Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

West Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

An LLC formed in West Virginia that wants to do business in Tennessee files Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also asks for West Virginia's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your West Virginia records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What West Virginia and Tennessee each ask for

	West Virginia formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	West Virginia 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	West Virginia: in about 5 to 10 business days, with 24-hour, 2-hour and 1-hour expedite options	Filed with Tennessee
Office	West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing Division	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.wv.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $26, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	July 1 each year
Agent	Your West Virginia agent for service of process	Our Tennessee registered agent

How West Virginia companies register with Tennessee

Order the West Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from West Virginia separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. With West Virginia taking days and Tennessee counting 60 days from issue, the order is timed for both.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your West Virginia name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Allow for the days West Virginia takes to send the certificate before the Tennessee filing goes in. Once Tennessee approves it, the West Virginia company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for West Virginia companies

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

Will your West Virginia name work for Tennessee?

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

Your Tennessee agent and the West Virginia one

Tennessee calls it a registered agent; West Virginia says agent for service of process. Your current agent for service of process stays for West Virginia; ours takes Tennessee's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and West Virginia

Each year your LLC files West Virginia's Annual Report ($26) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, West Virginia plus Tennessee comes to $475 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, West Virginia to Tennessee

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

Registering a Tennessee company in West Virginia

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with West Virginia files Form LLF-1 with $151 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20). See that filing.

Common questions: West Virginia to Tennessee

Does my West Virginia company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Do I need West Virginia's certificate of good standing?

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

What are the yearly costs for West Virginia and Tennessee?

$475 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $26 to West Virginia and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

A West Virginia 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 West Virginia agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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