North Carolina

Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

North Carolina LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in North Carolina registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also asks for North Carolina's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your North Carolina records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

North Carolina vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	North Carolina formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	North Carolina 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	North Carolina: online as a downloadable electronic certified document, or on paper	Filed with Tennessee
Office	North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sosnc.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $203, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	April 15
Agent	Your North Carolina registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From North Carolina to Tennessee, step by step

Order the North Carolina certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from North Carolina separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee counts 60 days from the day North Carolina 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 North Carolina name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The North Carolina certificate comes first; then the Tennessee filing goes in. Once Tennessee approves it, the North Carolina company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for North Carolina companies

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

Your North Carolina name and Tennessee's rules

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

Your Tennessee agent and the North Carolina one

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and North Carolina

Each year your LLC files North Carolina's Annual Report ($203) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, North Carolina plus Tennessee comes to $652 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, North Carolina to Tennessee

A corporation formed in North Carolina files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come North Carolina's Annual Report ($25) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Tennessee into North Carolina

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with North Carolina files Form L-09 with $253 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions North Carolina owners ask about Tennessee

Does my North Carolina company need to register in Tennessee?

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

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

$499 at checkout plus $10 to North Carolina for the Certificate of Existence, $509 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need North Carolina's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for North Carolina and Tennessee?

$652 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $203 to North Carolina and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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