Jurisdiction record

Tennessee

Everything this record holds on Tennessee: 28 fee cells, 9 verified registered-agent statute citations, 45 good-standing status strings, 7 governance rules, a state-level DBA regime, 22 official statute files in the verification corpus, and 10 monitored sources.

Filing agency: Tennessee Department of State. Official sites: agency home (opens the official source) · forms and fees (opens the official source) · fee schedule (opens the official source) · entity search (opens the official source) · annual report filing (opens the official source)

Filing fees

Statutory fee is the amount fixed by statute or the agency schedule. Effective remittance is what actually leaves the bank once any e-payment surcharge or bundled component is included. Partnership entity types are covered too: LP is a limited partnership, LLP a limited liability partnership, LLLP a limited liability limited partnership. A row reading not offered or no report required is a verified positive finding cited to the statute that proves it - not a gap.

Tennessee filing fees by transaction and entity type
TransactionStatutory feeEffective remittanceComponents and changesStatus
Formation - LLC$300$307bundled: online convenience fee $7.05; e-payment surcharge 2.35%Verified
Formation - Corporation$100$102bundled: online convenience fee $2.35; e-payment surcharge 2.35%Verified
Formation - LP$100not yet publishednoneVerified
Formation - LLLP$100not yet publishednoneVerified
Annual report - LLC$300$307bundled: online convenience fee $7.05; e-payment surcharge 2.35%Verified
Annual report - Corporation$20$20bundled: online convenience fee $0.47Verified
Annual report - LP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Annual report - LLLP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Certificate of good standing - All entity types$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Corporation$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - Nonprofit$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLC$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
Change of registered agent - LLLP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - Corporation$20not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - Nonprofit$20not yet publishednoneVerified
amendment - LLC$20not yet publishednoneVerified
foreign_qualification - Corporation$600not yet publishednonePending review
foreign_qualification - Nonprofit$600not yet publishednonePending review
foreign_qualification - LLC$300not yet publishednonePending review
foreign_qualification - LP$600not yet publishednonePending review
foreign_withdrawal - LP$20not yet publishednoneVerified
reinstatement - Corporation$70not yet publishednonePending review
reinstatement - Nonprofit$70not yet publishednonePending review
reinstatement - LLC$70not yet publishednonePending review
reinstatement - LP$70not yet publishednonePending review
reinstatement - LLLP$70not yet publishednonePending review
Provenance - Tennessee fee schedulePending review

19 of 35 fee datums on this page are verified against the agency's own published schedule or statute (2026-09-04); the rest are marked pending review in the Status column - portal-surcharge components no official page states, values the official source contradicts (held for a correction package), or sources that could not be reached.

Records
28 fee cells
Retrieved
2026-08-04 to 2026-09-21
Official schedule
the agency's own published schedule (opens the official source)

Values were first corroborated across independent internal records; verified cells now also carry the agency's own published schedule or statute as their authority, which is what promotion to verified requires.

Cost position

Ranked 53 of 54 on first-year state filing cost, at $614.10 against a national median of $185.00. Recurring annual cost $407.05. See the full ranking.

$260 $520 $780 $1,040 MD Maryland $464 NV Nevada $575 VI US Virgin Isl $600 TN Tennessee $614 MA Massachusetts $1,040
Where Tennessee sits among its neighbours in the first-year cost ranking (USD)
Show all 54 jurisdictions
$260 $520 $780 $1,040 MT Montana $35 MO Missouri $51 NM New Mexico $52 MS Mississippi $53 KY Kentucky $55 HI Hawaii $67 CO Colorado $75 MI Michigan $75 UT Utah $77 IA Iowa $80 AZ Arizona $87 OH Ohio $99 ID Idaho $104 CA California $110 SC South Carolin $125 IN Indiana $129 OK Oklahoma $130 NE Nebraska $131 PA Pennsylvania $132 LA Louisiana $140 VA Virginia $150 MN Minnesota $155 WV West Virginia $157 WY Wyoming $164 GA Georgia $170 KS Kansas $175 NJ New Jersey $182 ND North Dakota $185 WI Wisconsin $196 AR Arkansas $200 CT Connecticut $200 OR Oregon $200 VT Vermont $200 NH New Hampshire $204 RI Rhode Island $208 SD South Dakota $210 NY New York $219 IL Illinois $230 AL Alabama $236 ME Maine $260 WA Washington $280 FL Florida $294 TX Texas $308 NC North Carolin $331 AK Alaska $350 GU Guam $350 DC District of C $399 PR Puerto Rico $400 DE Delaware $410 MD Maryland $464 NV Nevada $575 VI US Virgin Isl $600 TN Tennessee $614 MA Massachusetts $1,040
The full ranking with Tennessee highlighted (USD)

