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The Startup JudgeRankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Tennessee ruling · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)

The Startup Judge has ruled on foreign registration services in Tennessee for 2026: Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199). The ruling favors Tennessee Registered Agent.co, since the Tennessee registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.
The Startup Judge editorial team
No.1
Number one here

1. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Tennessee

$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one

Score9.4out of 10

First place: Tennessee Registered Agent.co. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Tennessee, and the agent renews at $99.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.

In the price

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • One year of registered agent service at the start

Why pick it

  • Twelve months as your registered agent come with it
  • The agent renews at $99 annually
  • Registers the company for $199 and the state's fee

Weak spots

  • Serves Tennessee only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on Tennessee Registered Agent.co
No.2
Same price in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states

Expect $199 plus the state fee ($499 at checkout), then $149 each year for the agent

Score8.9out of 10

Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.

From year two the agent charge is $149 a year, the same in every state.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co costs $100 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.

In the price

  • The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
  • Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
  • Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge

Why pick it

  • One price in each of the fifty states
  • Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
  • A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
  • Year-one registered agent service costs nothing

Weak spots

  • The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Tennessee Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on Mainstay Filing
No.3
Best value here

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for Tennessee registrations only

$199 for the service, state fee on top; from year two the agent bills $99 annually

Score8.8out of 10

Third place: TN Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Tennessee, and the agent renews at $99.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

TN Registered Agent.org mirrors Tennessee Registered Agent.co on price and features, so the pair is nearly level.

In the price

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • Year-one registered agent service

Why pick it

  • Registration at $199, with the state fee extra
  • The first year as registered agent is free
  • Second-year agent charge: $99

Weak spots

  • Serves Tennessee only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on TN Registered Agent.org

The 3 rulings in brief

RankProviderRuling scoreService chargeYear twoSuited toLink
1Tennessee Registered Agent.co9.4$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing8.9$199$149/yrBusinesses spread over several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TN Registered Agent.org8.8$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.

Tennessee foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total

ProviderYear oneYear twoYear threeTotal over three yearsAgent covered in year one
Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
TN Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Tennessee's $300 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.

Why Tennessee Registered Agent.co is placed first

The decisive criterion in Tennessee was charge over three years. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.

Over three years Tennessee Registered Agent.co totals $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first year, so the renewal charge carried the ruling.

Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Tennessee: the form, the office and the fee

Registration is lodged with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233). The state fee is $300. Tennessee also requires certificate of existence or good standing, issued no more than 60 days before the filing.

Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $300, with a due date of first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).

Items to gather before filing

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, no older than 60 days at filing.
  • The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
  • A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
  • The $300 state fee, remitted with the application.
  • A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $300 fee.

Consequences of operating in Tennessee unregistered

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Tennessee courts (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Questions on Tennessee foreign registration services

Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Tennessee?

Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.

What will foreign registration in Tennessee run in total?

The state fee is $300; service charges run $199.

What does Tennessee call its foreign registration form?

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

Must the home state vouch for the company before Tennessee accepts it?

It must. Certificate of existence or good standing, issued no more than 60 days before filing accompanies the application.

Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?

Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.

Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Tennessee?

Tennessee Registered Agent.co, since it charges $199 beyond the state fee, including year-one registered agent service, then $99 a year for the agent.

See also

Tennessee: the ruling on registered agentsTennessee: the ruling on LLC servicesThe ruling on Tennessee Registered Agent.coThe ruling on Mainstay FilingThe ruling on TN Registered Agent.orgRulings on foreign registration in all 50 states

The record

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