Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Maine LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

An LLC formed in Maine that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also asks for Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your Maine records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What Maine and Tennessee each ask for

	Maine formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Maine Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$30	$300 at order
How it is handled	Maine: online, downloaded from the company's information summary page	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	apps3.web.maine.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $85, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	June 1
Agent	Your Maine registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Maine to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Maine certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($30) is ordered from Maine separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee counts 60 days from the day Maine 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 Maine name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once Maine's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. After approval, your Maine LLC is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for Maine companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Existence, paid to Maine	$30
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Maine certificate included	$529

Will your Maine name work for Tennessee?

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

Agents: Tennessee and Maine

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Maine

Each year your LLC files Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maine plus Tennessee comes to $534 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maine to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Maine files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30)). After that come Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Maine

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Maine files Form MLLC-12 with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Maine to Tennessee

Does my Maine company need to register in Tennessee?

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

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

$499 at checkout plus $30 to Maine for the Certificate of Existence, $529 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Maine's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Maine and Tennessee?

$534 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $85 to Maine and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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