Skip to content
Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class session 2 · Tennessee

Tennessee Registered Agent Class (2026): 6 Assignments and the 3 Best Agents

Today's class on getting a registered agent in Tennessee in 2026 comes with one answer: hire Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) and TN Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. 6 assignments cover the rule, who is eligible, the address test and the filing.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Class overview

Needed by law?YesLook at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com for yourself; we read it in October 2026
What graded services charge$99 to $149 a yearPosted prices
Annual report$300 a yearLook at sos.tn.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026
Assignments6One by one

By the end you will know

  • What the law says
  • Who may serve and from what address
  • Naming the agent with the state
  • Which agents we recommend and why

If you want someone else to file

Three-year tuition and homework done weigh the most; how we grade lists all five criteria.
Start with this one

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners planning to grow

First year $149; renewal $149

Mainstay Filing gets first place, and the reason is that $149 a year from one provider, including for states you add later.

Next to Tennessee Registered Agent.co the three-year premium is $150, which the 34% weight on homework done outweighs.

Covered by the tuition

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Scans of papers served on the company, free and on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Strengths

  • The same provider anywhere
  • $149 each year, no increase

Weak spots

  • $50 a year above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
  • An agent-only plan, so no report filing
Tennessee specialist

2. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for owners with a tight budget

First year $99; renewal $99

Grade number 2 belongs to Tennessee Registered Agent.co, where $99 a year secures a Tennessee agent with an office inside the state.

Covered by the tuition

  • A Tennessee address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

Strengths

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 per year

Weak spots

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is homework it leaves to you
Tennessee specialist

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for a local backup

First year $99; renewal $99

Grade number 3 belongs to TN Registered Agent.org, where $99 a year secures a Tennessee agent with an office inside the state.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co and this service cost the same.

Covered by the tuition

  • A Tennessee address for the registered office
  • Online copies of legal papers

Strengths

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 per year

Weak spots

  • Another state means another agent
  • Annual report is homework it leaves to you

All the tuition in one table

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Tennessee Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner 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.
Each company's posted price on November 13, 2026. The state bills the same whichever agent you name.

Naming a Tennessee registered agent, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Read what Tennessee requires

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

    Textbook page: Look at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  2. Assignment
    2

    Find out who is allowed to serve

    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 for the text.

  3. Assignment
    3

    Use an office address that qualifies

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

    Hire a service and its Tennessee street address goes on the filing in place of yours.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Decide who holds the role

    Hiring from the graded agents costs $99 to $149 a year; serving yourself is the option for those who qualify.

  5. Assignment
    5

    Name the agent in your filing

    Your filing with the Tennessee Secretary of State is where the agent gets identified, and any change means a fresh filing at that office.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.tn.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

  6. Assignment
    6

    Update when things change

    Hand in the annual report on time ($300, on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year) and the agent record stays correct.

    Textbook page: Look at sos.tn.gov for yourself; we read it in October 2026

Tennessee agent costs

Line itemPaid toTotal
The agentThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Every year afterThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportThe state$300 every year
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Added up over three years they are the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

On homework the price does (34% of the grade) came out on top, with close behind.

One agent for every state beat the one-state plan.

Tennessee pop quiz

Is having a registered agent the law in Tennessee?

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

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes, if you pass the eligibility and address tests in assignments 2 and 3.

Can I change my registered agent later?

You can. An existing LLC files a change with the Tennessee Secretary of State; see assignment 5.

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?

The LLC hands in the annual report for $300 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

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

See also

Textbook pages and extra reading

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