Registered-agent statutes, quoted verbatim

The one section on this page that clears the publication gate in full. 9 citations, verified, quoted from the official code with every elision marked.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-15-101 Verified

Tennessee Business Corporation Act · applies to corporations

Registered office and registered agent.(a) Each corporation must continuously maintain in this state: (1) A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) A registered agent who maintains an office at the same street address as the registered office, and who may be: (A) An individual who resides in this state, a domestic corporation, a not-for-profit domestic corporation, a domestic LLC, a domestic general partnership, a domestic limited partnership, or a domestic registered limited liability partnership; or (B) A foreign corporation, a not-for-profit foreign corporation, a foreign LLC, a foreign general partnership, a foreign limited partnership, or a foreign registered limited liability partnership that is authorized to transact business in this state.

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-109 Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

Registered office and registered agent.(a) Registered office and agent. Each domestic and foreign LLC shall continuously maintain in this state: (1) A registered office, which may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) A registered agent who maintains an office at the same street address as the registered office, and who may be: (A) An individual who resides in this state, a domestic corporation, a not-for-profit domestic corporation, a domestic LLC, a domestic general partnership, a domestic limited partnership, or a domestic registered limited liability partnership; or (B) A foreign corporation, a not-for-profit foreign corporation, a foreign LLC, a foreign general partnership, a foreign limited partnership, or a foreign registered limited liability partnership that is authorized to transact business in this state.

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1013(c) Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

Effective time and date of document.(c) Requirement for registered agent and office. The secretary of state shall not complete the filing of any articles of organization of a domestic LLC, or application for a certificate of authority of a foreign LLC, unless that document designates the registered agent and registered office of such domestic or foreign LLC in accordance with § 48-249-109. [...]

retrieved 2026-07-29 · confidence medium · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-12-102 Verified

Tennessee Business Corporation Act · applies to corporations

Charter.(a) The charter must set forth: (1) A corporate name for the corporation that satisfies the requirements of § 48-14-101; (2) The number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue; (3) The street address and zip code of the corporation's initial registered office (and a mailing address such as a post office box if the United States postal service does not deliver to the registered agent's registered office), the county in which the office is located, and the name of its initial registered agent at that office; (4) The name and address and zip code of each incorporator; [...] (7) A statement that the corporation is for profit. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-201 Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

Formation.(a) Formation. One (1) or more persons acting as organizers may form an LLC by filing articles for the LLC with the secretary of state that contain the information required by § 48-249-202. Unless a delayed effective date, or an occurrence of a future event, is specified in the articles, the LLC is formed and its existence begins when the articles are filed with the secretary of state. [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1017 Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

Annual report for secretary of state.(a) Required contents. Each domestic LLC and each foreign LLC authorized to transact business in this state shall file with the secretary of state an annual report that sets forth the following: (1) The name of the domestic or foreign LLC and the jurisdiction under the laws of which it is formed; [...] (c) Filing date. Each domestic LLC and each foreign LLC authorized to transact business in this state shall file the annual report with the secretary of state on or before the first day of the fourth month following the end of the close of the domestic or foreign LLC's fiscal year or upon a date set by rule by the secretary of state.

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-604 Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

Grounds for administrative dissolution.The secretary of state may commence a proceeding under § 48-249-605, to administratively dissolve the LLC, if: (1) The LLC does not deliver its properly completed annual report to the secretary of state within two (2) months after it is due; (2) The LLC is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for two (2) months or more; [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-14-101 Verified

Tennessee Business Corporation Act · applies to corporations

Corporate name.(a) A corporate name: (1) Must contain the word "corporation," "incorporated," "company," or the abbreviation "corp.," "inc.," "co.," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language (provided they are written in roman characters or letters); [...] (b) Except as authorized by subsection (c), the name of a domestic corporation, and the name of a foreign corporation that is authorized to transact business in this state or is applying for a certificate of authority to transact business in this state, shall be distinguishable upon the records of the secretary of state from the respective names of or for every other entity, whether true, assumed, reserved or registered, [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-106 Verified

Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act · applies to LLCs

LLC name.(a) Name requirements. An LLC name and, to the extent required by this section and § 48-249-903, a foreign LLC name: (1) Shall contain the words "limited liability company," the abbreviation "L.L.C." or "LLC," or words or abbreviations of like import in another language; provided, that they are written in roman characters or letters; [...] Notwithstanding this subdivision (a)(1), the name of an LLC or foreign LLC shall not contain the word "corporation" or "incorporated," or an abbreviation of either or both of these words; and [...]

retrieved 2026-08-10 · confidence high · verified · publisher not linked (commercial code publisher; the citation is the pinpoint)

Registered-agent rules in practice

Who may serve as the agent

Pending review

Same rule for corporations (§ 48-15-101) and LLCs (§ 48-249-109): the registered agent must maintain an office at the same street address as the registered office and may be an individual TN resident, or virtually any domestic entity (corporation, nonprofit, LLC, general partnership, LP, or registered LLP), or the foreign counterpart of any of those if authorized to transact business in TN. The 2023 amendment (Acts 2023, ch. 102) broadened the eligible entity types.

