Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

California LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

Tennessee registers an LLC from California as a foreign LLC on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	California formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$300 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Tennessee
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Tennessee registered agent

From California to Tennessee, step by step

Order the California certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from California separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Ordered from California 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 California name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from California delays the Tennessee filing. After approval, your California LLC is registered with Tennessee.

First-year cost, California to Tennessee

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Status, paid to California	$5
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, California certificate included	$504

Will your California name work for Tennessee?

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

Agents: Tennessee and California

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and California

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($300). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to Tennessee

A corporation formed in California files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into California

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: California to Tennessee

Does my California company need to register in Tennessee?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$499 at checkout plus $5 to California for the Certificate of Status, $504 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for California and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Tennessee's report ($300).

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

A California 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 California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($300), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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