Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in Iowa registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Iowa records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Iowa and Tennessee side by side

	Iowa formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$300 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How Iowa companies register with Tennessee

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Ordered from Iowa on filing day, it easily meets Tennessee's limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It names us as your Tennessee registered agent, with your Iowa name and formation date and the certificate attached. Iowa issues the certificate instantly, so the Tennessee filing can go in the same day. Once Tennessee approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for Iowa companies

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

Will your Iowa name work for Tennessee?

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

Your Tennessee agent and the Iowa one

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($300). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Tennessee company in Iowa

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about Tennessee

Does my Iowa company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once an Iowa 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 Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $504 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and Tennessee's report ($300).

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

An Iowa 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 Iowa registered agent stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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