Is the agent's consent required

Pending review

Consent required: no.

What happens when the agent cannot be served

Pending review

If a domestic or foreign corporation fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent, or the agent cannot be found with reasonable diligence, the Secretary of State becomes the corporation's agent for service; § 48-15-105 sets the procedure (duplicate certified copies plus the fee to the SOS, who forwards by registered/certified mail; judgment barred for one month after service completes). The Revised LLC Act carries a parallel mechanism (§ 48-249-112, service on LLC).

What happens if there is no agent

Pending review
Dollar amounts named in the registered-agent statutes
WhatAmountStatus
Corporation's statement of change of registered agent or registered office, or both$20.00Pending review
Agent's statement of change of registered office$5.00 per corporation, but not less than $20.00Pending review
Agent's statement of resignation$20.00Pending review
Application for reinstatement following administrative dissolution$70.00Pending review
Application for reinstatement following administrative revocation (foreign corporation)$70.00Pending review
SOS fee each time process is served on the secretary of state; recoverable as costs by prevailing party$20.00Pending review
Annual report filing fee (corporations; failure to file is a separate dissolution ground)$20.00Pending review

15 statutory citations and their supporting verbatim quotations sit behind this section in the record and are withheld from public display until the review pass lands, because a citation presented as authority is a verification claimed. Statutory references appearing inside the summaries above are part of the recorded text rather than an authority claim, and they are not rendered as citations, linked, or emitted in this page's structured data. How the gate works.

Governance rules

7 governance rules are recorded for Tennessee - the organizational and annual meetings, action by written consent, and whether bylaws or an operating agreement are mandatory. Each verified rule links to the statutory text it was verified against, quoted verbatim below.

Tennessee corporate and LLC governance rules
RuleEntityAppliesDetailCitationStatus
Organizational meeting requiredCorporationyesTenn. Code Ann. § 48-12-105Verified
Annual meeting requiredCorporationyesTenn. Code Ann. § 48-17-101(a), (c)Verified
Action by written consent allowedCorporationyesTenn. Code Ann. § 48-17-104(a), (b)Verified
Bylaws requiredCorporationyesTenn. Code Ann. § 48-12-106(a)Verified
Operating agreement requiredLLCnoTenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-203(a)Verified
Annual meeting requiredLLCnoTenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-405(b)Verified
Action by written consent allowedLLCyesTenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-405(c)(1)Verified

The statutory text behind each rule

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-12-105 Verified

Organizational meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

the initial directors shall hold an organizational meeting, at the call of a majority of the directors, to complete the organization of the corporation by appointing officers, adopting bylaws

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-17-101(a), (c) Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to corporations · yes

Unless directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting as permitted by § 48-17-104, a corporation shall hold a meeting of shareholders annually

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-17-104(a), (b) Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to corporations · yes

The charter may provide that any action... may be taken without a meeting... if consents in writing... are signed by the holders of outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be required

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-12-106(a) Verified

Bylaws required · applies to corporations · yes

The incorporators or board of directors of a corporation shall adopt initial bylaws for the corporation.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-203(a) Verified

Operating agreement required · applies to LLCs · no

all members of an LLC may enter into an operating agreement... Except to the extent the articles of organization or a written provision of an operating agreement specifically require otherwise, an operating agreement need not be in writing.

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-405(b) Verified

Annual meeting required · applies to LLCs · no

The LLC documents may set forth provisions relating to notice of the time, place or purpose of any meeting at which any matter is to be voted on... action by consent without a meeting

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-405(c)(1) Verified

Action by written consent allowed · applies to LLCs · yes

may take such action without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if consent or consents in writing... signed... by the members or managers... having not less than the minimum number of votes

reviewed 2026-08-17 · confidence high · verified

See how these rules compare across every jurisdiction.

