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Last Updated: November 20, 2025
Trying to find the best LLC formation service in Tennessee for your business? Whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, choosing the right LLC formation service can save you time, money, and stress. In this comparison guide, we break down top providers like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, Bizee (formerly Incfile), and Northwest Registered Agent. You’ll see how they stack up in terms of pricing, features, and customer support — plus what each service is best known for. If you’re looking for great value and reliable service, ZenBusiness is a standout option for forming an LLC in Tennessee.
If you’re looking for an overall, excellent LLC formation service in Tennessee, go with us at ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 850,000+ businesses since 2015!
✔ Free LLC formation (only pay Tennessee state fees)✔ 60-day money-back guarantee✔ 25720+ reviews with a 4.8 average rating✔ Award-winning customer support✔ Extended customer service hours, including Saturdays and Sundays✔ Socially conscious company (Public Benefit Corporation)
✘ Registered agent service costs extra after the first year✘ Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
If you want socially conscious Tennessee LLC formation services with a service discount, choose ZenBusiness.
Another LLC service is Bizee (formerly known as Infile), with a basic formation service that would only require you to pay Tennessee’s state filing fee. Bizee is a well-known choice, with more than one million businesses formed since they opened in 2004. They also have a variety of features to suit a business owner’s needs.
✔ Free LLC formation (only pay Tennessee state fees)✔ Includes one year of registered agent service ($119/yr afterward)✔ Large customer base with 22,700+ reviews (as of November 2025)✔ Phone and email support
✘ Lots of upsells can increase overall costs✘ Customer support can be slow during peak times✘ No weekend phone support available
Keep in Mind: Even though their Tennessee LLC formation service is free, you’re going to deal with more upsells and potentially higher overall prices as a result.
Want to learn more? See our Bizee review.
LegalZoom is the most well-known service in this industry, handling millions of LLC formations since 2001. They handle huge volumes of entity formations in Tennessee and offer legal services beyond formations.
✔ Established brand with 4 million+ businesses formed✔ Extended customer service hours, including Saturdays✔ Offers legal services beyond Tennessee LLC formation
✘ Aggressive upsells during the ordering process✘ Registered agent service is expensive ($249/yr)✘ Not the best value compared to other services available in Tennessee
Want to learn more? See our LegalZoom review.
Northwest Registered Agent also offers a good business formation service in Tennessee, with personalized customer support as their standout feature. They’ve been forming businesses since 1998.
✔ Personalized customer support✔ Includes one year of registered agent service ($125/yr afterward)✔ Industry experience since 1998
✘ Higher starting price than competitors who offer free Tennessee LLC formation✘ No published customer service hours and no chat support✘ Limited brand recognition compared to larger competitors
Want to learn more? See our Northwest Registered Agent review.
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In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a Tennessee business. You cannot form an LLC in Tennessee without filing the Articles of Organization, the document that officially registers your business within the state. Tennessee has a relatively hefty filing fee for this document. The base fee starts at $300, but it rises by $50 for each member you have (beyond the first six). This fee maxes out at $3,000.
Your LLC will also need to apply for one of Tennessee’s business licenses: the general business license or the minimal activity license. The minimal activity license applies to businesses with gross receipts totaling between $3,000 and $10,000; all other businesses are subject to the general business license. Both business licenses cost $15.
Next, all businesses will need to file annual reports. This filing is pretty simple, but it keeps the state up to date about some basic but vital information about your business, such as your registered agent and business address. For LLCs, the filing fee ranges between $300 and $3,000, following the same fee structure as the Articles of Organization. Read more about Tennessee LLC costs.
We invite you to take a look at our detailed guide to forming a limited liability company in Tennessee. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, helping ensure that you don’t miss any crucial elements.
One of the most important steps in forming a Tennessee LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should search through the Secretary of State’s name availability search to make sure your desired name is available. For more information on conducting a business name search in Tennessee, check out our Tennessee business search article.
You can fill out or download the Articles of Organization on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website.
In Tennessee, an LLC’s ongoing maintenance requirements include the annual report. This filing is due by the fourth month of your LLC’s fiscal year, and it costs $50 per member, with a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $3,000. You’ll likely also need to renew your Tennessee business license every year for $15.
Chances are, you’ll require at least one license or permit to operate your LLC in compliance with Tennessee state law. At minimum, your business will probably need a minimal activity license ($3,000-$100,000 in gross sales) or a standard business license (more than $100,000 in gross sales). For more information about business licenses and more in this state, check out Tennessee’s Licenses and Permits webpage, here.
The processing time will vary by factors like the time of year, but, generally speaking, filing online is much quicker than filing by postal mail. Many online filings are processed on the same day, while paper filings can take five to seven business days by mail, not counting the time in transit.
If you want more details about what these companies can offer in this state, or you’d like to take a look at some other options, check out our guide to the best Tennessee registered agent services.
Unfortunately, not all businesses last forever. If the time comes when you need to close your LLC’s doors, you’ll need to do so in a manner consistent with the state’s regulations. That’s why we wrote our guide to Tennessee LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.
If your LLC already exists in another state, you don’t actually need to “form” it in Tennessee. Instead, you’ll need to foreign-qualify the business in this state. This process is somewhat similar to LLC formation, but there are some crucial differences as well. Take a look at our guide to foreign qualifications in Tennessee for more information.
Tennessee Business Resources
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Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by ZenBusiness Editorial Team
The ZenBusiness Editorial Team has more than 20 years of combined small business publishing experience and has helped over 850,000 entrepreneurs launch and grow their companies. Our writers and business formation experts are dedicated to providing accurate, practical, and trustworthy guidance so business owners can make confident decisions.
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