Tennessee requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical address in the state. Our service includes one year of Tennessee registered agent in the $299 flat formation fee.
A registered agent is the person or company designated to receive official mail on behalf of your Tennessee LLC. That includes two kinds of mail: service of process (lawsuits — the court papers that start a case against the LLC), and official Tennessee state correspondence (annual report reminders, tax notices, dissolution warnings).
Every state requires LLCs to have one. The logic is simple: if someone wants to sue the LLC, there has to be a reliable address in Tennessee where the papers can be served. If the state needs to contact the LLC, same thing.
Tennessee requires a physical street address in the state — no P.O. boxes, no out-of-state addresses, no virtual offices with a mail-forwarding arrangement. The agent has to actually be there to accept service.
The agent must be present at the listed address during normal business hours to accept service of process in person.
Tennessee allows the agent to be an individual over 18 who's a Tennessee resident, or a business entity authorized to transact business in Tennessee.
The agent's name and address must be listed in the Articles of Organization and kept current. Change the agent by filing a change-of-agent form with the state.
Tennessee's annual report fee is calculated by member count: $300 minimum for six or fewer members, plus $50 for each additional member, capped at $3,000. The annual report is due on the first day of the fourth month after fiscal year end (April 1 for calendar-year filers). Tennessee also levies a 6.5% franchise and excise tax on LLCs taxed as corporations.
Yes — as long as you're a Tennessee resident with a physical Tennessee address and you're available during business hours to accept service. There's no statute preventing it. But there are three practical reasons most founders don't:
The registered agent's address is part of the public record. Using our Nashville office as your registered agent means your Tennessee LLC's public-facing address is a commercial one, not your home — which is the single most common reason founders use a commercial agent.
Here's what's included in the first year with every formation:
Registered agent renewal is $119/year, opt-in. We don't store your payment method between years and we don't auto-charge. You can also change to a different commercial agent at any time, or designate yourself — we'll send you the Tennessee change-of-agent form and instructions on how to file it.
Reservation takes three minutes. A formation specialist in Nashville handles the rest.