Doing business as

State-level regime

Verified
Filing office
Tennessee Secretary of State, Business Services (Corporate Filings), Nashville
State fee
$20 per assumed name (official form SS-4402 'Filing Fee: $20', corporations under TCA 48-14-101(d); parallel $20 forms for LLC/LP/nonprofit)
Term
5 years ('The assumed name is good for 5 years and can be renewed' - official SOS FAQ)
Renewal
Renewal fee $20: the official Business Forms & Fees page lists 'Application for Renewal of Registration of Assumed Name' (form SS-4481) at $20 for the corporation, LLC, LP and nonprofit sections.
Publication
Not required. No newspaper publication requirement
Online filing
Not available
The regime
Tennessee has no general assumed-name / DBA registration act. What exists instead: (1) the Business Tax Act, under which every person engaging in business must register with the county clerk (or city official / commissioner) and obtain a $15 business license before conducting business - the practical vehicle under which individuals and general partnerships operate under trade names; and (2) an entity-side mechanism letting corporations elect an assumed corporate name filed with the Secretary of State for five years (Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-14-101(d)).
Where it is filed
Business tax registration and licensing: county clerk for businesses located within the county; the designated city official within an incorporated municipality; the commissioner of revenue for persons with no physical location in the state (or where a locality has delegated licensing to the department). Assumed corporate names: filed with the Secretary of State under Title 48, Chapter 11, Part 3.
Publication
No publication requirement appears in the Business Tax Act licensing provisions or in the assumed corporate name provisions captured.
Term and renewal
Business tax license: expires 30 days after the taxpayer's return due date and is renewed by the issuing official upon notification from the department that the return was filed and tax remitted - effectively an annual cycle tied to the tax return. Assumed corporate name: effective five years from filing with the Secretary of State.
Name restrictions
No name restrictions exist for unregistered trade names. Assumed corporate names must satisfy the corporate-name rules except the entity-designator requirement: no language implying unauthorized powers or false government/organization affiliation, and the name must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every other true, assumed, reserved, or registered entity name (consent or court-judgment exceptions available).
Assumed names for registered entities
A domestic or authorized foreign corporation may adopt one or more assumed corporate names by board resolution and Secretary of State filing ($20 per application under § 48-11-303(a)(7)). The right runs five years from filing and is renewable within the two months before expiration for successive five-year periods at the § 48-11-303(a) fee. Trademark use and non-incorporated division names (with the corporate name disclosed) are excluded from the definition of assumed corporate name. LLCs have the same mechanism under BOTH Tennessee LLC acts: the Revised LLC Act (post-2006 LLCs) and the 1994 act - assumed LLC name adopted by filing with the Secretary of State, effective 5 years, renewable in the 2 months before expiration, $20 fee for application, change, cancellation, or renewal.
Penalties
The statute flatly prohibits conducting business without the license; the captured part prints no specific fine for violating the prohibition (tax enforcement runs through Title 67, Chapter 1's administration provisions incorporated by § 67-4-716).
The Secretary of State cancels the right to use an assumed corporate name on failure to renew, on the corporation's application to change or cancel, on dissolution of a domestic corporation, or on revocation of a foreign corporation's certificate of authority.
Official source
sos.tn.gov/businesses/faqs (opens the official source)

Fees stated in or alongside the act

5 fee records held for Tennessee
FeeAmountAuthorityStatus
Business tax license (per location)$15.00Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-723(a)(1)Verified
Minimal activity license (sales over $3,000 and under $100,000; per location)$15.00Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-723(b)(1)Verified
Business tax license renewal$0 (no fee)Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-723(a)(2)Verified
Application for or change, cancellation, or renewal of assumed corporate name$20.00Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-11-303(a)(7)Verified
LLC assumed name - application, change, cancellation, or renewal (Revised LLC Act)$20.00Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-1007(a)(8)Verified

Known gaps in the record

  • The 'no general assumed-name act' conclusion rests on the tasking's capture scope (Business Tax Act plus Title 48); no statute affirmatively states the absence.
  • Specific monetary penalties for conducting business without the § 67-4-723 license come from Title 67, Chapter 1 administration provisions (incorporated by § 67-4-716) and were not captured.
  • Exemptions in § 67-4-712 (who is outside the business tax entirely) were in the file but not extracted section-by-section.
  • LLC assumed-name provisions extracted 2026-08-02: §§ 48-249-106(d) and 48-207-101(d), $20 fee - gap closed.

Common questions

Does Tennessee have a DBA registration for sole proprietors?

No general assumed-name act exists in Tennessee. Sole proprietors and general partnerships operate under trade names through the county-clerk business tax license required before engaging in business (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 67-4-706, 67-4-723) - a $15 license per location, renewed automatically when the business tax return is filed and paid.

How does a Tennessee corporation or LLC register a DBA?

A corporation files an application for an assumed corporate name with the Secretary of State pursuant to a board resolution before transacting business under the name (Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-14-101(d)). The fee is $20 (§ 48-11-303(a)(7)) and the right lasts five years, renewable in the two months before expiration.

Is there a small-business exception to Tennessee's county business license?

Businesses with more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 in annual sales in a jurisdiction must obtain a $15 minimal activity license instead of the standard license; those with $3,000 or less may apply but are not required to (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-723(b)).

