Skip to content
Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Chapter 2 · Tennessee

Tennessee Registered Agent Chapter (2026): 6 Sections and the 3 Best Agents

The recommended reading for appointing a registered agent in Tennessee in 2026 is Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and TN Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. 6 sections: the legal rule, eligibility, the address requirement and the filing that names the agent.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key points

The requirement Yes Source text at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, October 2026
Price of recommended services $99 to $149 a year Published prices
Annual report $300 a year Source text at sos.tn.gov, October 2026
Sections 6 Outlined below

Chapter objectives

  • What Tennessee requires of a registered agent
  • Eligibility and the address test
  • How an agent is recorded
  • The agents chosen

If you want someone else to file

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who plan to grow

Highest ranked
$149 annually, unchanged at renewal

In Tennessee, Mainstay Filing heads the list: $149 yearly is the agent price in all fifty states.

Over three years it costs $150 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co, in exchange for more of the work done.

Price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Any papers served on the company get scanned for you at no cost
  • Three government mailings a year are scanned at no cost to you
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Advantages

  • $149 per year
  • Available in all fifty states

Limitations

  • $50 a year above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
  • Report filing requires the formation package
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for owners located in the state

Local option
$99 annually, unchanged at renewal

The second recommendation, Tennessee Registered Agent.co: $99 a year with no change at renewal, for an LLC that stays within the state.

Price covers

  • An office address within the state
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • $99 each year with no increase
  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing

Limitations

  • A single-state service
  • The annual report gets no assistance
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for an in-state mailing address

Local option
$99 annually, unchanged at renewal

The third recommendation, TN Registered Agent.org: $99 a year with no change at renewal, for an LLC that stays within the state.

Its prices equal Tennessee Registered Agent.co's, so either serves.

Price covers

  • An office address within the state
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • $99 each year with no increase
  • A smaller yearly bill than Mainstay Filing

Limitations

  • A single-state service
  • The annual report gets no assistance
Visit TN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Tennessee Registered Agent.co $99$99/yr$297 Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 TN Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297 Visit TN Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent is named.

The sections

  1. Section 1

    The Tennessee rule stated

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

    Reference: Source text at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Who qualifies as an agent

    A Tennessee resident, or a business entity formed in Tennessee or authorized there with an office at the registered office street address. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-109.

  3. Section 3

    The registered office requirement

    The address has to be a Tennessee street address, with the county. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Using a service keeps a home address out of the public record.

  4. Section 4

    Decide who holds the role

    Eligible owners can name themselves, and the recommended agents charge $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Section 5

    Make the agent a matter of public record

    A new LLC names its agent on the Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4270), delivered to the Tennessee Secretary of State. Replacing the agent later requires an amendment filed with the same office.

    Reference: Source text at sos.tn.gov, October 2026

  6. Section 6

    Keep the agent record accurate

    Tennessee keeps the agent's details current through the annual report ($300, every year, due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year); mail about it arrives at the registered agent.

    Reference: Source text at sos.tn.gov, October 2026

The price list

EntryPayeeSum
The agent Service$99 to $149 a year
Agent renewal Service$99 to $149 a year
Annual report State agency$300 every year

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

How the ranking came out

The deciding criterion was chapters the price completes, which carries 30% of the ranking.

Reach placed it ahead of Tennessee Registered Agent.co.

Tennessee questions

Must every Tennessee LLC keep a registered agent?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

An owner may serve if eligible; the tests are in sections 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Yes. A replacement requires a change filing at the Tennessee Secretary of State (section 5).

What does a registered agent cost in Tennessee?

The listed agents run $99 to $149 per year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The annual report is the recurring cost: $300, every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, Tennessee Registered Agent.co and TN Registered Agent.org, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Further reading

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Footnote for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: see tnbear.tn.gov (August 2026).
  2. Footnote for Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services: see sos.tn.gov (August 2026).
  3. Footnote for Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source: see sos.tn.gov (October 2026).
  4. Footnote for Tennessee report due date: see law.justia.com (August 2026).
  5. Footnote for Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source: see sos.tn.gov (October 2026).
  6. Footnote for Tennessee registered agent statute: see sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com (October 2026).
  7. Tennessee service page (Mainstay Filing), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page (Tennessee Registered Agent.co), as it stood on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page (TN Registered Agent.org), as it stood on November 13, 2026