Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services


Please Note

We are a service company that can help you file with the Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services. We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer paid services and software to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.


Contact Information

Physical address:
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Snodgrass Tower, 3rd Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Mailing address:
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, Snodgrass Tower, 6th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Phone: (615) 741-2286

Web: Home Name search File online
Email: business.services@tn.gov

Corporate Filings

We track the following filings with the Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services in order to provide compliance services to our clients. We share this reference information with the general public as a courtesy. As a registered agent client, you get access to state templates pre-filled with our company information to help you save time looking up information.

Annual Report

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

Prepare your form online then print and mail.

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$20 + $0.46 service fee for online filing

Due:

  • Annually by the 1st day of the 4th month following your fiscal year-end. For entities with a 12/31 fiscal year-end, the due date is April 1 of each year.
  • Reports can be submitted as early as the first day of the fiscal year ending month of record.
Law:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 48-66-203

Penalties:

No late fee. You will get a notice of pending dissolution or revocation and then you have 60 days to comply.

Notes:
  • An authorized officer, member, or partner may file.
  • Original signatures are not required.
  • If you need to change your registered agent, pay an extra $20 fee.
  • A business email address must be provided when filing.

Statutory Agent

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Notes:

Noncompliance with Tennessee statutory law can result in serious consequences for your business. Failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office for more than two months can result in administrative revocation (administrative dissolution) of your business by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services.


Certificate of Authority

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

Application for Certificate of Authority (ss-4431)

Filing Method:

Mail or online.

Agency Fee:

$600

Law:

TN Code § 48-25-101

Notes:

A business email address must be provided when filing.

Certified Copy Requirement:

Certified copies not required.

Certificate of Good Standing Requirement:

Certificate of existence dated within 60 days.


Assumed Name

Form:

Application for Registration of Assumed Name

Filing Method:

Mail

Agency Fee:

$20

Is registration mandatory?:

Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not need to file a fictitious name. Corporations, LLCs, LLPs, and LPs desiring a second name must file an assumed name before transacting business under that name.

County Level Filing:

Filings for all entities can be filed through the secretary of state, however, most entities can register at the county level instead.

Does registration prevent others from using the name I choose?:

Registering an assumed name will prevent another individual or business from registering an identical name with the Tennessee Secretary of State due to the "distinguishability" requirement. Use of a name in the marketplace can provide name protection under common and federal trademark law.

Notes:
  • Publication of registration is not required in Tennessee.

Application for Renewal of Registration of Assumed Name

Form:

Application for Renewal of Registration of Assumed Name

Filing Method:

Mail

Agency Fee:

$20

Due:

Due by the date of registration every 5 years.


Certificate of Existence

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Filing Method:

Online

Agency Fee:

$20

Notes:

Use the online system to find your entity and order a certificate of existence.


Articles of Merger

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

The state does not issue a form for mergers.

Agency Fee:

$100

Notes:

Use the statutory instructions to create a draft of merger documents, then file these documents along with the required fee.


Statement of Abandonment of Merger

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

The state does not issue a form for mergers.

Agency Fee:

$20

Notes:

Use the statutory instructions to create a draft of merger documents, then file these documents along with the required fee.


Certificate of Merger

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

The state does not issue a form for mergers.

Agency Fee:

$100

Notes:

Use the statutory instructions to create a draft of merger documents, then file these documents along with the required fee.


Notice of Registration

Agency:Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Form:

Notice of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Partnership

Agency Fee:

$50 per partner. There is a minimum fee of $250 and a maximum fee of $2,500.

Due:

Biennially by the registration anniversary date.

Law:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 61-1-1004

Notes:

A business email address must be provided when filing.


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