing: $199 on top of the state fee, the same in any state, with the first year of registered agent service included.

Year two brings the agent at $149 a year, the same price in every state.

Over three years TN Registered Agent.org is $100 cheaper, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

What you get

  • The registration, prepared and submitted for you
  • Free registered agent service for the first year
  • Free same-business-day scans of service of process

What we like

  • Same-business-day scans of served papers, free
  • Service fee of $199, plus the state's fee
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • One price in all fifty states

Cons

  • After year one its agent runs $149 a year, $50 above TN Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Our full Mainstay Filing verdict

The 3 verdicts at a glance

No.ServiceVerdict scoreService feeYear twoBest forVisit
1TN Registered Agent.org9.3$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Tennessee Registered Agent.co9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal here Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing8.7$199$149/yrCompanies registered in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every score here is Filing Verdict's own editorial mark out of 10, set from the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.

Tennessee foreign registration service prices for 2026: year one, renewals and three years

ServiceYear 1Year 2Year 3Total, 3 yearsAgent covered in year one
TN Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Prices were read from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Tennessee's $300 registration fee goes on top of every row and is not counted in these totals.

Why TN Registered Agent.org comes first

The method behind this ranking weighs total over three years at 35% and paperwork the price handles at 35%, with renewal behavior, match to the state and up-front pricing sharing the remaining 30%. For Tennessee, total over three years decided the order.

TN Registered Agent.org totals $397 over three years, $100 under Mainstay Filing. Year one is covered by both services, so the renewal price decided the order.

The full list of criteria and weights is on How we rank.

Tennessee foreign LLC registration: the fee, the form and the filing office

The company registers with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations by filing the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233). The state fee is $300. Tennessee also asks for certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

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

Before you file: a checklist

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days before you file.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, and the date the company was formed there.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; each service on this page can act in that role.
  • The $300 state fee, paid with the filing.
  • A calendar entry for the annual report and its $300 fee.

What skipping Tennessee registration can cost

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC cannot bring suit in Tennessee courts (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Contracts it signs stay valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Tennessee foreign registration service: questions answered

Does Tennessee require an out-of-state LLC to register?

Yes, once it transacts business there. Until it registers, it cannot bring suit in the state's courts.

What does foreign registration cost in Tennessee?

The state fee is $300, and the service fee is $199.

Which form does Tennessee use for foreign registration?

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

Does Tennessee want a certificate from my home state?

Yes. It asks for certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days of filing.

Is a registered agent required once I have registered?

Yes. The company still needs a registered agent here, with a street address in the state.

Which foreign registration service is the best pick in Tennessee?

TN Registered Agent.org, because $199 over the state fee to register in Tennessee, with the agent renewing at $99.

More from us

Sources and dates

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