Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Kentucky LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in Kentucky registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), dated within 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Kentucky records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Kentucky vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Kentucky formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$10	$300 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Kentucky to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee accepts it within 60 days of Kentucky's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your Kentucky name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Kentucky certificate comes first; then the Tennessee filing goes in. Once Tennessee approves it, the Kentucky company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for Kentucky companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$509

Your Kentucky name and Tennessee's rules

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

Your Tennessee agent and the Kentucky one

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

Staying in good standing in Kentucky and Tennessee

Each year your LLC files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Kentucky plus Tennessee comes to $464 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Kentucky files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Kentucky

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no Tennessee certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to Tennessee

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once a Kentucky 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 $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $509 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Tennessee?

$464 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $15 to Kentucky and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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