3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026): Your Questions Answered
In Tennessee for 2026, our answer on foreign registration services is Mainstay Filing ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked from first to last. Registering costs $300 at Tennessee for every filer, and services add $397 to $497 over three years.
Answered by the Ask About LLC editorial team ·
Four quick answers
What does the state charge to register?
$300
Home-state certificate?
Yes (60 day age limit)
Afterward
$300, annual report
Who to ask
Mainstay Filing, Tennessee Registered Agent.co then TN Registered Agent.org
Registering costs $300 at the state, plus $199 if you hire help.
Over three years the state's fees reach $900, counting any recurring report. sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read in October 2026 for this answer
Which form do I file, and with whom?
Send the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233) to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations; the registration is complete when it accepts the filing.
Attach certificate of existence or good standing issued within the last 60 days.
What do I owe once the LLC is registered?
Down the road there is the annual report, which costs $300.
When the filing is due, per the state: First day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).
What put number one on top?
Mainstay Filing does best on chores the price takes care of, which carries 29% of our score.
Two questions carry most of the weight, what you pay over three years (33%) and chores the price takes care of (29%), and three smaller ones follow.
An LLC that registers out of state already works in two states, and the first pick can serve both.
The last row is arithmetic, not a state figure: filing fee, plus the reports due in years two and three, plus a minimum tax where one applies. Open-ended costs stay out.
Questions people also ask
Do I still need an agent in my home state?
Yes, and the two states do not share a rule book. Mainstay Filing works in both, so one account can cover the home state and this one.
How do the three-year totals compare?
For three years you would pay $497 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at Tennessee Registered Agent.co, $397 at TN Registered Agent.org, before state fees.
Where do these numbers come from?
State fees come from Tennessee's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own pricing page. Both carry dates on this page.
Do I have to use a service?
Not at all. The state takes filings from owners directly. A service just saves you time, and it can double as your agent.
Will a service file the registration for me?
Each of them submits it for you, and the state fee is not affected by that choice.
Who should I ask first about a foreign registration service in Tennessee?
Ask Mainstay Filing first, then compare Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org.
Sources for this answer
Our answer on Tennessee Secretary of State, Division rests on tnbear.tn.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee Secretary of State, Division rests on sos.tn.gov, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report rests on sos.tn.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee report due date rests on law.justia.com, a page we confirmed August 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee rests on sos.tn.gov, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee registered agent statute rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public rests on publications.tnsosfiles.com, a page we confirmed October 2026 and still point you to
Our answer on Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company rests on capitol.tn.gov, a page we confirmed November 2026 and still point you to
The Mainstay Filing Tennessee service page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
The Tennessee Registered Agent.co pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026
The TN Registered Agent.org pricing page, as it stood on November 13, 2026