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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 2 · Tennessee

Tennessee Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

If you want help with naming a registered agent in Tennessee in 2026, phone Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and TN Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. 6 quick stages cover the rule, who qualifies, the address test and the paperwork.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

Key facts up front

Must you name one?
Yes
sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, seen in October 2026
What recommended services charge
$99 to $149 a year
Posted prices
Annual report
$300 a year
sos.tn.gov, seen in October 2026
Stages
6
Each one explained

You will walk away able to

  • The Tennessee agent rule
  • Eligibility and address rules
  • How to name or swap the agent
  • Who we would phone as agent

If you would rather hand it off

Three-year cost and work taken off your desk weigh the most; how we score lists all five.

Our call

1. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for LLCs that live in Tennessee only

Top recommendation$99 per year (renews at $99)

Tennessee Registered Agent.co takes first place, and the reason is that a street address in the state for $99 a year.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is a big slice of how we rank.

What you get

  • A Tennessee street address
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • $99 a year, same at renewal
  • Yearly price below the national pick

What to watch

  • Only works in Tennessee; any other state needs its own agent
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

Any state$149 per year (renews at $149)

Mainstay Filing comes in second: you pay $149 a year here and the identical amount in any state you add later.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co comes in $150 cheaper across three years, enough to keep this one out of first.

What you get

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Good in every state
  • $149 a year, same at renewal

What to watch

  • $50 a year above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
  • It will not file your yearly report
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for another local option

In-state service$99 per year (renews at $99)

TN Registered Agent.org comes in third: a street address in the state for $99 a year.

It lists the same prices as Tennessee Registered Agent.co.

What you get

  • A Tennessee street address
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • Yearly price below the national pick
  • $99 a year, same at renewal

What to watch

  • Only works in Tennessee; any other state needs its own agent
  • You finish the annual report on your own
Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Tennessee Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TN Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. The state bills the same no matter which agent you name.

How a Tennessee agent gets set up

  1. Stage 1

    Begin with the rule

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

    Check it yourself: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    See who is eligible

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

  3. Stage 3

    Choose a compliant address

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

    Every service we recommend provides the in-state address.

  4. Stage 4

    Decide who takes the role

    If you pass the tests above you can name yourself. Hiring one of our picks costs $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Stage 5

    Record the appointment

    The Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4270) asks for the agent's name and address, and the Tennessee Secretary of State also handles the change filing when you switch.

    Check it yourself: sos.tn.gov, seen in October 2026

  6. Stage 6

    Watch for changes

    Budget for the annual report at $300 every year, due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year. Notices about it arrive through the registered agent.

    Check it yourself: sos.tn.gov, seen in October 2026

What the agent costs in Tennessee

ItemPayeeAmount
The agentThe service$99 to $149 a year
Renewing the agentThe service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportThe state$300 every year
The state rows come from Tennessee's published fee schedules (the pages we opened are listed under the table), and each service row comes from that company's own price. Across three years the state row counts the filing, the report in year two, the report in year three and any minimum tax.

Why Tennessee Registered Agent.co is first

Three-year bill settled first place in Tennessee. It is 32% of the score, and the rest comes from work taken off your desk, year-two price, fit for where you operate and honest pricing.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co wins the cost score at $297 over three years, against $150 more at Mainstay Filing.

What founders ask

Will Tennessee insist on a registered agent for your LLC?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

You can, once you clear the who-qualifies and address rules in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

Change it whenever you like through the Tennessee Secretary of State, as stage 5 describes.

What does a registered agent cost in Tennessee?

$99 to $149 per year for the agents listed.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each time, the state bills $300 for the annual report.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Tennessee Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and TN Registered Agent.org, from the top score to the lowest.

Where we got the facts

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