Registered agent for a Tennessee LLC
Data last updated: Apr 22, 2026The quick read on Tennessee registered agents
Every Tennessee LLC is legally required to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. The role is to receive service of process (lawsuit papers), state tax notices, and other official government mail on the LLC's behalf. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Tennessee and meet the requirements, or hire a commercial service for typically $99 to $299 per year.
Tennessee-specific rules matter. The statute is Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-109. The registered agent's address goes on the public state record, so most owners who want privacy use a paid service to keep their home address off the record. Owners who live in the state and don't mind the public listing often save $100 to $250 per year by serving as their own agent.
Who can serve as a registered agent in Tennessee
Tennessee requires an individual Tennessee resident at least 18 years old or a domestic or foreign entity authorized to do business in Tennessee. The agent must have a physical Tennessee street address (no PO boxes) and consent in writing to the appointment. Tennessee does not operate a commercial registered agent registry, so any qualifying individual or entity can serve as agent for multiple LLCs without separate registration.
The LLC's own member or manager can serve as registered agent if they meet the Tennessee residency requirement. Because Tennessee has no personal income tax and a relatively affordable 6.5% excise tax on LLC net earnings, the state attracts a modest number of out-of-state owners, which creates demand for commercial agent services. Most out-of-state Tennessee LLC owners hire a commercial service since they can't meet the in-state address requirement directly.
What Tennessee requires of a registered agent
- Physical street address in Tennessee
Not a PO box, not a mail-drop. The address becomes part of the public record visible on the Secretary of State's business entity search.
- Available during business hours
Typically 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The agent has to be physically present (or have staff present) to accept service, not just reachable by phone or email.
- At least 18 years old and a resident or registered entity
Individual agents must be 18+ and reside in Tennessee. Entity agents must be registered to transact business in Tennessee.
- Written consent on file
Tennessee requires the registered agent to consent in writing to serve. Formation services handle this automatically when you sign up. For an individual agent, a simple signed consent letter suffices.
Tennessee statute and change-of-agent rules
| Statute | Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-109 |
| Change of registered agent form | Statement of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent (Form SS-4534) |
| Change filing fee | $20 |
| Online filing | Accepted |
| Processing time | 2 business days |
| Commercial agents must register separately | No |
Choosing the right registered agent in Tennessee
Tennessee's per-member annual report fee changes the economics of agent choice. If you're running a single-member Tennessee LLC and already paying $300 every year in annual report fees, saving $100 to $150 by serving as your own agent is meaningful in percentage terms. The exposure of your home address on the Tennessee Secretary of State entity record is the standard tradeoff. If you have more than 6 members, the annual report fee starts scaling up to $3,000 and a commercial service's $125 fee becomes a rounding error in the overall compliance cost.
For non-Tennessee residents or those who want address separation, Northwest at $125 per year and Bizee at $119 after year one are standard mainstream choices. ZenBusiness starts at $99. Tennessee boutique services sometimes price at $50 to $75 per year. Because Tennessee's Department of Revenue requires tax clearance before reinstatement, the real insurance a commercial service provides is catching a missed filing before it triggers administrative dissolution, not the agent fee itself.
Registered agent services that operate in Tennessee
National commercial registered agent services operate in all 50 states plus DC, so every provider below accepts Tennessee LLCs. Sorted by annual renewal cost. Click the service name for the full review.
| Service | Annual renewal | Trustpilot | Review count |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | $99/yr | 4.8 | 28,984 |
| Bizee fka Incfile | $119/yr | 4.7 | 25,227 |
| MyCorporation | $120/yr | 3.7 | 279 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | 3.8 | 217 |
| CorpNet | $149/yr | 4.9 | 1,205 |
| doola | $197/yr | 4.6 | 2,005 |
| Tailor Brands | $199/yr | 4.7 | 14,203 |
| BizFilings | $220/yr | 4.5 | 170 |
| Inc Authority | $249/yr | 4.9 | 46,831 |
| LegalZoom | $249/yr | 4.6 | 30,014 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $250/yr | 4.5 | 9,717 |
| Firstbase | $299/yr | 4.8 | 1,045 |
If you let your Tennessee registered agent lapse
Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-605, the Secretary of State can administratively dissolve an LLC that fails to maintain a registered agent or file the annual report. The practical grace window runs about 60 days. Reinstatement under § 48-249-606 requires a $70 filing (Form SS-9410) plus payment of all delinquent annual report fees ($300 minimum per year, scaled by member count) and a tax clearance from the Tennessee Department of Revenue. A 2-year lapse on a single-member LLC costs $670 plus tax clearance; a 6-member LLC faces $1,270 at minimum. The tax clearance is the usual bottleneck because Department of Revenue processing takes 2 to 4 weeks.
