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Why do you need a registered agent to form a business in Tennessee? By law, all corporations are required to designate a registered agent. This makes it possible for the state to have immediate contact with a company for service of process and to provide important updates in business requirements. Most of all, a registered agent guarantees a company’s legitimacy and eligibility to run a business in the State of Tennessee.
National Registered Agents, Inc. through registeredagent.com is a licensed, professional registered agent you can depend on. Since 1995, we have successfully handled over a million Service of Process deliveries nationwide. Below are the most common entities used by our clients in Tennessee:
Domestic LLC Formation
To for an LLC company in Tennessee the terms “Limited Liability Company” must be included within your company name. The acronyms “LLC” or “L.L.C.” can be used in a company name. You can reserve a name for 120 days with a $20 filing fee. An LLC must have a registered agent who maintains an office in order to receive service of process.
Two originals of the Articles of Organization have to be submitted to the Secretary of State. Then the Secretary of State sends back the original stamped for proof of filing to you. Once you receive it, you must submit the Articles of Organization to the Register of Deeds within the same county where the LLC has its principal office.
The Articles of Organization’s filing fee depends on the number of members within the LLC. For 1-6 individuals the rate is $300. If there are more than 6 members, it is an extra $50 per individual (up to 60 members).
For the Register of Deeds, the fee is $5 for the first five pages and $0.50 for each page after.
Foreign LLC Registration
You must file a Certificate of Existence with the Secretary of State or at least another state official who has custody of LLC records within Tennessee or the state where the LLC is formed. It must be more than two months old before the Application for Certificate of Authority is filed. Make sure you include one executed original of the Application for Certificate of Authority with a filing fee of $300 plus $50 per member.
All Limited Liability Companies must include the terms “Limited Liability Company” within the name of a company. The acronyms “LLC” or “L.L.C.” are allowed. A name can be reserved for a 120 days with a $20 filing fee.
If for some reason the LLC name is not available because of a problem, you may qualify by choosing an Assumed LLC Name. You will need to file an Application for Registration of Assumed LLC Name form. All companies are required, by law, to have a registered agent with an office to receive service of process
Foreign Corporation Registration
To do business in Tennessee as a foreign corporation, you must submit a Certificate of Existence two months prior to the filing date of the Application for Certificate of Authority. Include one executed original Certificate of Authority Application. All forms must be submitted to the Secretary of State.
The Application for Certificate of Authority is a filing fee of $600. It is important to note that anyone who runs a business without a Certificate of Authority is charged a penalty for each year they conducted business without one.
The company name must have the words “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Corporation,” or the acronyms “co.,” “corp.,” or “inc.”. You may reserve a corporate name for 120 days for a four month time-frame with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is currently $20. All corporations must have a registered agent.
Forming a Domestic Corporation
When forming a business in Tennessee, there is currently no maximum or minimum amount of authorized shares because the fees are determined on the share structure. Also, there is no limited amount of paid in capital in order to start a business.
You must submit two executed copies of the Charter to the Register of Deeds office within the county the company has its principal office. Plus an additional one to the Secretary of State and a certified copy of the Charter for recording purposes.
For the Charter, there is a $100 filing fee. A check should be made out to the Tennessee Secretary of State. For the Register of Deeds, there is a $5 fee for the first 5 pages including $0.50 for each separate page after.
All corporate names must use the terms “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Corporation,” or the acronyms “co.,” “corp.,” or “inc.” within the company name. You’re given 120 days to reserve a corporate name for a 4 month time-frame with the Secretary of State with a $20 filing fee. Corporations are required to have a registered agent. National Registered Agents, Inc can provide this service for you in Tennessee.
If you need to find a registered agent in Tennessee or would like to change your current agent to NRAI, contact us at (800) 520-6724 and talk with our friendly account representatives in person or visit us at www.registeredagent.com.
