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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Unpacked · Tennessee

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026): What Is Inside Each

Our 2026 stack of foreign registration services in Tennessee, top to bottom: Mainstay Filing ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199). Two parts make up the bill: $300 to register and $397 to $497 to a service over three years.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Registration fee
$300
Certificate packed in?
Yes, include it (60 days old at most)
Afterward
$300, annual report
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, Tennessee Registered Agent.co then TN Registered Agent.org

The Tennessee stack, best on top

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing sits on top in Tennessee because the price is $199 in every state, and the first registered agent year is inside it.

The extra $100 over Tennessee Registered Agent.co across three years is what coverage beyond Tennessee costs.

After the free first year, the registered agent renews at $149.

Inside the price

  • The registration filing, included
  • Registered agent, not charged in year one
  • One fee, any state

Inside, the good

  • $199 on top of Tennessee's fee
  • Ready for the next state
  • The first agent year is inside

Inside, the catch

  • Agent renews at $149, $50 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
Tennessee only

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for adding only this state

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Tennessee Registered Agent.co sits second because it charges $199 with first-year agent service inside, then $99 annually.

Inside the price

  • Tennessee registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $199 over the state fee
  • A free agent year at the start
  • $99 a year from year two

Inside, the catch

  • The home state needs a separate agent
Tennessee only

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for one added state, no more

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

TN Registered Agent.org sits third because it charges $199 with first-year agent service inside, then $99 annually.

It charges what Tennessee Registered Agent.co charges.

Inside the price

  • Tennessee registration filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • $199 over the state fee
  • A free agent year at the start

Inside, the catch

  • The home state needs a separate agent

Inside each price

#CompanyYear oneEach year afterThree-year totalWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497the registration filing, included; registered agent, not charged in year one; one fee, any stateOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397tennessee registration filing; A first year of agent serviceOpen Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397tennessee registration filing; A first year of agent serviceOpen TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Layer by layer

When must an out-of-state LLC register here?

Any LLC formed elsewhere should file its registration with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations ahead of its first Tennessee transaction.

Inside the risk of skipping it: Tennessee's courts stay closed to it as a plaintiff until it registers (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)).

publications.tnsosfiles.com holds the original, confirmed October 2026

How much does registration cost?

The state charges $300, and a service adds $199.

By year three the state will have collected $900. sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com holds the original, confirmed October 2026

What registers the LLC?

You open one form, the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233), and send it to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.

Pack in certificate of existence or good standing dated no earlier than 60 days.

Is there a filing that repeats?

A recurring annual report follows, priced at $300.

The state frames the deadline as First day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).

What put number one on top?

On what is inside the price (29%), Mainstay Filing comes out ahead.

Five layers set the order: total across three years (34%), what is inside the price (29%), price laid out in the open (14%), how the renewal behaves (12%) and how far it reaches (11%).

An LLC registering out of state already works in two states, and the first pick can serve both.

How we open it up

What Tennessee requires to register

PartAmount or rulePeek at source
Registration fee$300sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Certificate from homeYes, include it, 60 dayspublications.tnsosfiles.com holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$300publications.tnsosfiles.com holds the original, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$900The rows above, stacked
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

Also worth asking

Do I still need an agent in my home state?

Yes. Think of two separate rule books, your home state's and this one's. Mainstay Filing works in both, so a single account can serve the pair.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $497, Tennessee Registered Agent.co stacks up to $397, TN Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Tennessee's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Does the law require one?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

Can I hire someone to register the LLC?

Handled: submitting the registration is part of every pick's service, and the state's fee stays level.

Who tops the stack in Tennessee?

Open Mainstay Filing first, then compare Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Tennessee Secretary of State, Division led us to tnbear.tn.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Tennessee Secretary of State, Division led us to sos.tn.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report led us to sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Tennessee report due date led us to law.justia.com, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee led us to sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Tennessee registered agent statute led us to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority led us to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. Unpacking Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation led us to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  9. Unpacking Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public led us to publications.tnsosfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  10. Unpacking Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company led us to capitol.tn.gov, confirmed November 2026, which you can open yourself
  11. Mainstay Filing Tennessee service page, read November 13, 2026
  12. Tennessee Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  13. TN Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026