Tennessee filing agency
Tennessee Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- Website
- sos.tn.gov/business-services
- Phone
- (615) 741-2286
- TNSOS.CORPINFO@tn.gov
- 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Snodgrass Tower 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243
- Office
- 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Snodgrass Tower, Nashville, TN 37243
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central, Monday to Friday
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can be a registered agent for a Tennessee LLC?
A Tennessee resident at least 18 years old with a physical Tennessee street address, or a domestic or foreign entity authorized to do business in Tennessee. PO boxes don't qualify. Tennessee doesn't operate a commercial agent registry, so any qualifying individual or entity can serve for any number of LLCs. The LLC's own member or manager can serve if they meet the residency requirement.
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What does a Tennessee registered agent service cost?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 (Firstbase). Northwest at $125 per year and Bizee at $119 after the free first year with formation are common mainstream picks. Tennessee boutique services price as low as $50 to $75 per year. In the context of Tennessee's $300 minimum annual report fee, the agent service cost is a small portion of the total compliance bill.
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Can I be my own registered agent in Tennessee?
Yes, if you're a Tennessee resident, at least 18, and have a physical Tennessee street address (no PO boxes). You must be available during business hours to accept service of process. Your address appears on the public Secretary of State entity record, which is the standard public-record tradeoff against hiring a commercial service.
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What does it cost to change my Tennessee registered agent?
$20 for the Statement of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent (Form SS-4534), filed with the Secretary of State. Online filing through the TNBear portal is accepted and processes in 1 to 3 business days. The new agent must consent in writing. Most services handle the paperwork for free when you switch your agent to them.
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What happens if my Tennessee LLC loses its registered agent?
The Secretary of State can administratively dissolve the LLC under Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-605 after roughly 60 days. Reinstatement costs $70 plus all delinquent annual report fees ($300 minimum per year, scaled by member count) plus a Tennessee Department of Revenue tax clearance. A 2-year lapse on a single-member LLC typically costs $670 or more to cure once tax clearance lands.
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How does Tennessee's per-member annual report fee interact with agent choice?
The annual report is $50 per member with a $300 minimum and $3,000 maximum under Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1007. For a single-member LLC, the minimum $300 applies regardless of actual member count. The fee is due the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year close (April 1 for calendar-year LLCs). See the Tennessee LLC formation page for the full tax and compliance picture.
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Does Tennessee operate a commercial registered agent registry?
No. Unlike Delaware, Wyoming, and South Dakota, Tennessee doesn't maintain a separate registry for commercial agents. Any qualifying Tennessee resident or authorized entity can serve as agent for any number of LLCs. This keeps the local agent service market competitive, though the per-member annual report fee is a much bigger line item for most LLCs.
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Do I need a registered agent for a Tennessee LLC?
Yes. Tennessee law requires every LLC to designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Tennessee and availability during business hours. There is no exception for inactive or small LLCs. If the LLC loses its registered agent and doesn't designate a replacement within the state's grace period, Tennessee begins administrative dissolution of the entity.
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How much does a registered agent service cost in Tennessee?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 per year (Firstbase). The $190 average is close to the market median. Tennessee-based local registered agent services also operate in the state, typically pricing between $50 and $150 per year.
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How do I change my registered agent in Tennessee?
File Statement of Change of Registered Office/Registered Agent (Form SS-4534) with Tennessee Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The fee is $20. Online filing is accepted. Processing takes about 2 business days. Most formation services handle this paperwork for free when you sign up.
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Is the registered agent fee tax deductible?
Yes. Registered agent fees are an ordinary and necessary business expense deductible on the LLC's federal tax return (Schedule C, Form 1065, or 1120/1120-S depending on tax treatment). Tennessee state tax treatment follows federal on this deduction. Keep the invoices with your tax records.
Related
Sources
- Statute: law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-48/limited-liability-companies/ch… · verified April 22, 2026
Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-109: Registered office and registered agent. Every Tennessee LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent in the state. - Change of agent: law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-48/limited-liability-companies/ch… · verified April 22, 2026
Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1007(a)(10): Statement of change of registered agent, registered office, or both by a domestic or foreign LLC = $20.00 filing fee. - Penalty: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/SS-9410%20Reinstatemen… · verified April 22, 2026
Tennessee Secretary of State Form SS-9410 Business Entity Reinstatement. $70 filing fee. Tax clearance from Tennessee Department of Revenue required before filing. Authority: Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-606. - Penalty: law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-48/limited-liability-companies/ch… · verified April 22, 2026
Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-605: Procedure for and effect of administrative dissolution. The Secretary of State may dissolve an LLC that fails to maintain a registered agent.