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Tennessee Registered Agent (Statutory Agent)

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Your business must appoint a Tennessee registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:

  • Same-day documents from our local office in Memphis
  • Immediate online access to state forms with our address and, where required, our signature
  • $89 / year Multi-Year or Multi-State Discount to $99 / year. Free document scanning, no hidden fees, and no rate hikes each year
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Most likely you came across the term registered agent while filing documents to form a new Tennessee business or register an out-of-state business to do business in Tennessee. Depending on what form you are filing, it might have shown one of these synonyms for the appointment: registered office, resident agent, statutory agent, or agent for service of process. This page explains your options for appointing a registered agent and what to expect.

Do I need a Tennessee Statutory Agent?

Each "business entity" transacting business in Tennessee is required by state law to have and continuously maintain a registered agent. Tennessee business entities include corporations (business corporations and nonprofit corporations), limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and limited liability companies.

How It Works: Tennessee Registered Agent Service

This is how the entire process works:

  1. Tell the Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services who is your business’s registered agent (more instructions on this below). The Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services lists your registered agent’s name and address in their public records. Hiring our service means our information, not yours, is listed publicly.
  2. Anyone who wants to send your business an official legal document looks up your registered agent’s address. Our local Memphis office greets process servers, signs for your documents, and locally scans your time-sensitive deliveries to you same-day!
  3. You receive email notification of your delivery. You can also have your colleagues or even your attorney notified. The email contains a link to access and download your documents online in your Secure Client Portal.

Located in nearby Memphis, TN!

Choosing a Tennessee Registered Agent

You may elect an individual or a company to serve as your Tennessee registered agent:

Appointing A Company

Hiring us to serve as your registered agent provides the following benefits:

  • Fulfill the state requirement
    Using our service fulfills your business's statutory obligation to appoint a registered agent.
  • Privacy
    We understand that privacy is a major benefit of using our registered agent service.
    • Avoid receiving a lawsuit in front of your clients and employees. We receive uniformed process servers, notice of lawsuit, and other deliveries discreetly at our office.
    • Our contact information (not yours) is listed publicly with the Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services.
    • We keep your information confidential and do not give it out to inquirers unless we are legally required to do so.
  • Enjoy flexible hours
    An individual registered agent is required to generally be available at the registered office to receive process servers. Travel, meet with clients, or take time off without risking missing a document or being noncompliant.
  • Avoid change fees
    If you move your office, simply let us know your new address. You won't have to worry about change forms and fees with the Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services.

Appointing An Individual

Tennessee allows you to appoint a consenting individual to serve as your registered agent so long as they meet all of the following requirements:

  • The individual must be a resident of Tennessee.
  • The individual must make available their name and street address to be included in the public records of Tennessee as your registered agent. The street address, called the registered office, must be a physical address in Tennessee. A P.O. Box or mailbox service is almost never allowed since the agent must personally sign for your document.
  • The individual must generally be available at the address listed during business hours to sign for documents.
The address of the registered office must be a physical Tennessee address; it cannot be a post office box, route number, or box number alone.

Default Judgment and Administrative Dissolution

Appointing a registered agent that fails in their duties can lead to costly consequences for your business. Missing a time-sensitive legal document can result in legal actions proceeding against your business without your knowledge. A court may rule a default judgment. The state may dissolve your business following administrative protocol. Have peace of mind about the Tennessee registered agent you appoint by hiring our reliable service.

How to Appoint Your Tennessee Statutory Agent

Incorporation

Appoint us as your registered agent when you incorporate your business or form your LLC. Sign up for registered agent service and file using the state forms and instructions in your online account. The forms are pre-filled signed as required by the state.

Qualification

Appoint us as your agent when you apply for a certificate of authority to transact business in a new state. Sign up for registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your online account. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.

Change agent

Changing your registered agent to us is easy. Order service and we immediately provide instructions and pre-populated change of agent forms in your account.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Your Tennessee registered agent is your company's appointee to receive documents in legal matters. For example, if your business is ever sued, a sheriff or process server will hand-deliver service of process (notice of lawsuit) to the registered agent and receive the agent's signature of receipt.

Typically documents delivered to the registered agent are hand-delivered to the agent at the street address provided, require signature upon delivery, and are time-sensitive (e.g. you have limited time to respond to notice of lawsuit). It is the registered agent's duty to be available during normal business hours to reliably receiving documents and forward them to the appropriate company personnel.

The physical street address where the registered agent is located is called the registered office. It is here that the registered agent should be available during normal business hours to sign for documents. In addition, other official government and legal documents (such as notice of annual report) will be mailed to the registered office.

Service of process is the procedure of giving legal notice to a party, usually a defendant. Typically, notices are accompanied by court documents, such as summons or a lawsuit. Service of process is delivered to the registered agent. If you are served with a lawsuit, you will have limited time to respond so it is important that you have a reliable agent.

The state fees to file the change of agent are as follows:

  • Limited Liability Company: 1 day - $21
  • Corporation: 1 day - $21
  • Limited Partnership: 1 day - $21
  • Limited Liability Partnership: 1 day - $21
  • Nonprofit Corporation: 1 day - $21

Click for instructions.


Tennessee Secretary of State - Division of Business Services
Phone: 615-741-2286
https://sos.tn.gov/business-services
Email: business.services@tn.gov

Noncompliance with Tennessee statutory law can result in serious consequences for your business. Failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office for more than two months can result in administrative revocation (administrative dissolution) of your business by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services.


  • Immediate online service. Sign up and immediately gain access to our address and pre-filled secretary of state templates in your account.
  • We have local registered agent offices in all 50 states , including in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Our reliable local Tennessee registered agent service scans your documents to you same-day for one flat annual fee.
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Tennessee Resources

Annual Report Apostille - Authentication Architecture Firm License Articles of Incorporation Articles of Organization Business License Certificate of Authority Certificate of Cancellation Service Certificate of Good Standing / Existence Certificate of Merger Certification - Authentication Change Your Registered Agent
Charitable Gaming License Charitable Gift Annuity Licensing Compliance Charitable Registration Construction License Converting Your Entity Corporation LLC Nonprofit Amendment DBA Dissolve Corporation LLC Nonprofit Employer (Payroll & Withholding Tax) Registration Service Employment Agency Licensing Energy Licensing Engineering Firm License
Entity Name Reservation Fictitious Name Registration & Renewal Foreign Corporation Foreign LLC Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Licenses How to Form an LLC How to Incorporate How to Start a Nonprofit Organization Insurance Licensing Licensing Resources Moving Your Company's Domicile to Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation
Nonprofit Compliance Obtain Certified Copies Private Investigator License Real Estate Licensing Registered Agent Service Reinstate Corporation LLC Nonprofit Sales & Use Tax Registration Service Sales Tax Exemption Start a Business Tax Clearance Certificate Tax Exemption Utilization Review Certification / License
Revised June 15, 2015. Complete data last reviewed June 15, 2015.

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