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The Tennessee Secretary of State keeps the state's business register through its Division of Business Services. The public lookup is the Business Entity Search on TNCaB, the Tennessee Charity and Business filing system that replaced the older Business Services Online pages on tnbear.tn.gov. Searching, viewing and printing individual records is free. You can search by business name or by the Secretary of State control number.
Using TNCaB for a Tennessee LLC and corporation search
The search box has three match types: Starts With, Contains and Exact. There is also an Active Entities Only box. Ticking it limits the results to active entities, so leave it unticked when you are checking whether a business ever existed.
A good order for a name search:
- Contains, with one distinctive word from the name
- Starts With, if Contains returns too many results
- Exact, once you know the full legal name
If you already have the control number, enter that instead. It is the most precise way to pull up one entity. Our LLC lookup guide has more tips that apply in any state.
If you used the old search, note the change of address. TNCaB is where filings happen now too, and annual reports can only be filed after you create a TNCaB account.
What the results show
Each result row lists the control number, the name, any other names used, the entity type, the status, the city, where the entity was formed and the registration date. Open the record and click "filing history" to see what the business has filed.
The status words are simple. A business is active, or it is inactive. An entity that fails to file its annual report on time may be administratively dissolved and placed in inactive status. Other grounds for administrative dissolution include being without a registered agent, a foreign entity losing its assumed name over a name conflict, and a payment returned by a bank. Our business entity status guide compares these terms with other states.
Naming a Tennessee LLC
Section 106 of the Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act sets the rules. An LLC name must contain "limited liability company", "L.L.C." or "LLC", or words or abbreviations of like import in another language written in roman letters. It must not contain "corporation" or "incorporated". It must be distinguishable on the Secretary of State's records from every other entity name, whether true, assumed, reserved or registered.
A name reservation for an LLC costs $20. For a trade name, Tennessee uses assumed names. An assumed name registration costs $20 and is good for 5 years, and it can be renewed. See our DBA search guide for how assumed names compare with DBAs elsewhere.
Every entity except a general partnership must keep a registered agent and office in Tennessee at all times. The registered office must be a physical Tennessee address, not a post office box.
Annual reports and the Certificate of Existence
Tennessee LLCs file an annual report each year. The fee is $300 at minimum and rises by $50 for every member over 6, up to $3,000. A corporation pays $20, plus another $20 if it changes its registered agent or office on the report. The report is due on the first day of the fourth month after the close of the fiscal year, so a business with a December 31 year end files by April 1. The due date calendar also shows when the notice of administrative dissolution goes out. Fee details are in the SOS business FAQs.
Reinstatement after administrative dissolution costs $70. For deadlines in other states, see our annual report deadlines guide.
For proof of standing, Tennessee issues a Certificate of Existence. It certifies that an entity is active and in good standing, and it costs $20. The business needs a tax clearance first. Copies of filed documents are $20 per set.
Starting costs, for reference, from the forms and fees page: Articles of Organization for an LLC start at $300, a for-profit or nonprofit charter costs $100, and a foreign LLC's Certificate of Authority starts at $300.
Bulk data
Tennessee sells its business entity database. The Secretary of State's download page lists the full database, generated each Sunday night, at $1,000, and prior month or prior week activity files at $50 each, plus any service fee. The file is a zip of four tab separated text files with mailing addresses, assumed names, registered agents and basic annual report history. These figures come from the older Business Services Online download page, so check the current price on the Secretary of State's site before you buy.
Starting a company here? Read our guide on how to start an LLC in Tennessee and the Tennessee registered agent rules.
Also see our guides to the Tennessee DBA and Tennessee business license.