Recurring entity-level tax

Franchise Tax (filed together with the Excise Tax on Form FAE170; 'franchise and excise tax')

Pending review
What it is called
Franchise Tax (filed together with the Excise Tax on Form FAE170; 'franchise and excise tax')
Administering agency
Tennessee Department of Revenue
Basis of the tax
net worth (total assets less total liabilities per GAAP, apportioned to TN); property-measure alternative (Schedule G) is elective only since the 2024 repeal of the mandatory greater-of property base
Minimum
$100
Due date
15th day of the 4th month following the close of the entity's books and records (April 15 for calendar-year filers); quarterly estimates if combined F&E liability is $5,000+ in both prior and current years; 7-month extension available
Corporations
True
LLCs
True

Minimum reaching an LLC: $100 a year.

This record is at review status provisionally reviewed: values render, citations are withheld until the review pass lands. How the gate works.

See the national picture and the corporation cost model.

Filing-office closures, 2026

Stored as a delta against the federal baseline: 5 days this state closes that the federal government does not, and 1 federal holiday its filing office works through.

Tennessee 2026 closure delta
DateDayFiling office
2026-01-02New Year's added day (one-time)Filing office closed
2026-04-03Good FridayFiling office closed
2026-10-12Columbus Day (October date)OPEN - federal holiday not observed
2026-11-27Day after Thanksgiving (substituted Columbus Day)Filing office closed
2026-12-24Christmas Eve (added day)Filing office closed
2026-12-31New Year's Eve (added day)Filing office closed
Provenance - Tennessee 2026 closuresVerified

Citation withheld: this record did not clear the publication gate.

Source
www.tn.gov/about-tn/state-holidays.html (opens the official source)
Retrieved
2026-07-29
Confidence
high
Review
verified

Good-standing status decoder

45 distinct status strings observed for Tennessee: 2 mean in good standing, 37 mean not in good standing, and 6 are deliberately unresolved. How this decoder is derived and why it can never be marked verified.

Tennessee observed status strings and their verdict
Observed status VerdictConfidence
(BLANK)Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
ACTIVEIn good standinghigh
ACTIVE - DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE - SUSPENDEDNot in good standinghigh
ACTIVE AND IN GOOD STANDINGIn good standinghigh
ADMIN DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ADMIN. DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ADMINISTATIVE DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ADMINISTRATIVE DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ADMINISTRSTIVELY DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
ADMNISTRATIVE DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
CANCELEDNot in good standinghigh
CANCELLEDNot in good standinghigh
DELETEDNot in good standinghigh
DISSOLVEDNot in good standinghigh
DISSOLVED (ADMINISTRATIVE)Not in good standinghigh
FILED IN <YEAR>Unresolved - do not automate on thismedium
GOODUnresolved - do not automate on thislow
INACTIVE - BANKNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - CANCELLEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - CONVERTEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - DISSOLVED (ADMINISTRATIVE)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - DISSOLVED (JUDICIAL)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - DISSOLVED (NO AGENT)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - DISSOLVED (TERMINATED)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - EXPIREDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - FI NULL AND VOIDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - MERGEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - OTHERNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKED (ADMINISTRATIVE)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKED (LABOR & WORKFORCE DEPT)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKED (NO AGENT)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - REVOKED (REVENUE)Not in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - TERMINATEDNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - VOID FILING ERRORNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE - WITHDRAWNNot in good standinghigh
INACTIVE VOID FILING ERRORNot in good standinghigh
NOT FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
NOT YET FILEDUnresolved - do not automate on thismedium
REVOKEDNot in good standinghigh
REVOKED (ADMINISTRATIVE)Not in good standinghigh
REVOKED ADMINISTRATIVENot in good standinghigh
TERMINATEDNot in good standinghigh
TESTUnresolved - do not automate on thislow

Restricted entity-name words

3 restricted entity-name word entries are recorded for Tennessee - 1 prohibited outright, the rest requiring an agency's consent or licensure before the word may appear in a name.

Governing law: Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-14-101 (corporations); § 48-249-106 (LLCs).

Tennessee restricted entity-name words
TreatmentWord or phrase AuthorityCitationStatus
Consent requiredbank / banks / bankingTennessee Commissioner of Financial InstitutionsTenn. Code Ann. 45-2-1709(a)(1)(A): "It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, other than those defined in § 45-1-103, to use or employ in any manner the terms bank, banks, or banking in connection with the carrying on or operation of business in this state"; (a)(1)(B): "the commissioner may permit, upon application [...] to employ the term “bank”, “banks”, or “banking”" if not misleading and no financial servicesVerified
Consent requiredTrustTennessee Commissioner of Financial InstitutionsTenn. Code Ann. 45-2-1709(a)(1)(C): "It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, other than those defined as a trust institution pursuant to § 45-1-103, to use or employ in any manner the term “trust” in connection with the carrying on or operation of business in this state"; commissioner may permit upon application if not misleading and no trust activityVerified
Prohibitedcorporation / incorporated (or abbreviations)Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-249-106(a)(1): "the name of an LLC or foreign LLC shall not contain the word 'corporation' or 'incorporated,' or an abbreviation of either or both of these words"Verified

Filing channels

● accepted · ○ not accepted · ? unknown or conditional (hover for the recorded condition). Channel data covers 54 jurisdictions (2026-08-15 wave). Source links render on verified rows only.

