Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

South Dakota LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in South Dakota registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also asks for South Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your South Dakota records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

South Dakota vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	South Dakota formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	South Dakota Certificate of Good Standing/Existence	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$20	$300 at order
How it is handled	South Dakota: online	Filed with Tennessee
Office	South Dakota Secretary of State	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sosenterprise.sd.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $55, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	During the entity's anniversary month each year
Agent	Your South Dakota registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How South Dakota companies register with Tennessee

Order the South Dakota certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20) is ordered from South Dakota separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee counts 60 days from the day South Dakota 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 South Dakota name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once South Dakota's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. After approval, your South Dakota LLC is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for South Dakota companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, paid to South Dakota	$20
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, South Dakota certificate included	$519

Will your South Dakota name work for Tennessee?

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

Your Tennessee agent and the South Dakota one

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

Staying in good standing in South Dakota and Tennessee

Each year your LLC files South Dakota's Annual Report ($55) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, South Dakota plus Tennessee comes to $504 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, South Dakota to Tennessee

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

Registering a Tennessee company in South Dakota

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with South Dakota files South Dakota's registration (no form number) with $750 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20). See that filing.

Questions South Dakota owners ask about Tennessee

Does my South Dakota company need to register in Tennessee?

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

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

$499 at checkout plus $20 to South Dakota for the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence, $519 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need South Dakota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants it ($20), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for South Dakota and Tennessee?

$504 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $55 to South Dakota and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

People also search

LLC into Tennessee, by home state (48)

South Dakota into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation