Independent comparison of registered agent services for Tennessee LLCs and corporations.
Reviewed against Tennessee Secretary of State guidance · Updated 2026-04-30
For a Tennessee LLC or corporation, the registered agent is the official channel for lawsuits, Tennessee tax notices, and Tennessee Secretary of State reminders. Tenn. Code §48-208-101 sets a low statutory bar — physical Tennessee street address, business-hours availability — but the practical differences between providers are large. Below, the four registered agent services we tested for Tennessee-based LLCs and corporations in 2026.
In Tennessee, the registered agent’s job is heavier than the statutory floor implies. Tennessee charges $50 per LLC member for both formation and annual reports, with a $300 minimum and $3,000 maximum — uniquely scaling with membership size. A 30-member LLC pays $1,500 to form and $1,500 every year thereafter. Separately, Tennessee LLCs owe a $100/yr franchise tax that the registered agent’s address receives delinquency notices for. The practical reason this matters when picking a provider: the per-member $50 scaling for both formation and annual reports — the fee is $300 minimum but grows with each added member.
For Tennessee businesses, the three traits that separate good providers from passable ones are (1) reliable same-day handling of service of process from Tennessee state and federal courts, (2) accurate, deadline-aware reminders calibrated to Tennessee’s specific annual cycle (annually by the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end), and (3) an online dashboard that shows scanned mail within hours, not days. All four services we ranked clear the Tenn. Code §48-208-101 eligibility bar; the meaningful differences are in execution. Northwest leans privacy-first, Mainstay Filing leans value-first, ZenBusiness leans formation-bundle-first, and LegalZoom leans brand-and-phone-support-first.
The Tennessee-specific filings that hinge on having a reliable registered agent:
Across all of these dates, the registered agent is the routing point for Tennessee Secretary of State mail, state tax notices, and service of process. A reliable provider turns the Tennessee compliance calendar into a passive maintenance task; an unreliable one turns it into a recurring fire drill.
Physical-address-only operations; mail forwarding; same-day filing.
Best balance of price and features for most businesses. Includes mail forwarding, online dashboard, and same-day filing at half the cost of premium providers.
Pairs RA with LLC formation packages; useful if forming a new entity from scratch.
Largest brand; phone-based support; bundled legal services beyond RA.
Tennessee-specific option: Tennessee Registered Agent.co operates exclusively in Tennessee and specializes in same-state filings. Best for businesses that want a state-focused provider with local-only operations.
| Filing | Cost | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | $300 | annually by the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end |
| Annual Report | $300 | annually by the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end |
| DBA / Fictitious Name | $20 | Every 5 years |
| Change of Registered Agent | $20 | — |
| Tennessee Franchise Tax Tennessee Franchise & Excise Tax minimum, filed with the Department of Revenue separately from the SOS annual report. Based on net worth (0.25%, $100 minimum) and net earnings (6.5%). | $100 | annually |
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State · Statute reference Tenn. Code §48-208-101
For most Tennessee LLCs, Northwest Registered Agent ranks first on privacy and reliability. Mainstay Filing earns the Editor's Choice for value at $99/year with the same core features. State-specific options like Tennessee Registered Agent.co specialize in same-state filings.
Commercial services range $50–$250 per year. Mainstay Filing is $99/yr; Northwest is $125/yr; ZenBusiness is $199/yr; LegalZoom is $249/yr.
Yes. File a Statement of Change of Registered Agent with the Tennessee Secretary of State for $20. Most commercial services handle the change paperwork for you.
National services like Mainstay Filing and Northwest operate across all 50 states with consistent pricing and online dashboards. State-specific providers (like Tennessee Registered Agent.co) focus exclusively on one state and often handle same-state-only filings faster.
Yes — under Tenn. Code §48-208-101, every Tennessee LLC must designate and maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Tennessee.
Yes — if you are a Tennessee resident with a physical street address in Tennessee and are available during normal business hours to accept service of process. Most commercial services exist because keeping a personal address on the public record is a privacy concern.
Same-day with every service in the table above. The provider issues a confirmation letter you include with the Articles of Organization filed with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
RA Ratings independently reviews registered agent services. We may earn a commission from sponsored links; this does not affect rankings or editorial selection. Verify all filing fees with the Tennessee Secretary of State before submitting paperwork.