Tennessee Secretary of State office — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
The Tennessee Secretary of State's Division of Business Services registers all business entities, processes annual reports, and administers filings through the TNCaB portal, which fully replaced the older TNBear system after TNCaB's February 2025 launch. The Nashville office customer counter is on the 3rd floor — older directories may incorrectly cite the 6th floor. Tennessee does not offer expedited filing service; filings are processed in order received.
Open Official Tennessee Division of Business Services Portal ↗Office contact
- Address (customer counter)
- 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 3rd Floor, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, Nashville, TN 37243
- Phone (filings)
- (615) 741-2286
- Phone (customer service)
- (615) 741-2555
- tnsos.info@tn.gov
- Office hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time
- TNCaB (search, formation & annual reports)
- tncab.tnsos.gov
Entity formation and filing fees
Tennessee's LLC fees are based on member count ($50 per member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum). This applies to both formation and annual reports. For-profit and nonprofit corporations pay a flat $100 formation fee. Annual reports for corporations are $20 regardless of size, plus an additional $20 if the annual report also changes the registered agent or registered office. Tennessee has no expedited filing option.
Domestic LLC — Articles of Organization
- Fee
- $50/member; minimum $300, maximum $3,000
Domestic LLC — Annual Report (due April 1 for calendar-year)
- Fee
- $50/member; minimum $300, maximum $3,000
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $100
Domestic For-Profit Corporation — Annual Report
- Fee
- $20
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- Fee
- $100
Domestic Nonprofit Corporation — Annual Report
- Fee
- $20
Name Reservation
- Fee
- $20
Certificate of Existence (Good Standing)
- Fee
- $20
Expedited service
- Fee
- Not available
TNBear retired — TNCaB now handles everything
Tennessee's older TNBear filing and search system has been fully retired. TNCaB (Tennessee's Charity and Business Filing System) launched February 18, 2025 and now handles business entity search, new business formations, amendments, UCC filings, and annual reports in one portal at tncab.tnsos.gov. A TNCaB account (separate from any old TNBear login) is required before filing an annual report or new formation online.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
The Secretary of State handles UCC filings and apostilles directly, but notary commissions work differently — they're issued by the Governor and administered through the county clerk:
- UCC search and filing — accessed through the Business Services Division's UCC Services Online system.
- Notary public commissions — a $12 application fee paid to your county clerk (who keeps $7 and forwards $5 to the Secretary of State); the Governor issues the 4-year commission, not the Secretary of State directly.
- Apostilles and authentications — $2 per document, among the lowest in the country.
Source: Tennessee Secretary of State business guides (sos.tn.gov).
Key Tennessee state licensing agencies
Tennessee Department of Revenue
- What it covers
- Sales and use tax registration, business tax, withholding tax, Tennessee TNTAP portal
- Website
- tn.gov/revenue
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- What it covers
- Unemployment insurance registration, employer accounts, workers' compensation
- Website
- tn.gov/workforce
Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
- What it covers
- Professional and occupational licensing — contractors, healthcare, real estate, insurance
- Website
- tn.gov/commerce
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Tennessee's LLC filing fee calculated?
By member count, an unusual structure. The minimum is $300, covering up to six members; each additional member beyond six adds $50, up to a $3,000 maximum. This applies to both formation and each annual report.
When is a Tennessee LLC annual report due?
On the first day of the fourth month after the entity's fiscal year ends — April 1 for entities on a calendar fiscal year. Missing it risks administrative dissolution.
Does Tennessee offer expedited business filing?
No. Tennessee's Division of Business Services does not offer expedited processing; filings are handled in the order received, with no separate expedited fee on the published schedule.