Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

West Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

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

West Virginia and Tennessee side by side

	West Virginia formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	West Virginia Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$10	$600 at order
How it is handled	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Tennessee
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.wv.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every two years	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	July 1 each year
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Tennessee registered agent

From West Virginia to Tennessee, step by step

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the West Virginia 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 West Virginia name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The West Virginia certificate takes days to arrive, so the Tennessee filing waits for it. After approval, your West Virginia corporation is registered with Tennessee.

First-year cost, West Virginia to Tennessee

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

Will your West Virginia name work for Tennessee?

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

Agents: Tennessee and West Virginia

Tennessee calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Tennessee's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and West Virginia

West Virginia wants the Annual Report every two years ($25); Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Tennessee

An LLC formed in West Virginia files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Tennessee company in West Virginia

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with West Virginia files Form CF-1 with $101 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions West Virginia owners ask about Tennessee

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once a West Virginia business operates there; Tennessee registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Tennessee issues one to West Virginia corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

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

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), West Virginia's report ($25, every two years) and Tennessee's report ($20).

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

Yes: the West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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