Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

North Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

A corporation formed in North Dakota that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants North Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your North Dakota records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What North Dakota and Tennessee each ask for

	North Dakota formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$20	$600 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed with Tennessee
Office	North Dakota Secretary of State	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	firststop.sos.nd.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	August 1
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How North Dakota companies register with Tennessee

Order the North Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($20) is ordered from North Dakota separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the North Dakota 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 Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once North Dakota's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. After approval, your North Dakota corporation is registered with Tennessee.

First-year cost, North Dakota to Tennessee

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to North Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, North Dakota certificate included	$819

Will your North Dakota name work for Tennessee?

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

Agents: Tennessee and North Dakota

North Dakota and Tennessee both call it a registered agent. Tennessee papers come to us; North Dakota's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in North Dakota and Tennessee

Each year your corporation files North Dakota's Annual Report ($25) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Dakota plus Tennessee comes to $194 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to Tennessee

An LLC formed in North Dakota files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($20)). After that come North Dakota's Annual Report ($50) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into North Dakota

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $145 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: North Dakota to Tennessee

Does my North Dakota company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

$799 at checkout plus $20 to North Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing, $819 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

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

Yes: Tennessee wants it ($20), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and Tennessee?

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

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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