Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Connecticut LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

An LLC formed in Connecticut that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($50), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Connecticut records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Connecticut vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Connecticut formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$50	$300 at order
How it is handled	Connecticut: online, with an express version, or by mail	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	business.ct.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $80, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	On or before March 31
Agent	Your Connecticut registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How Connecticut companies register with Tennessee

Order the Connecticut certificate
The Certificate of Legal Existence ($50) is ordered from Connecticut separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($100). Tennessee counts 60 days from the day Connecticut issues it, so the order goes in shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your Connecticut name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Connecticut certificate comes first; then the Tennessee filing goes in. After approval, your Connecticut LLC is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for Connecticut companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Legal Existence, paid to Connecticut	$50
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Connecticut certificate included	$549

Your Connecticut name and Tennessee's rules

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

Agents: Tennessee and Connecticut

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Connecticut

Each year your LLC files Connecticut's Annual Report ($80) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Connecticut plus Tennessee comes to $529 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Connecticut to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Connecticut files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Legal Existence ($80)). After that come Connecticut's Annual Report ($150) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Connecticut

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Connecticut files Connecticut's registration (no form number) with $120 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Connecticut to Tennessee

Does my Connecticut company need to register in Tennessee?

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

How much does it cost to register a Connecticut LLC in Tennessee?

$499 at checkout plus $50 to Connecticut for the Certificate of Legal Existence, $549 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Connecticut's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($50), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Connecticut and Tennessee?

$529 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $80 to Connecticut and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

A Connecticut 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 Connecticut registered agent stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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