[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.