Contact the filing office

Verified against the agency's own contact page 2026-08-13 - office hours: Mon - Fri 8:00am - 4:30pm Central. Source links render on verified rows only.

Reaching the filing office

Verified
Phone
(615) 741-2286
Email
[email protected]
Mailing address
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102
Courier / walk-in
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 3rd Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 (customer service / walk-in floor of the same building)

The Business Filings & Information line and mailbox, not the department switchboard; note the floor split - mail goes to the 6th Floor, in-person/courier drop is the 3rd Floor customer service area, both in the Snodgrass Tower building. For certificates/certified copies use (615) 741-6488 / [email protected] instead

Purposed contact channels, Tennessee
KindValueWhat it is forPurposeSource
phone(615) 741-2286Business Filings & InformationBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Business Filings & Information emailBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
phone(615) 741-6488Certified Copies & Certificatesrecords_copiessource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Certified Copies & Certificates emailrecords_copiessource (opens the official source)
phone(615) 741-0536Apostilles & Authentications Sectionapostille_authenticationsource (opens the official source)
phone(615) 741-3276Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)UCCsource (opens the official source)
mailing_address312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102Mailing AddressBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
physical_address312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 3rd Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102Physical Address - customer service areaBusiness filingssource (opens the official source)
email[email protected]Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)UCCsource (opens the official source)
mailing_addressBusiness Services Division, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243Business Services Division - Mailing Address (physical: 3rd Floor customer service area)UCCsource (opens the official source)

UCC records

Where to search Tennessee's UCC (Article 9) financing statements, on what terms, and what the office charges to file one. Verified against the filing office's own pages 2026-09-11. UCC division contacts are listed with the other filing-office contacts above.

UCC records - TennesseeVerified
Filing office
Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services (Business Services Division)
Official search
https://tncab.tnsos.gov/ucc-debtor-search (opens the official source)
Access
free public search
Search fees, as the office states them
Online 'UCC Database Search (Unofficial)' on TNCaB is free and requires no account. Official search: Business Forms & Fees page lists 'UCC-11: Information Request ... $15*' ('*Additional Fees May Apply'). Other UCC fees on the same page: UCC-1 $15*, UCC-3 $15*, UCC-5 $15*. No online certified-search or copy-fee amounts are printed on the public pages.
UCC program page
the office's UCC page (opens the official source)
Online filing
filing portal (opens the official source)
Filing a UCC-1, as the office states the fee
$15 per debtor, whether filed online through TNCaB or on paper, plus 50 cents per page for each page over ten; a Tennessee recording tax of 11.5 cents per $100 of the stated maximum principal indebtedness also applies, with the first $2,000 exempt
Filing channels
online or paper; Online through TNCaB (tncab.tnsos.gov; account required; credit card, debit card and e-check accepted for web-filed documents) or on paper by mail or in person on the SOS UCC forms; the office does no
UCC-3 amendments, as the office states the fees
UCC-3 (amendment, continuation, termination, assignment) $15, additional fees may apply; UCC-5 information statement $15; recording tax applies to amendments that increase the stated indebtedness
Effective for
5 years from filing - Tenn. Code Ann. 47-9-515
Bulk data
published bulk-data program

Source: the office's UCC page (opens the official source)

State business license

Whether Tennessee requires a general state-level business license, and on what terms. A "None" is a verified finding cited to the agency's own pages, not a gap. Which of the state's filings ask for an industry code is in the next section.

State business license - TennesseeVerified
General state license
Yes - Tennessee business tax license (standard business license / minimal activity license)
Who must hold it
Every business in Tennessee with business taxable receipts of over $3,000 (minimal activity license for more than $3,000 but less than $100,000; standard business license at $100,000 or more), per location, from the county clerk and from the city official where the city has enacted business tax
Issuing agency
County clerk and city official (city business tax office) - issuers; Tennessee Department of Revenue administers business tax registration agency page (opens the official source)
Statute
Tenn. Code Ann. 67-4-723 (business license issuance; Business Tax Act, T.C.A. 67-4-701 et seq.)
Initial fee
$15
Renewal fee
$15 minimal activity license (>$3,000 and <$100,000 receipts) - annual renewal with coun; $22 standard business license ($100,000+ receipts) - renews automatically on filing/paying bus
Renewal cadence
annual - License expires 30 days after the due date of the business tax return for the business's tax year (return due the 15th day of the 4th month after fiscal year end); standard license renews on filing/payment, minimal activity license renews with the clerk for $15
Penalty
Business may not operate until the license is obtained and posted at the business location; standard-license holders must register, file and pay at least the $22 minimum business tax to the Department of Revenue
Exemptions
businesses with $3,000 or less in taxable receipts (no license required); out-of-state taxpayers with no Tennessee business location that are not Classification 4 contractors; minimal activity license holders (>$3,000 and <$100,000) are not required to register for or pay business tax
How to file
both filing portal (opens the official source)
Revenue-department registration
required - Tennessee Department of Revenue register (opens the official source)
Occupational licensing hub
https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards.html (opens the official source)
Local layer
county and city licenses - If a business is located in a city that has enacted the municipal-level business tax and its annual gross receipts are $3,000 or more, a city business license is required as well.

