EntityWire / States / Tennessee
Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations (Business Services)
Tennessee business entity search
Look up a Tennessee corporation, LLC, or nonprofit. Federal filings are searched on this page. The Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations (Business Services) keeps the state registry, and the steps below show how to search it.
Federal filings searched here. The Tennessee registry record is on the official site.
Tennessee registry at a glance
| Registry agency | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations (Business Services) |
|---|---|
| Office | Secretary of State: Tre Hargett, since 2009 |
| Phone | 615-741-2286 (business filings and information) |
| Address | 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 3rd Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 |
| Mailing address | 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central |
| Official search | TNCaB Business Entity Search |
| Registry number | Control number (SOS control number). 9 digits with leading zeros, for example 000351611 (Dollar General Corporation). |
How to search the Tennessee registry
The TNCaB Business Entity Search searches by business name (starts with, contains, or exact), control number and active entities only filter.
- Open the Business Entity Search in TNCaB at tncab.tnsos.gov/business-entity-search.
- Type the business name, or the 9-digit control number, and pick Starts With, Contains or Exact.
- Tick Active Entities Only if you want to hide inactive records, then select Search.
- Read the results for the control number, name, entity type, status, home state and registration date.
- Select Details to see the registered agent, annual report due date and filing history.
Three numbers, three agencies
Asking for the wrong number is a common reason a search comes back empty.
| Number | Issued by | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|
| Federal EIN | Internal Revenue Service | Identifies the business for federal tax. It is the same number in every state. |
| Control number (SOS control number) | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations (Business Services) | Identifies the entity's record in the state registry. 9 digits with leading zeros, for example 000351611 (Dollar General Corporation). |
| Tennessee Department of Revenue account (TNTAP) | Tennessee Department of Revenue | Franchise and excise and other tax accounts are kept by the Department of Revenue; they differ from both the federal EIN and the Secretary of State control number. |
What a Tennessee status means
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The entity is current on the Secretary of State's records. |
| Inactive - Administratively Dissolved | The state dissolved the entity, for example for not filing its annual report, having no registered agent, or a returned payment. |
| Inactive - Withdrawn | A foreign entity withdrew its authority to do business in Tennessee. |
| Inactive - Merged | The entity merged into another entity. |
| Inactive - Terminated | The entity ended its existence on the state's records. |
Fees and annual filings
| LLC formation | $300 minimum (Articles of Organization); additional fees may apply |
|---|---|
| Corporation formation | $100 (Charter, For-Profit Corporation) |
| Annual filing | Annual Report |
| Annual fee, LLC | $300 minimum, plus $50 for each member over 6, up to $3,000 |
| Annual fee, corporation | $20 (plus $20 if the registered agent or office changes) |
| When it is due | Due on or before the first day of the fourth month after the close of the entity's fiscal year. |
| Late filing | An entity that does not file on time may be administratively dissolved and shown as inactive. |
| Filed with | Secretary of State, online through a TNCaB account |
| Franchise and excise tax | Tennessee Department of Revenue. Corporations, LPs, LLCs and business trusts registered or doing business in Tennessee pay a franchise tax on net worth and an excise tax on net earnings; the minimum franchise tax is $100 even for an inactive entity. |
A foreign for-profit corporation pays $600 for a certificate of authority; a foreign LLC starts at $300.
As published by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations (Business Services), checked 2026-10-06. Fees change, and the official schedule decides.
Forming or running a business in Tennessee
All entities except general partnerships must keep a registered agent and office in Tennessee at all times; losing the agent is a ground for administrative dissolution.
Tennessee businesses on file
The largest organizations with a Tennessee address in the federal filings searched here, biggest first.
- GENESCO INC.EIN 62-0211340
- KYZEN CORPORATIONEIN 87-0475115
- DIALYSIS CLINIC INCEIN 62-0850498
- FEDEX CORPORATIONEIN 62-1721435
- FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATIONEIN 71-0427007
- CHS/COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.EIN 76-0137985
- AUTOZONE, INC.EIN 62-1482048
- INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANYEIN 13-0872805
- CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE, INC.EIN 62-0812904
- TRACTOR SUPPLY COMPANYEIN 13-3139732
- BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING INC.EIN 20-3068069
- EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANYEIN 62-1539359
- LKQ CORP.EIN 36-4215970
- LOUISIANA-PACIFIC CORPORATIONEIN 93-0609074
- FORWARD AIR CORPORATIONEIN 62-1120025
- SOLUTIA INC.EIN 43-1781797
- RESOLUTE FP US INC.EIN 62-0721803
- ASTEC INDUSTRIES, INC.EIN 62-0873631
- COVENANT TRANSPORT, INC.EIN 88-0320154
- MUELLER INDUSTRIES, INC.EIN 25-0790410
- MID-AMERICA APARTMENT COMMUNITIESEIN 62-1543819
- SMITH AND WESSON BRANDS, INC.EIN 87-0543688
- MID AMERICA APARTMENTS ,L.P.EIN 62-1543816
- HEALTHCARE REALTY TRUST INCORPORATEDEIN 62-1507028
Sources
Facts on this page come from the official pages below, checked 2026-10-06. A fact that could not be confirmed on an official page is left out.