Forming a Tennessee LLC
Get registered agent representation in Tennessee for $99 annually. The price covers the registered office address, same-day scanning of legal documents, and state-deadline alerts.
An LLC in Tennessee is established through a single formation filing, requires an agent at all times, and carries a short list of annual maintenance items. The state charges $300 to file, takes about about a week to approve, and then your ongoing obligations kick in. What's next: the whole sequence, the dollar amounts in detail, and where we come in.
File Your Tennessee LLC — $199
For a flat $199, we prepare and submit your formation document to Tennessee Secretary of State. Allow about a week from filing to approval.
File Your Tennessee LLC — $199
What A Tennessee LLC Is (and Why People Form One)
Limited liability companies provide owners with a legal separation between personal property and business risk, taxed simply by default. Tennessee's small-business landscape leans heavily on the LLC structure for its mix of protection, simplicity, and minimal ongoing compliance.
Tennessee LLC Pricing
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Our LLC formation service | $199 one-time |
| State filing fee (Tennessee Secretary of State) | $300 one-time |
| Registered agent (required for every Tennessee LLC) | $99/year |
| State annual report fee | $300/year |
The $199 is paid to us; the state fee is paid to Tennessee Secretary of State; and statutory agent product runs $99 per year separately.
Tennessee LLC Formation: Each Step
1. Pick a Name Tennessee Secretary of State Will Accept
Your Tennessee LLC name has to contain an LLC designator and has to be distinguishable from existing entities already registered in the state. Run a search of Tennessee Secretary of State's records for any candidate name — it's free and tells you within seconds whether the name is open.
Stay away from name elements that imply you are a regulated entity — banking, insurance, government. Those require special permission to use.
2. Designate a Registered Agent
every limited liability company formed in Tennessee needs a continuously available statutory agent — brick-and-mortar address inside the state, available during the workday. The agent details appear in Tennessee Secretary of State's public entity records, which means anyone can look them up.
$99 annually is what our agent service costs. List our information on the filing and your home address never sees the publicly searchable record.
3. File Articles of Organization with Tennessee Secretary of State
This is the legal birth of the LLC: file the Articles of Organization with Tennessee Secretary of State with payment of $300 to the state. On the form you'll list your LLC's name, the primary business address, the agent name plus address, manager- or member-managed designation, and organizer information.
Tennessee Secretary of State accepts filings online at the Tennessee business filings portal — online is typically faster than paper.
Approval normally comes back in about a week. Expedited service is often available for a surcharge.
4. Create Your LLC's Operating Agreement
Tennessee treats the operating agreement as your internal business — not filed, but very much expected. Inside it: ownership percentages, profit-and-loss allocation, voting and management procedures, and exit rules for members. Without one, Tennessee's default LLC statute steps in — and those defaults may not match what you and your co-owners actually want.
5. Get an EIN from the IRS
An EIN acts as the IRS's tracking number for the LLC. You'll need it for banking, payroll, and federal income tax filings. Head to IRS.gov to apply for free. Plan on about ten minutes for the form; the EIN issues immediately.
Don't bother paying any service for an EIN — the form is short and the IRS hands out EINs for free.
6. Handle Ongoing Compliance
Once the LLC is formed, the maintenance phase begins. Tennessee Secretary of State expects you to:
- Continuously maintain the agent of record at a Tennessee location every day the LLC exists
- Get in the annual state filing each year before the deadline
- Carry out a clean split between corporate and personal cash flow (separate cards, separate accounts)
- Keep current on federal and state tax obligations throughout the year
Tennessee Secretary of State can dissolve LLCs that fall out of compliance. After dissolution, the liability shield disappears until you reinstate.
Rather skip the paperwork? $199 buys our complete filing service for Tennessee LLCs.
The Registered Agent Requirement
Holding a agent maintained on file is mandatory for every Tennessee LLC, from formation through dissolution. The agent's job is to:
- Keep a real Tennessee street address (P.O. Box only is not allowed)
- Be available throughout the workday to receive legal mail
- Deliver state mail and lawsuits without delay so the LLC has time to react
Owners often use their home address as agent and later wish they hadn't. Everyone with access to Tennessee Secretary of State's public entity database can see it.
$99/year buys you our agent service. The public filings shows our address, not yours.
FAQs
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Tennessee?
The state's filing fee is $300. That's among the higher state filing fees in the country. In addition, the yearly filing fee is $300/year.
How long does it take to form an LLC in Tennessee?
Typical turnaround at Tennessee Secretary of State is about a week.
Does Tennessee require an annual report?
Yes. The yearly filing fee is $300/year.
Do I need a registered agent for my Tennessee LLC?
Yes — Tennessee mandates a continuously appointed agent for every limited liability company. The rule applies continuously from formation forward.
Can I form an LLC in Tennessee if I live in another state?
Yes. Non-residents can form Tennessee LLCs without any extra steps. A Tennessee agent is still required. Our $99/year service is exactly that.
Launch Your Tennessee LLC
Self-filing with Tennessee Secretary of State is fully available using the Tennessee business filings portal. The registered agent rule still applies — the state collects $300.
We're the agent you list on the form. Pricing: Just $99/year — you get our address on the filing, scans the day mail arrives, and a heads-up before every state 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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