14 of 14 fields verified against the agency's own pages (2026-09-11). Sources: revenue.support.tn.gov (opens the official source) · revenue.support.tn.gov (opens the official source) · revenue.support.tn.gov (opens the official source) · www.tn.gov (opens the official source) · www.tn.gov (opens the official source)

Industry code on filings

Which of Tennessee's business filings ask the filer for an industry classification, and in what form. "No industry information" is a positive finding cited to the form. Where the state uses its own category list and the list was captured, it is expandable below. The NAICS and SIC reference lists are on their own page.

Industry code on Tennessee filings, 9 of 9 rows verified
FilingEntity scopeAsks forRequiredWhere on the formSource
Formationdomestic for-profit corporationNAICS codemandatoryForm SS-4417 Charter For-Profit Corporation (Revised 01/25), item 11 'Nature of Business (NAICS Code)' - three code/description linessource (opens the official source)
Formationdomestic LLCNAICS codemandatoryForm SS-4270 Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Revised 01/25), item 9 'Nature of Business (NAICS Code)' - three code/description linsource (opens the official source)
Foreign registrationforeign for-profit corporationno industry informationnot askedForm SS-4431 Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation (12/19), items 1-12source (opens the official source)
Foreign registrationforeign LLCno industry informationnot askedForm SS-4233 Application for Certificate of Authority Limited Liability Company (12/19)source (opens the official source)
Annual reportcorporation and LLC (online TNCaB annual report)NAICS codeoptionalTNCaB (tncab.tnsos.gov) File Annual Report screen, question 'Have the NAICS codes for the entity changed?' with NAICS code search pop-upsource (opens the official source)
State business licenseallthe state's own listmandatoryBusiness tax classification (Class 1A-1E, 2, 3, 4, 5A, 5B) selected at DOR registration; the standard or minimal-activity business license itself is issued by tsource (opens the official source)
Tax registrationallNAICS codeoptionalApplication for Registration RV-F1300501 (10/20) (paper counterpart of TNTAP 'Register a New Business'), item 17 'Nature of Business', item source (opens the official source)
Entity-tax returnfranchise and excise tax (corporations, LLCs and other F&E taxpayers)NAICS codemandatoryForm FAE170 Franchise and Excise Tax Return, header 'NAICS' boxsource (opens the official source)
Entity-tax returnbusiness tax (gross receipts) - Form BUS 428the state's own listmandatoryForm BUS 428 Business Tax Return, line 'Business tax classification (see instructions)' and 'Enter R for Retailer or W for Wholesaler'source (opens the official source)
State business license - Business tax classification (Classification 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 2, 3, 4, 5A, 5B) - dominant business activity per location, 10 options
  1. 1A Classification 1A
  2. 1B Classification 1B
  3. 1C Classification 1C
  4. 1D Classification 1D
  5. 1E Classification 1E
  6. 2 Classification 2
  7. 3 Classification 3
  8. 4 Classification 4
  9. 5A Classification 5A
  10. 5B Classification 5B

Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue, Business Tax > Classifications (web page), 'Following is a list of each classification:'; classification is selected at TNTAP business tax registration and drives the county/municipal clerk business license; Registration and Licensing page for the $15 clerk fee and minimal-activity vs standard license thresholds (opens the official source)

Entity-tax return - Schedule A 'Business tax classification (see instructions)' - Classification column of the rate table in the BUS 428 instructions, 9 options
  1. 1A Class 1A
  2. 1B and 1C Class 1B and 1C
  3. 1D Class 1D
  4. 1E Class 1E
  5. 2 Class 2
  6. 3 Class 3
  7. 4 Class 4
  8. 5A Class 5A
  9. 5B Class 5B

Source: Tennessee Department of Revenue Form BUS 428 Business Tax Return, RV-R00107 (12/23), Schedule A - Tax Computation by Location, line 'Business tax classification (see instructions)' and 'Enter R for Retailer or W for Wholesaler for each location'; Instructions: Business Tax, 'Tax Rates' table and 'Classifications' (opens the official source)

Counties

Tennessee has 95 county-equivalents: 95 countyies. Names and codes are the U.S. Census Bureau's (2020 national county codes); county seats and official sites are not yet published here.

