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Tennessee LLC name search

The endings, restricted words, reservation and filing fee for a Tennessee LLC name, with the official search one click away.

How to search and claim an LLC name in Tennessee

  1. Search Tennessee's official entity records at no cost, leaving “LLC” off the name.
  2. Make sure the name ends with one of Tennessee's accepted endings, such as “Limited Liability Company” or “LLC”.
  3. Hold the name with a $20 reservation for 120 days if you need time before filing.
  4. File the Articles of Organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State for $300 minimum ($50 per member, up to $3,000).
  5. Note the recurring report so the LLC stays in good standing: $300 minimum each year ($50 per member, up to $3,000), due by the 1st day of the 4th month after the fiscal year ends.

What a Tennessee LLC name must include

Tennessee accepts these endings for a limited liability company:

  • Limited Liability Company
  • LLC
  • L.L.C.

Every Tennessee LLC name has to include “Limited Liability Company”, “LLC” or “L.L.C.”. Approval in writing comes first for certain words: the Department of Financial Institutions clears “mortgage”, “bank”, “banks”, “banking”, “credit union” and “trust”, while the Department of Commerce & Insurance clears “insurance company”. Unless it holds written certification, the LLC can't imply powers it lacks, backing from veterans', fraternal, religious, charitable, service or professional bodies, or a government connection. A professional LLC must also satisfy T.C.A. § 48-249-1108.

How Tennessee decides two names are the same

The Division checks your LLC name against every active name in its database, assumed and reserved names included. Singular and plural forms are treated as different words, which few states do, so one added or dropped letter may be all you need. Endings, capitals, punctuation and little words like “the”, “a”, “and”, “of”, “in”, “at” and “plus”, whether spelled out or written as symbols, are ignored. A conflicting name can still be used when the existing business agrees in writing and renames itself within 60 days, when a court rules for you, or, for an LLC, when the existing business consents in writing and the two share a registered agent and office (T.C.A. § 48-249-106). Each consent filing is $20. The Division's guidelines on this are dated 2007.

Where the rules are written. T.C.A. § 48-249-106 (LLC name; indistinguishable-name consent); § 48-249-1017 (annual report); Business Name Availability Guidelines of the Division of Business Services.

Searching for an LLC name in Tennessee

Search TNCaB, the Secretary of State's online business portal, before you file; there's no charge. Try your exact words and then the singular or plural version, because Tennessee treats those as separate names and a near neighbour can turn up either way. The portal's availability result is only preliminary: the name becomes yours when the Articles of Organization are accepted.

Open the official Tennessee entity search

Leave the ending off when you search, so every version of the name shows up, then compare each result word by word. If one matches apart from spacing, punctuation or a plural, change a real word in your name.

Holding the name: Tennessee LLC name reservation

To hold an LLC name before filing, send an Application for Name Reservation (SS-9425) to the Division on paper or in person. It costs $20 and protects the name for 120 days. Tennessee doesn't require a reservation, and one can be cancelled or handed to someone else for $20.

File a Tennessee name reservation

Forming the LLC in Tennessee

Articles of Organization (form SS-4270) cost $50 for each member at filing, never less than $300 or more than $3,000. When the articles state that the LLC won't do business in Tennessee, the fee is a flat $300. Paying online adds a card convenience fee. The per-member rate is taken from an archived copy of the form, while the current fee page shows $300 with a note that more may apply.

File the Articles of Organization online

An annual report is due by day one of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year (April 1 for a December year-end). It costs $300 plus $50 for each member past six, up to $3,000 (T.C.A. § 48-249-1017), and skipping it can lead to administrative dissolution. Franchise and excise taxes are a separate obligation: the LLC registers for them with the Department of Revenue, and the franchise tax minimum is $100, active or not. Nothing has to be published in a newspaper. A Certificate of Existence is $20 and needs tax clearance first.

When the LLC trades under another name

An LLC using a name other than its own registers it as an assumed name with the Secretary of State (form SS-4402) for $20, since Tennessee doesn't recognize DBAs or fictitious names under those labels. Each registration is good for five years and costs $20 to renew. Once registered, the assumed name sits in the same database that new entity names are measured against.

Sources

These are the official pages behind every fact above. If one of them now says something different, it's right and this page is out of date.

Common questions

Can two LLCs in Tennessee have the same name?

No. Tennessee accepts a new LLC name only if it can be told apart from every name on its record. Adding or changing an ending such as “LLC” doesn't make a name different.

How long can I hold an LLC name in Tennessee?

120 days, for $20.

Does a new Tennessee LLC have to publish a notice?

No. Tennessee has no newspaper publication requirement for LLCs.

How much is the Tennessee LLC filing fee?

$300 minimum ($50 per member, up to $3,000), paid when you file the Articles of Organization.