Register your Tennessee LLC Online
Complete the form below in 2–3 minutes. Your LLC and EIN come at no extra cost — you only pay Tennessee’s own $306.87 state fee.
- Enter your desired LLC name
- Choose your state
- Receive your LLC and free EIN by email
Trusted by Thousands Nationwide
What is an LLC in Tennessee?
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a simple structure for running your business under a professional name. It separates your business from your personal name, and it's the most common way to add a partner, sell the business, or look like a real company instead of a side project.
That separation goes further than the name. If the business owes money or gets sued, your house, car, and personal bank accounts are generally off-limits — as long as you run the LLC properly. It doesn't protect you from something you personally did wrong.
A sole proprietorship skips all of that. You're doing business under your own name or a DBA, and everything stays tied to you personally.
A corporation does the same separation as an LLC, but it's built for a different job: issuing stock and bringing in outside investors. An LLC is simpler to run and cheaper to keep up if that's not you right now.
Benefits of an LLC in Tennessee
- Add partners or co-owners whenever you're ready
- Transfer ownership if you sell the business
- “Tennessee Company, LLC” shows you’re a real business
- Shows you’re registered (Tennessee Secretary of State)
- Get a matching domain like TennesseeCompanyLLC.com
- Simpler upkeep than forming a corporation
What's different about a Tennessee LLC
Tennessee is one of the only states where your filing fee depends on your LLC's number of members. Instead of one flat number, the state charges $50 per member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum — most new LLCs land on the $300 floor. Tennessee doesn't offer expedited filing at any price, so every application moves through the same queue.
Tennessee also runs a separate Franchise & Excise Tax through the Department of Revenue — a different agency from the one that files your LLC. The franchise tax is a flat $100 minimum every year, based on your LLC's net worth. The excise tax is 6.5% of your Tennessee profit, but the first $50,000 is deducted before that rate applies, so most new or small LLCs owe $0 in actual excise tax — the return still has to be filed either way. Tennessee doesn't require you to publish a notice in a newspaper, unlike a handful of other states.
Cost to start an LLC in Tennessee
$306.87 to the Tennessee Secretary of State — that's it. We don't charge a filing fee on top of it. Tennessee calculates that fee at $50 per member with a $300 minimum, so most new LLCs pay the floor. A Tennessee corporation runs $102.28 through the same process.
| What you get |  | Others |
|---|---|---|
| EIN (Tax ID) | Free | up to $99 |
| Registered agent | Freefirst year | up to $249per year |
| Name check | Free | usually free |
| Tennessee state filing feespaid to the state — same for everyone | $306.87 | $306.87 |
Free EIN with your Tennessee LLC
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is what opens a business bank account and identifies your company to the IRS — it's like a Social Security Number for your LLC. It's included at no extra cost, right alongside your LLC.
LLC vs Corporation in Tennessee
An LLC is simpler and more flexible, and keeps “LLC” in your business name. A corporation is a more formal structure built for issuing stock and outside investment, and keeps “Inc” or “Corp” in the name instead. 97% of our clients choose an LLC.
What is a Sole Proprietor in Tennessee?
A sole proprietorship means you're doing business as an individual. You can file a DBA with the state to use a name other than your own. As an individual, you can't add a partner to the business, because everything is tied to your personal name and Social Security Number. If you later want to add partners or sell the business, you'll need to start an LLC or corporation.
File a DBA Under Your LLC
A DBA (Doing Business As) lets one LLC operate under more than one business name. Tennessee doesn’t use that term — the state calls it an Assumed Name — but it's the same idea. It's a separate filing with the Tennessee Secretary of State, the same office that formed your LLC, costs $20, and stays on file for 5 years.
A DBA isn't required if you're fine using your LLC's own name.
Example: Tennessee Company, LLC dba Tennessee Auto Brokers.
DBA vs LLC in Tennessee
A DBA only gives you another name to use. The LLC is the actual business entity that owns the DBA name and holds all legal rights.
Common Questions
Why start an LLC in Tennessee?
It separates the business from your own name, lets you add or remove owners as the business grows, and reads as a real, established company.
How long does it take to get a Tennessee LLC?
Filing takes a few minutes on this page. Tennessee doesn't publish a guaranteed processing time or offer a paid expedited option, so how fast your LLC is approved depends on the state's current filing volume.
What's Tennessee's LLC Annual Report, and what does it cost?
$50 per member, with the same $300 minimum and $3,000 maximum as your filing fee, due every year through the state's TNCaB portal. It's a state filing requirement, not a tax, and it's separate from Tennessee's own Franchise & Excise Tax, which is a different annual filing owed to the Department of Revenue.
Do I need an EIN for my Tennessee LLC?
Yes, for a business bank account and for the IRS to recognize your company. It's included free when you file here.
What's a registered agent, and do I need one?
A registered agent is the address Tennessee sends legal mail to. Every LLC needs one, and it's included free for your first year when you file here.
Do I need an operating agreement?
Tennessee doesn't require one to file, but a bank often asks for one to open your business account. You can add it when you file, or write your own later.
Still deciding on a name?
Try the free name generator — type a word you like, get real available options back, then come straight here to file.
Page updates (1)
- February 18, 2025 — Tennessee replaced its 15-year-old TNBEAR filing system with TNCaB, a new online portal that requires an account to file anything, including your Annual Report. Tennessee Secretary of State →
Sources (6)
Every fact on this page was checked directly against Tennessee's own filing agency and revenue agency — verified September 20, 2026.
- Tennessee Secretary of State — Business Forms & Fees — the $300 LLC filing fee, $100 corporation charter fee, $20 Assumed Name fee
- Tenn. Code Ann. §48-249-1007 — the $50-per-member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum formula for both the filing fee and the Annual Report
- Tennessee Secretary of State — FAQs — confirms Tennessee's Assumed Name terminology and the registered agent requirement
- Tennessee Department of Revenue — Franchise & Excise Tax — the $100 minimum franchise tax and the 6.5% excise tax
- Tennessee Department of Revenue — Notice #23-04 — the $50,000 standard excise deduction
- Tennessee Secretary of State — TNCaB — the current online filing system