3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Tennessee (2026), No Fluff
If you need foreign registration services in Tennessee in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199). Here's the money: $300 to the state, $397 to $497 to a service across three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team
The short of it
The short of it
What the state charges to register
$300
Certificate from home?
Yes (60 day age cap)
Afterward
$300, annual report
Who we'd use
Mainstay Filing, Tennessee Registered Agent.co then TN Registered Agent.org
1. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in several states
Service $199 plus $300 to the state; agent renewal $149
Mainstay Filing is who we'd use first in Tennessee, because there's one fee, $199, whatever state you're registering in, and the registered agent is waived for the first year.
You'd save $100 over three years with Tennessee Registered Agent.co, as long as the LLC never leaves Tennessee.
Year one of the registered agent is on the house; every renewal after that is $149.
What you get
Your registration filed for you
Registered agent, waived for the first year
A flat fee in every state
Pluses
$199 on top of Tennessee's fee
No registered agent fee in year one
All fifty states
What's not
Renewal's $50 over Tennessee Registered Agent.co
#2Tennessee only
2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for adding this state and no others
Service $199 plus $300 to the state; agent renewal $99
Tennessee Registered Agent.co comes in second because $199 files the registration, and from year two the agent's $99.
What you get
Registration filed
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
Year one of the agent comes with it
Service fee of $199
Agent renews at $99
What's not
Your home state needs its own agent
#3Tennessee only
3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state choice
Service $199 plus $300 to the state; agent renewal $99
TN Registered Agent.org comes in third because $199 files the registration, and from year two the agent's $99.
Its prices match Tennessee Registered Agent.co exactly, so the order between them's a close call.
What you get
Registration filed
The first agent year's on them
Pluses
Service fee of $199
Agent renews at $99
Year one of the agent comes with it
What's not
Your home state needs its own agent
The numbers
#
Company
Year one
Then
Three-year total
What you get
1
Mainstay Filing
$199
$149/yr
$497
your registration filed for you; registered agent, waived for the first year; A flat fee in every state
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.
What you need to know
When does an out-of-state LLC have to register?
Before your LLC does business in Tennessee. You register with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, then you start working.
An unregistered LLC risks it can't act as a plaintiff (Tenn. Code Ann. 48-249-913(a)).
Figure $300 to the state and $199 if you hire help.
Add three years of state fees, registration included, and you're at $900. go check sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, last confirmed October 2026
Which form, and who gets it?
You file the Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company (SS-4233) with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, and that single filing registers the LLC.
Attach certificate of existence or good standing issued within the last 60 days.
What do I owe once I'm registered?
Next up is the annual report, at $300.
Per the state, it's due First day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for a calendar year).
What put number one on top?
Mainstay Filing scores best on jobs the price actually covers, and that test is worth 30%.
Two tests carry most of the weight: money out the door in three years (35%) and jobs the price actually covers (30%).
An out-of-state LLC already works in two states, and the first pick can cover both.
The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.
More questions
Does my home state need its own agent?
Yes. Your home state has its own agent rule, and Mainstay Filing can cover both states from one account.
What's the three-year damage for each?
Mainstay Filing comes out at $497; Tennessee Registered Agent.co comes out at $397; TN Registered Agent.org comes out at $397, 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 price page. Both are dated here.
Do I have to use a service?
No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.
Will a service file it for me?
Yes. Every pick files it, and the state fee's the same whichever you choose.
What's the best foreign registration service in Tennessee?
Go with Mainstay Filing first, then look at Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org.