Skip to content
LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

Straight talk · Tennessee

3 Best LLC Services in Tennessee (2026), No Fluff

If you need LLC formation 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). Every option pays the same $300 filing fee, then three years of service cost $397 to $597.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

Quick facts

The short of it
State fee
$300, one time
After that
$300 a year
Registered agent
Yes, it's the law
Our pick
Mainstay Filing, Tennessee Registered Agent.co then TN Registered Agent.org

Tennessee: our ranking

Wondering why this order? We explain it here.

#1 Who we'd call first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for skipping the annual report

$199 yearly ($499 at signup, state fee included)

The annual report gets filed inside the $199 yearly price, along with formation and the registered agent. That's why Mainstay Filing is first.

Here's the catch: Tennessee Registered Agent.co costs $200 less over three years, and you'd do more of the paperwork yourself.

The annual report is part of the service. The only extra's the state's $300.

What you get

  • Formation handled start to finish
  • Registered agent for twelve straight months
  • Annual report taken care of when due
  • State fees passed through, no markup

Pluses

  • No jump when you renew ($199)
  • $199 yearly, everything listed

What's not

  • Renews $100 higher than Tennessee Registered Agent.co
See Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 Tennessee only

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for owners who'll stay home

$199 to form, $99 a year after

Tennessee Registered Agent.co comes in second because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.

Filing the annual report isn't covered, so that job's yours.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • $199 to form the LLC
  • $99 a year from year two
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the annual report
  • EIN's not included ($99)
See Tennessee Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Tennessee only

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state choice

$199 to form, $99 a year after

TN Registered Agent.org comes in third because $199 gets your LLC formed, and then the agent's $99 a year.

Filing the annual report isn't covered, so that job's yours.

Its prices match Tennessee Registered Agent.co exactly, so the order between them's a close call.

What you get

  • Your LLC, filed
  • Agent service covered for year one

Pluses

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $99 a year from year two
  • $199 to form the LLC

What's not

  • You're stuck filing the annual report
  • EIN's not included ($99)
See TN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The numbers

#WhoFirst yearEach year after3 yearsCovers
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597formation handled start to finish; registered agent for twelve straight months; annual report taken care of when due See Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Tennessee Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one See Tennessee Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 TN Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397Your LLC, filed; agent service covered for year one See TN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read November 13, 2026. Three years is year one plus two renewals.

The questions that matter

What's it cost to form an LLC here?

$300 goes to the state. Hire a service in year one and that's $199 more.

State fees for years one through three come to $900. sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

Which form do I file, and where?

The Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4270) goes to the Tennessee Secretary of State, and approval is what creates your LLC.

sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

Does the state make me have a registered agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

A Tennessee resident, or a business entity formed in Tennessee or authorized there with an office at the registered office street address.

sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

What do I owe after that?

There's one filing that keeps coming back: the annual report, yearly, for $300. In the state's own words it's due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year.

sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us

Do I have to pay somebody?

Yes. Filing it yourself costs only the state's fees: $900 over three years.

Hiring help costs $397 to $597 more across three years.

What put number one on top?

On jobs the price actually covers (30% of the score), Mainstay Filing wins.

We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).

Tennessee wants the annual report every year, and filing it is only part of the first pick's deal.

How we judge

Tennessee formation rules, with sources

WhatThe rule or the numberCheck it
LLC filing fee $300sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Registered agent Yes, it's the lawsos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
Annual report $300 every yearsos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, if you don't believe us
State fees, years one to three $900Our sum of the rows above

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

What do the picks cost over three years?

Mainstay Filing will set you back $597, and Tennessee Registered Agent.co will set you back $397, and TN Registered Agent.org will set you back $397, before state fees.

Are the fees official?

Official Tennessee sources back the state side, and posted prices back the service side.

Is a service required?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

How much does the state charge?

A one-time $300.

What does the LLC owe every year?

There's one filing that keeps coming back: the annual report, yearly, for $300. In the state's own words it's due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year.

Who should I use for a LLC service in Tennessee?

Mainstay Filing, because for $199 a year, formation, the registered agent and the annual report are all handled. After that, Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org.

What's next

Sources, so you can check

  1. Where Tennessee Secretary of State, Division comes from: tnbear.tn.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  2. Where Tennessee Secretary of State, Division comes from: sos.tn.gov, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  3. Where Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report comes from: sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  4. Where Tennessee report due date comes from: law.justia.com, confirmed August 2026, and you can go look yourself
  5. Where Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee comes from: sos.tn.gov, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  6. Where Tennessee registered agent statute comes from: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, and you can go look yourself
  7. Mainstay Filing Tennessee service page, read November 13, 2026
  8. Tennessee Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. TN Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026