The 5 Best Registered Agents in Tennessee (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan The 5 best registered agents in Tennessee in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, TN Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Tennessee Registered Agent.co.

Maya Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Tennessee, so I'm guessing the annual report is what people grumble about?

Dan It is. The report has a $300 minimum, which changes how you compare agents. Changing yours is Form SS-4534, and the fee is twenty dollars.

0:34 Agent and office together

Maya First, how does Tennessee frame this?

Dan It requires every entity, other than a general partnership, to keep a registered agent and a registered office in Tennessee at all times. And the two go together: the registered office and the agent's business office have to be at the same street address.

Maya Who can be the agent?

Dan An individual who resides in Tennessee, or an organization such as a corporation or LLC that keeps a business office at that registered address. The statute has no age rule that we found.

Maya Can my LLC be its own agent?

Dan The official pages don't say either way, so we'd say we couldn't confirm it, and check with the Secretary of State before you try.

Maya And the address?

Dan It has to be a physical Tennessee address. A post office box, a route number or a box number alone gets rejected, and the form says the address will be verified. It also asks for the county and the agent's email.

Maya Does the agent have to sign anything?

Dan Not that we could see. The forms have no agent signature, and the FAQ describes an agent as someone who agrees to accept legal mail.

Maya I'm Maya, and this is Dan, by the way.

Dan Thanks, Maya. Here's the list.

1:48 Mainstay Filing

Maya Where do we start?

Dan Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, the same $149 at renewal.

Maya What do I get?

Dan A Tennessee address on the public record instead of your own. Papers served on your company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no charge, and the first three government mailings each year are scanned for free.

Maya And switching?

Dan Mainstay files the change for you. The twenty-dollar state fee goes through at cost.

Maya Any downside?

Dan It isn't the cheapest flat plan on the list. Two of the others are $99, and that's the honest comparison.

2:25 Northwest Registered Agent

Maya Second.

Dan Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. Its page says it hasn't raised the price in twenty years, and up to ten pieces of ordinary business mail a year are scanned free.

Maya What should I know?

Dan Signing up enrolls you in its annual report filing service, $100 plus state fees each time you file, unless you cancel it. It says you can add or cancel any time.

Maya Tennessee's minimum is $300.

Dan So the service plus the state's minimum is $400 in a filing year. The agent alone is the $125.

3:02 TN Registered Agent.org

Maya And number three?

Dan TN Registered Agent.org, at $99 a year, and still $99 when it renews. A registered address on file, same-day scanning of legal documents and compliance reminders before state deadlines.

Maya To move to them?

Dan The twenty-dollar state fee, and nothing extra from them. Annual report filing is its own service.

Maya Against Mainstay?

Dan $50 a year cheaper, so $150 across three years.

3:35 Bizee

Maya Four.

Dan Bizee, which used to be Incfile. Its agent is free for the first year with any formation package, and $149 a year afterward.

Maya Does it renew automatically?

Dan Yes. Over three years that's free, then $149, then $149, so $298.

Maya And if my LLC already exists?

Dan Then you're not eligible for the free year. You start at $149.

4:03 Tennessee Registered Agent.co

Maya And the fifth?

Dan Tennessee Registered Agent.co, $99 flat. The registered office address, same-day scanning of legal documents and alerts before state deadlines.

Maya How do I tell it apart from number three?

Dan From the listings, you can't. Same price, and the same catch: filing the annual report is extra.

4:27 The annual report

Maya Let's talk about that report. What's due and when?

Dan Tennessee's annual report is due on or before the first day of the fourth month after the close of the fiscal year. For a December year end, that's April 1. It's filed through the state's TNCaB system.

Maya And what does it cost?

Dan A minimum of $300, plus $50 for each member over six, up to $3,000. That's before franchise and excise tax, which goes to the Department of Revenue.

Maya So what's the yearly bill with an agent on top?

Dan At the minimum, $300 plus $149 is $449 with Mainstay, and $300 plus $99 is $399 with one of the $99 agents.

Maya Is formation the same kind of math?

Dan The Articles of Organization, Form SS-4270, are $50 per member with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum. The agent and the office are items 16 and 17.

5:33 Who gets the reminders

Maya Does the state email the agent when something is due?

Dan No, and that's a Tennessee detail worth knowing. The Articles ask for a contact email for the LLC, and the instructions say all reminders will be sent by email to that address.

Maya So the reminders don't go through the agent.

Dan Right. There's also a separate mailing address field, for when the Division should write to somewhere other than the principal office.

Maya Then what's the agent for?

Dan Legal papers. A lawsuit or a demand lands on the agent, so the reminders and the lawsuits travel by different roads. Keep the contact email current, and pick an agent who forwards fast.

6:15 Changing the agent

Maya Tell me about Form SS-4534.

Dan The Statement of Change of Registered Agent by Entity. The filing fee is $20. You can file in TNCaB, by mail, or in person.

Maya Does it cost extra online?

Dan Paying by card or e-check adds a convenience fee. If you don't want it, you can mail the form with a check.

Maya What does it ask for?

Dan The current agent, the new agent and the new agent's business email. It also has you certify that the registered office and the agent's business office are at the same street address.

6:49 If your agent resigns

Maya What if the agent quits?

Dan They file Form SS-4420, the Statement of Resignation, also $20, paid by the agent. They mail a copy to you by certified mail.

Maya When does it take effect?

Dan This is the part that differs from the other states we've covered. A resignation takes effect on the date the Secretary of State files it. No waiting period.

Maya So there's no cushion at all.

Dan None. A 2025 change to the statute also requires written notice of the resignation. If you don't name a new agent, being without a registered agent is a listed reason for administrative dissolution.

Maya How bad is that?

Dan Reinstatement is Form SS-9410 at $70, plus a tax clearance from the Department of Revenue. That second piece is the one that slows people down.

7:41 Picking one

Maya How would you choose if you were in Nashville or Memphis?

Dan Does the price repeat next year, is the address a real Tennessee street address, and does someone file the Statement of Change for you.

Maya And the pick?

Dan Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Tennessee, at $149 a year.

7:59 The five in a row

Maya Go through all five once more.

Dan One, Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, and cancel the report service if you don't need it. Three, TN Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Tennessee Registered Agent.co: $99 flat.

Maya The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.