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Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
Launchwise Review

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Launch guide · Tennessee · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026)

Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
For a 2026 launch in Tennessee, Launchwise Review grades foreign registration services this way: Mainstay Filing ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing earns the top grade here: $199 beyond the state's fee in whichever state you enter, with year-one registered agent service free.
1
Our top pick in Tennessee

1. Mainstay Filing: best for founders working in several states

$199 service charge and the state's fee, $499 due today; the agent runs $149 annually after year one

Our mark 9.5 out of 10

Top grade, Mainstay Filing: $199 on top of the state fee, a free first year as registered agent and the same price in any state.

Starting in year two, the agent costs $149 annually, the same in every state.

It runs $100 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co across three years; the extra paperwork it handles is worth that to us.

In the price

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free year as your registered agent
  • Free scan of served papers the same business day they arrive

Pros

  • Registered agent service is free the first year
  • One price in every state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned the same business day, free
  • $199 for the service, with the state fee added

Less good

  • The agent costs $149 a year after year one, $50 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing launch review
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Low renewal

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for companies adding only Tennessee

Pay $199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year for the agent

Our mark 9.3 out of 10

Next up is Tennessee Registered Agent.co: $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

In the price

  • Filing with the state
  • Year-one registered agent service

Pros

  • Free registered agent service in year one
  • Registration costs $199 before state fees
  • Keeps your agent for $99 yearly

Less good

  • Tennessee only; the home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Tennessee Registered Agent.co launch review
3
Best value here

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for Tennessee registrations only

Service $199, state fee extra; the agent then costs $99 each year

Our mark 9.1 out of 10

Rounding out the list is TN Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

TN Registered Agent.org copies Tennessee Registered Agent.co on price and features, so the pair is close to level.

In the price

  • Filing with the state
  • One year of registered agent service to begin with

Pros

  • Year-one registered agent duty is covered
  • Second-year agent price: $99
  • Registers the company for $199, state fee extra

Less good

  • Tennessee only; the home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the TN Registered Agent.org launch review

The 3 grades at a glance

Place Company Launch grade Service price Second year Best fit Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.5 $199 $149/yr Founders opening a second state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Tennessee Registered Agent.co 9.3 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal on this page Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 TN Registered Agent.org 9.1 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal on this page Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
The 10-point grades are editorial, built from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

Tennessee foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total

Company Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Three years, total Agent covered, year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Tennessee Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
TN Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Prices were copied from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Add Tennessee's $300 registration fee to any row; it is not in the totals.

Why Mainstay Filing grades first

What made the call in Tennessee was launch paperwork handled. The grading method sets cost to launch and stay at 26%, launch paperwork handled at 26% and renewal behavior, state match and price transparency at 48% combined.

Adding a second state means dealing with two states, and one provider at one price in both earned the stronger coverage grade, ahead of Tennessee Registered Agent.co.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Opening in Tennessee as a foreign LLC: fee, form and office

Your 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). Budget $300 for the state. Have certificate of existence or good standing in hand too, dated within 60 days of filing; Tennessee asks for it.

Calendar item for later: the annual report at $300, due first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).

Before you file, get these together

  • Certificate of existence or good standing, issued within 60 days of your filing date.
  • Your company's exact legal name and the date it was formed at home.
  • A registered agent with a street address in the state; every company graded on this page can serve.
  • The $300 state fee, ready to pay with the filing.
  • A calendar reminder for the annual report and its $300 fee.

What skipping Tennessee registration can cost you

Without registration, an outside LLC cannot bring a lawsuit in Tennessee courts (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)). Contracts it signs remain valid (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(f)).

Quick answers about Tennessee foreign registration services

When does an LLC from elsewhere have to register in Tennessee?

Once it does business there. Until then it cannot bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.

What should I budget to bring an existing LLC into Tennessee?

The state fee is $300; add a service fee of $199.

Which form brings a foreign LLC into Tennessee?

Ask the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations for the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233).

Do I need a document from my home state first?

Yes, order certificate of existence or good standing and file within 60 days of its date.

Does the foreign LLC still need a registered agent?

Yes. Keep a registered agent with a street address in the state for as long as the company is registered there.

Which service is the best way to register a foreign LLC in Tennessee?

Mainstay Filing, because the Tennessee registration costs $199, the first registered agent year is free, and later years are $149.

See also

Sources and dates

  1. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, dated August 2026
  2. Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services, dated August 2026
  3. Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, dated October 2026
  4. Tennessee report due date, dated August 2026
  5. Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source, dated October 2026
  6. Tennessee registered agent statute, dated October 2026
  7. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign LLC, dated October 2026
  8. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation, dated October 2026
  9. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286, dated October 2026
  10. Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, foreign LLC provisions, dated November 2026
  11. From Mainstay Filing: Tennessee service page, copied November 12, 2026
  12. From Tennessee Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, copied November 12, 2026
  13. From TN Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, copied November 12, 2026