Alabama

Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in Alabama registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your Alabama records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Alabama and Tennessee each ask for

	Alabama formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$25	$300 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How Alabama companies register with Tennessee

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Ordered from Alabama on filing day, it easily meets Tennessee's limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your Alabama name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Alabama delays the Tennessee filing. After approval, your Alabama LLC is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for Alabama companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$524

Your Alabama name and Tennessee's rules

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

Agents: Tennessee and Alabama

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

Staying in good standing in Alabama and Tennessee

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($300). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($25)). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Alabama

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no Tennessee certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about Tennessee

Does my Alabama company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; Tennessee law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama LLC in Tennessee?

$499 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $524 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and Tennessee's report ($300).

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Tennessee can add a fine of at least $900.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($300), and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

Alabama companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal or Cancellation (Foreign Entity) ($20); until then, Tennessee's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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