3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)
LLC Review Desk's 2026 picks for foreign registration services in Tennessee, favorite first, are Mainstay Filing ($199), TN Registered Agent.org ($199) and Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing is our favorite, because you pay $199 on top of the state's fee, your first year as registered agent is free, and the price is the same in every state.
By the LLC Review Desk editorial team
Position 1
Our top pick
1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners working in more than one state
$199 for the service and the state's fee too, $499 due today; the agent costs $149 a year after that
Our score
9.6out of 10
9.6 out of 10
Our favorite is Mainstay Filing, because $199 gets the Tennessee registration filed, year one as registered agent costs nothing, and after that it's $149 a year.
From year two the agent plan is $149 a year, and it's the same price everywhere.
Over three years it costs $100 more than TN Registered Agent.org, and for us the extra things it handles are worth that.
In the price
Preparation and filing of the registration
A free year as your registered agent
No-charge scans of served papers on the day they arrive
What we like
$199 for the service, plus the state's fee
Your first year of registered agent service is free
The same price in all fifty states
Same-business-day scans of papers served on the company, no charge
Trade-offs
After year one the agent is $149 a year, $50 more than TN Registered Agent.org
LLC Review Desk gives each score out of 10 itself, based on the criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings are involved.
What Tennessee foreign registration services cost in 2026: year one, renewals and three years
Service
First year
Second year
Third year
Three-year total
Agent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing
$199
$149
$149
$497
Free
TN Registered Agent.org
$199
$99
$99
$397
Included
Tennessee Registered Agent.co
$199
$99
$99
$397
Included
We took each price from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. On top of every row, Tennessee charges a $300 registration fee, which isn't in these totals.
How we scored these
Here's how we scored it: three-year cost and filings in the price are worth 29% each, and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals split the other 42%. In Tennessee, filings in the price made the difference.
Registering in a second state means working with two states, so one company at one price for both won the coverage score over TN Registered Agent.org.
You can read every criterion and weight on How we rank.
Registering a foreign LLC in Tennessee: fee, form and who to send it to
You register through the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, using the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233). The state charges $300. Tennessee also wants certificate of existence or good standing that is no more than 60 days old.
After that, plan on the annual report each cycle ($300) by first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).
Get these ready first
Certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days of when you file.
Your company's full legal name, exactly as registered at home, and the date it was formed there.
A registered agent with a street address in the state. Any service on this page can do it.
The $300 state fee to pay with the filing.
A reminder for yourself about the annual report and its $300 fee.
What happens if you skip Tennessee registration
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC can't sue in Tennessee courts (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Its contracts still stand (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).
Your questions about Tennessee foreign registration services
Do I have to register my out-of-state LLC in Tennessee?
If it does business there, yes. Until it registers, it can't sue in the state's courts.
What does registering a foreign LLC in Tennessee come to?
The state charges $300, and services charge $199.
What form does Tennessee use for foreign LLCs?
The state's form is the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233), and it goes to the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations.
Does Tennessee want paperwork from my home state?
It does: certificate of existence or good standing, no more than 60 days old.
Do I still need a registered agent after I register?
Yes. You keep a registered agent with a street address in the state as long as the company stays registered.
Who's the best choice for foreign registration in Tennessee?
Mainstay Filing, because it's $199 beyond the state fee in any state, and the first registered agent year is included.