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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Tennessee

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Tennessee the order reads TN Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199). TN Registered Agent.org posts the top score: the Tennessee registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Top pick on this page

1. TN Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Tennessee

9.5 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

TN Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Tennessee, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its three-year total undercuts Mainstay Filing, which earns real points on cost.

What you get

  • Tennessee registration filed for you
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • Year one as your registered agent is included

Watch for

  • Limited to Tennessee; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. TN Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Same price in every state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.0 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee, $499 at checkout; $149 a year for the agent afterwards

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: it files the Tennessee registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

From year two the agent runs $149 a year, the same price in every state.

TN Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free first year as your registered agent
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than TN Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best value here

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

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

Tennessee Registered Agent.co takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Tennessee, agent renewing at $99.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, TN Registered Agent.org and Tennessee Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Tennessee registration filed for you
  • A year as your registered agent, up front

Strengths

  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent
  • Includes the first registered agent year
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added

Watch for

  • Limited to Tennessee; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 TN Registered Agent.org 9.5 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 9.0 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Tennessee Registered Agent.co 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

Tennessee foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
TN Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Tennessee Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Tennessee's $300 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

How the card was marked

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In Tennessee the tie was broken by cost across three years.

TN Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

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

An outside company registers by sending 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 $300 state fee. Tennessee additionally requires certificate of existence or good standing, dated no more than 60 days before filing.

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

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, issued no earlier than 60 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $300, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $300 fee.

The price of ignoring Tennessee registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Tennessee courts until it registers (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Tennessee foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Tennessee make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Tennessee?

Expect $300 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Tennessee?

The form goes to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Tennessee filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence or good standing, no older than 60 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Tennessee?

TN Registered Agent.org, since $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

More from us

Where the figures come from

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