All 95 county-equivalents
Tennessee county-equivalents
NameTypeFIPSNote
Anderson Countycounty47001
Bedford Countycounty47003
Benton Countycounty47005
Bledsoe Countycounty47007
Blount Countycounty47009
Bradley Countycounty47011
Campbell Countycounty47013
Cannon Countycounty47015
Carroll Countycounty47017
Carter Countycounty47019
Cheatham Countycounty47021
Chester Countycounty47023
Claiborne Countycounty47025
Clay Countycounty47027
Cocke Countycounty47029
Coffee Countycounty47031
Crockett Countycounty47033
Cumberland Countycounty47035
Davidson Countycounty47037consolidated city-county
Decatur Countycounty47039
DeKalb Countycounty47041
Dickson Countycounty47043
Dyer Countycounty47045
Fayette Countycounty47047
Fentress Countycounty47049
Franklin Countycounty47051
Gibson Countycounty47053
Giles Countycounty47055
Grainger Countycounty47057
Greene Countycounty47059
Grundy Countycounty47061
Hamblen Countycounty47063
Hamilton Countycounty47065
Hancock Countycounty47067
Hardeman Countycounty47069
Hardin Countycounty47071
Hawkins Countycounty47073
Haywood Countycounty47075
Henderson Countycounty47077
Henry Countycounty47079
Hickman Countycounty47081
Houston Countycounty47083
Humphreys Countycounty47085
Jackson Countycounty47087
Jefferson Countycounty47089
Johnson Countycounty47091
Knox Countycounty47093
Lake Countycounty47095
Lauderdale Countycounty47097
Lawrence Countycounty47099
Lewis Countycounty47101
Lincoln Countycounty47103
Loudon Countycounty47105
McMinn Countycounty47107
McNairy Countycounty47109
Macon Countycounty47111
Madison Countycounty47113
Marion Countycounty47115
Marshall Countycounty47117
Maury Countycounty47119
Meigs Countycounty47121
Monroe Countycounty47123
Montgomery Countycounty47125
Moore Countycounty47127consolidated city-county
Morgan Countycounty47129
Obion Countycounty47131
Overton Countycounty47133
Perry Countycounty47135
Pickett Countycounty47137
Polk Countycounty47139
Putnam Countycounty47141
Rhea Countycounty47143
Roane Countycounty47145
Robertson Countycounty47147
Rutherford Countycounty47149
Scott Countycounty47151
Sequatchie Countycounty47153
Sevier Countycounty47155
Shelby Countycounty47157
Smith Countycounty47159
Stewart Countycounty47161
Sullivan Countycounty47163
Sumner Countycounty47165
Tipton Countycounty47167
Trousdale Countycounty47169consolidated city-county
Unicoi Countycounty47171
Union Countycounty47173
Van Buren Countycounty47175
Warren Countycounty47177
Washington Countycounty47179
Wayne Countycounty47181
Weakley Countycounty47183
White Countycounty47185
Williamson Countycounty47187
Wilson Countycounty47189

Other records held

Other records held for Tennessee
RecordValueStatus
State trademark registration$20 per class, 5 year term, $20 renewalPending review
Change of registered agent$20Pending review
Who must be named in public filingsCorp annual report forces OFFICERS' AND DIRECTORS' names/business addresses onto the public record (48-26-203(a); at least one officer required; nonprofits must list president and secretary). LLC formation and annual report do NOT name members/managers: LLC AR contents are name/jurisdiction, registered office+agent, prPending review

These come from a research pass its own author graded CANDIDATES. They are shown because they are useful and withheld from every ranking on this site because they are not ratified.

The record itself

What backs this page
ArtefactHeld
Official statute files in the verification corpus 22 files, retrieved 2026-07-10
Monitored sources 10 sources under scheduled recheck
Official URLs on file 10 agency URL slots populated of 20 possible
Datasets held see the coverage matrix

Cite this page

Cite the page for the compilation and its verification record; for the underlying fact, cite the official source shown on its row. Formats:

incFACTS, "Tennessee business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status," FACTS repository v0.10.08 (data as of 2026-09-21), https://www.incfacts.com/tennessee/ (accessed 2026-09-21).
incFACTS, Tennessee business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status, https://www.incfacts.com/tennessee/ (last visited 2026-09-21).
@misc{incfacts_tennessee_2026,
  author = {incFACTS (FACTS repository)},
  title = {Tennessee business-filing facts - fees, statutes, DBA, closures, status},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.incfacts.com/tennessee/},
  note = {v0.10.08, data as of 2026-09-21, accessed 2026-09-21}
}

How to cite incFACTS · The accessed date is today's; the version and data-as-of date identify what you relied on.