Forming a Tennessee LLC
We handle formation for a flat $199, plus Tennessee's state filing fee ($300 minimum for most LLCs) — full breakdown below. Every Tennessee LLC also needs a registered agent on file year-round; that's a separate $99/year service, not part of the $199 formation fee.
An LLC in Tennessee comes into existence through one filing, keeps an agent on file at all times, and carries a short list of yearly obligations. The state's filing fee is tied to member count, $300 minimum, and most companies pay exactly that. Below: the sequence, the dollar figures, and where we fit.
File Your Tennessee LLC for a Flat $199
$199 covers preparation and submission of your formation paperwork to the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Why Tennessee Businesses Pick the LLC
A limited liability company draws a legal line between the owners' personal property and the business's risk, with pass-through taxation as the default. Tennessee's small-business scene runs on LLCs for exactly that mix: protection without corporate ceremony.
The Tennessee LLC Filing Fee ($300 Minimum)
The state charges $50 for each member your LLC has on filing day, with a floor of $300 and a ceiling of $3,000. Six or fewer members means the floor: $300. The fee schedule sits at Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1007; the formation filing itself is authorized by § 48-249-202.
And no, the fee did not go flat in 2025. The bill that proposed a flat $300 for everyone (SB 37) was withdrawn that January, so per-member is still the rule.
Tennessee LLC Pricing
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Form SS-4270) | $50 per member, $300 minimum |
| Registered agent (required for every Tennessee LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report | $50 per member, $300 minimum, every year |
The $199 goes to us; the filing fee goes straight to the state. Agent service bills separately at $99 per year.
Form SS-4270: Articles of Organization
One form creates the company: SS-4270, Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company. It collects the LLC name, principal office, registered agent name and street address, the member-managed or manager-managed election, and organizer details. Pick it up from the Secretary of State's business forms and fees page, or e-file through the state's online filing system, reachable from the business services hub. Card and e-check payments online carry a convenience charge; mailed checks skip it.
Formation, Step by Step
- Clear the name. Needs an LLC designator, needs to be distinguishable from every registered entity, and the Secretary of State's free records search settles it in seconds. Regulated terms (banking, insurance, anything government-flavored) require permission you probably do not have.
- Put an agent in place. Continuous requirement, physical Tennessee street address, present during the working day. The agent's details go into the public entity record. Our service is $99 per year and puts our address there instead of yours.
- File Form SS-4270 and pay the state. $50 per member, $300 minimum. This filing is the legal birth of the LLC.
- Write the operating agreement. Not filed with the state, still essential: ownership splits, voting, profit allocation, member exits. Skip it and the default statute decides those questions for you.
- Pull an EIN. The IRS issues them free in about ten minutes online. Anyone charging for one is selling you a form you could have filed yourself.
- Run the compliance loop. Annual report each year (same per-member schedule, $300 minimum, due the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year close, April 1 on a calendar year), agent maintained continuously, business and personal money kept apart, taxes filed on time.
Fall out of compliance long enough and the Secretary of State can dissolve the LLC, taking the liability shield with it until reinstatement.
Rather not touch the paperwork? $199, and our team files it.
The Registered Agent Requirement
Non-negotiable for every Tennessee LLC, formation through dissolution. The agent:
- Keeps a real Tennessee street address (PO box alone fails)
- Stays available through the working day for service of process
- Moves lawsuits and state notices to you fast enough to protect deadlines
Home addresses used as agent addresses become permanently searchable. $99/year puts our address in the record and same-day scans in your inbox.
FAQs
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Tennessee?
$50 per member with a $300 floor and a $3,000 ceiling. At six members or fewer, the filing is $300.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Tennessee?
No guaranteed timeline from the state. Online submissions move through processing ahead of mailed paper, so e-file if you are in a hurry.
Does Tennessee require an annual report?
Yes. $50 per member, $300 minimum, due the first day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends. Calendar-year LLC? That is April 1.
Do I need a registered agent for my Tennessee LLC?
Yes, continuously, starting at formation. Tennessee street address required.
Can I form an LLC in Tennessee if I live in another state?
Yes. Ownership has no residency requirement. The registered agent is the only in-state piece, and our $99/year service supplies it.
Launch Your Tennessee LLC
Self-filing through the Secretary of State works fine; the per-member state fee and the agent requirement apply either way. Prefer it handled? $199 covers the filing, and $99/year covers the agent role: our address in the record, same-day scanning, and a warning before every deadline.
Need the standalone agent only? The standalone Tennessee agent plan costs $99/year.
Questions about Tennessee LLC formation or how the agent role works? Browse our FAQ or use the contact form.
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Choose straightforward agent representation for the yearly rate — address, scans, and reminders.