North Carolina

Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

North Carolina Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

A corporation formed in North Carolina that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your North Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

North Carolina vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	North Carolina Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$10	$600 at order
How it is handled	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Tennessee
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sosnc.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every year	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	15th day of the 4th month following the close of the fiscal year
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How North Carolina companies register with Tennessee

Order the North Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from North Carolina separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the North Carolina certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form SS-4431
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your North Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Carolina certificate comes first; then the Tennessee filing goes in. After approval, your North Carolina corporation is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for North Carolina companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Existence, paid to North Carolina	$10
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, North Carolina certificate included	$809

Will your North Carolina name work for Tennessee?

Tennessee can hold a name for $20 before you file.

Agents: Tennessee and North Carolina

North Carolina and Tennessee both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for North Carolina; ours takes Tennessee's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and North Carolina

Each year your corporation files North Carolina's Annual Report ($25) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Carolina plus Tennessee comes to $194 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Tennessee

An LLC formed in North Carolina files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into North Carolina

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with North Carolina files Form B-09 with $253 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions North Carolina owners ask about Tennessee

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once a North Carolina business operates there; Tennessee registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Tennessee issues one to North Carolina corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a North Carolina corporation in Tennessee?

$799 at checkout plus $10 to North Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $809 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need North Carolina's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Tennessee?

$194 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to North Carolina and $20 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

Yes: the North Carolina registered agent stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

Yes, but North Carolina keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($20), and the original keeps North Carolina's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

North Carolina companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal or Cancellation (Foreign Entity); until then, Tennessee's report stays due alongside North Carolina's filings.

Official sources

People also search

Corporation into Tennessee, by home state (48)

North Carolina into other states (41)

The same move for an LLC