How to search Tennessee business entities online
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
Tennessee's business search is TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov/business-entity-search, which replaced the retired TNBear system in February 2025. Search by business name or Control Number after passing a Cloudflare check to see the entity's type, registration date, and status. TNCaB stands for Tennessee's Charity and Business filing system — searching needs no account, but filing anything requires a free TNCaB registration.
- Go to TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov/business-entity-search (not the retired TNBear).
- Search by business name or Control Number, and pass the verification check.
- Review the result for the entity's type, registration date, and status.
TNBear has been retired — TNCaB is now the single portal
Tennessee shut down its longtime TNBear search and filing system in February 2025 and replaced it with TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov, which now handles entity search, new business filings, and annual report filing together. Some older Secretary of State pages still link to the retired tnbear.tn.gov address, which no longer resolves — use tncab.tnsos.gov instead.
What the search covers
The database covers domestic and foreign LLCs, for-profit corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, LLPs, general partnerships, professional corporations, and benefit corporations registered with the Secretary of State.
Search options
The Business Entity Search page offers:
- Name — full-text search across registered entity names
- Control Number — direct lookup by the Tennessee SOS-assigned control number
An "Active Entities Only" checkbox and a status filter narrow results, and results display entity type, registration date, and formation state. The search page also shows a running notice stating the date through which filings and annual reports have been processed, and requires passing a Cloudflare human-verification check before results load.
Tennessee's member-count LLC fee structure
Tennessee calculates LLC formation and annual report fees based on membership count — an unusual structure found in very few other states. The minimum fee is $300, which covers up to six members; each additional member beyond six adds $50, up to a $3,000 maximum. A single-member LLC pays the $300 minimum. A 20-member LLC pays $1,000. A 60-member LLC reaches the $3,000 cap. This applies both to the Articles of Organization (formation) and to the annual report each subsequent year.
Annual report due date
Annual reports are due on the first day of the fourth month following the end of the entity's fiscal year. For entities on a calendar fiscal year (ending December 31), the deadline is April 1.
Missing an annual report risks administrative dissolution. Tennessee's published fee schedule does not list a separate expedited-filing fee.
What Tennessee's dissolution status means, and domestic vs. foreign
Tennessee's own FAQ describes it directly: an entity that misses its annual report may be administratively dissolved and placed in inactive status. What happens next depends on where the entity was originally formed. A domestic entity — one formed in Tennessee — faces Administrative Dissolution and reinstates using Form SS-9410 for $70. A foreign entity registered to do business in Tennessee instead faces Administrative Revocation, a different status with a different consequence: rather than reinstating, a revoked foreign entity files Form SS-4436 to formally withdraw, for $100.
Reinstatement isn't a fresh start from scratch — Tennessee law treats it as relating back to the original dissolution date, so the entity's legal existence is treated as continuous rather than having a gap, once it's back in good standing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to TNBear, Tennessee's old business search site?
It was retired in February 2025. Tennessee's entity search, new business filings, and annual report filing now all go through TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov instead, and the old tnbear.tn.gov address no longer resolves.
Does the Tennessee business search require passing a CAPTCHA?
Yes. Before search results load on TNCaB, the site requires passing a Cloudflare human-verification check, an extra step compared with older state search portals.
Can I search Tennessee business entities by control number?
Yes. The Business Entity Search on TNCaB accepts either a full-text name search or a direct lookup by the Tennessee SOS-assigned control number, with an 'Active Entities Only' checkbox and status filter to narrow results.
What's the difference between Administrative Dissolution and Administrative Revocation in Tennessee?
Administrative Dissolution applies to domestic entities formed in Tennessee, reinstated with Form SS-9410 for $70. Administrative Revocation is the separate status for foreign entities registered to do business in Tennessee — instead of reinstating, a revoked foreign entity files Form SS-4436 to formally withdraw, for $100.
Does reinstating a dissolved Tennessee entity create a gap in its legal existence?
No — Tennessee law treats reinstatement as relating back to the original dissolution date, so the entity's existence is treated as continuous rather than interrupted, once it's reinstated.