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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Tennessee

Tennessee calls it the Certificate of Existence and charges $20. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Existence
State fee
$20Checked Aug 20, 2026 · lexisnexis.com
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Ordered online through TNCaB, Tennessee's business filing system, the certificate is requested, paid for and received online. Tennessee publishes no turnaround for a posted request
Issuing office
Tennessee SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. Check your entity status with the Tennessee SOS and resolve the requirements below. Tax clearance may be a separate document.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Tennessee portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $20 fee. Confirm payment methods and the total in the official portal; extra fees may apply.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the Tennessee state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
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Full ordering details for Tennessee

Tennessee charges $20 for this document under T.C.A. 48-249-1007(a)(32). The name depends on where you were formed: a domestic LLC gets a Certificate of Existence and a foreign LLC gets a Certificate of Authorization. The statute and the request form treat them as one product, "certificate of existence or authorization". Order online through TNCaB (tncab.tnsos.gov), Tennessee's business filing system, or by post using Form SS-4238. Certified copies are a separate $20.

Important to know about Tennessee

  • The TN LLC annual report fee starts at $300 (with $50 per member over 6, capped at $3,000) and is one of the highest in the country. Must be current - due by the first day of the fourth month after the LLC fiscal year ends.
  • Online orders add a small credit-card service charge on top of the $20 fee. Mail with a check avoids this surcharge but adds a few days.
  • Tennessee does not offer expedited service for the Certificate of Existence; online delivery is already immediate.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Tennessee is what the new state asks for when your Tennessee LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Tennessee instead?

Related guides

Sources 5 pages

The official pages behind the figures on this page, with the date we last read each one. How we check.

Fees and costs

Deadlines and processing

Forms and filing

This page provides general information based on publicly available Tennessee Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Tennessee SOS before ordering.