TN Registered Agent.org takes the top spot because the Tennessee registration is $199 and includes year one as agent, with $99 a year after that.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
Across three years its total is under Mainstay Filing's, and that counts for a lot in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration filing
- A first year as your registered agent
Good
- $199 for the service, state fee extra
- An agent price of $99 in year two
- The registered agent role is free for the first year
Watch for
- Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
Mainstay Filing makes the list at number two because $199 prepares the Tennessee registration and the registered agent role costs nothing in year one, then $149 a year.
From the second year the agent plan is $149 annually, no matter which state you choose.
TN Registered Agent.org undercuts it by $100 across three years, which leaves Mainstay Filing second on cost.
In the price
- The foreign registration handled on your behalf
- Registered agent service is free for the first year
- Legal papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day at no charge
Good
- No charge for registered agent service in year one
- $199 service fee, with the state's fee added
- Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day at no charge
- The same price in each of the fifty states
Watch for
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 above TN Registered Agent.org
Tennessee Registered Agent.co makes the list at number three because the Tennessee registration is $199 and includes year one as agent, with $99 a year after that.
The registered office is an in-state street address supplied by the plan, and any papers served on the company show up as scans in your online account.
The published prices and features of TN Registered Agent.org and Tennessee Registered Agent.co are identical, so the order between them is a coin flip between solid options.
In the price
- The registration filing
- Year-one registered agent service included
Good
- A year as your registered agent comes included
- Keeps the agent for $99 a year from year two
- A $199 price on top of the registration fee
Watch for
- Tennessee only; your home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application is an extra charge ($99)
The 3 picks side by side
Filing Shortlist sets each score out of 10 itself, using the criteria on How we rank; no customer ratings feed in.
Tennessee foreign registration service pricing in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total
Every price comes from the company's own pages as of November 12, 2026. The $300 Tennessee registration fee comes on top of each row and is left out of the totals.
How the cut was made
On Filing Shortlist's shortlist, three-year price and what the price covers carry 28% each and renewal terms, fit for the state and price clarity share the other 44%. In Tennessee, three-year price made the difference.
TN Registered Agent.org adds up to $397 over three years, which is $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both services include year one, which left the renewal price to settle the order.
Every criterion and weight is set out on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Tennessee: fee, form and office
Registration goes to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations on the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233). The state fee is $300. Along with the form, Tennessee expects certificate of existence or good standing, no older than 60 days when you file.
Each year after that, the company files the annual report for $300, due first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).
What to have ready before you file
- Certificate of existence or good standing, dated within 60 days of filing.
- The company's exact legal name and its formation date in the home state.
- A registered agent at a street address in the state. Every company on this shortlist can be that agent.
- Payment of the $300 state fee with the filing.
- A reminder in your own calendar for the annual report and its $300 fee.
The cost of skipping Tennessee registration
An unregistered out-of-state LLC cannot sue in Tennessee courts (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).
Common questions about Tennessee foreign registration services
Must an LLC from another state register in Tennessee?
It must, once it does business in the state. An unregistered company cannot sue in the state's courts until it does.
What is the full price of a foreign LLC registration in Tennessee?
The state fee is $300, and service fees run $199.
What is the Tennessee foreign registration form called?
It is the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233), submitted to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.
Does Tennessee ask for proof of good standing from home?
It does. The state wants certificate of existence or good standing, dated no more than 60 days before the filing.
Does a registered foreign LLC still need a registered agent?
Yes. The company keeps a registered agent in the state, at a street address there, for as long as it stays registered.
Which service leads the Tennessee foreign registration shortlist?
TN Registered Agent.org, because $199 above the state fee gets the company registered in Tennessee, and the agent renews at $99.
Where the figures come from
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (checked again August 2026)
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services (checked again August 2026)
- Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Tennessee report due date (checked again August 2026)
- Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked again October 2026)
- Tennessee registered agent statute (checked again October 2026)
- Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign LLC (checked again October 2026)
- Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation (checked again October 2026)
- Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286 (checked again October 2026)
- Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC provisions (checked again November 2026)
- Pulled from TN Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Mainstay Filing: Tennessee service page, November 12, 2026
- Pulled from Tennessee Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026