Are you unsatisfied with your Tennessee registered agent? Or perhaps you’re currently serving as your own registered agent, but would rather hire a professional registered agent service instead?
The state of Tennessee makes it rather easy to change your registered agent, but there are some details involved in the process that are worth reviewing.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all the relevant details of changing a registered agent in Tennessee.
Guru Tip: If you would prefer to have a professional service deal with the paperwork and take over registered agent duties, hire a Tennessee registered agent service. It’s just a small annual fee.
What Is a Tennessee Registered Agent?
Why is a registered agent required for every limited liability company (LLC) or corporation? It all comes down to the fact that the state needs to be able to contact an official representative of your business if they need to deliver important documents to you, especially service of process.
Without a registered agent, you could remain unaware of a lawsuit against your business progressing through the court system.
Who Can Be a Tennessee Registered Agent?
If you’re looking to change your company’s registered agent, it’s a good idea to know who is eligible to serve as one.
In Tennessee, registered agents may be either a person or a legal entity located within the state. In either case, the registered agent is required to have a physical address rather than a P.O. box in order to qualify. After you’ve designated your agent, the Tennessee Secretary of State will verify your registered agent’s address. If the address is not recognized as a physical street address, your application will be rejected.
Often, those in need of a registered agent choose to hire a registered agent service. Although the Tennessee Secretary of State keeps no official list of endorsed commercial registered agents, you may choose to consult this list we’ve compiled of registered agent services based on price and overall value. For more information requirements, we recommend you check out our full guide on Tennessee Registered Agents.
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Tennessee
If you would like to change your registered agent for any reason, the process is simple.
The easiest way to change your registered agent in Tennessee is to fill out either the Change of Registered Agent/Office by LLC or Change of Registered Agent/Office by corporation, depending on your business entity’s type. To complete either form you’ll need many of the same details, such as:
- The name of the corporation or LLC
- The street address of the current registered office
- The street office of the new registered office
- The name of the current registered agent
- The name of the new registered agent
- A signature
After completing either document in its PDF form, it may be either mailed or hand-delivered to the Tennessee Secretary of State at the following address:
Corporate Filings
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave.
6th Floor, William R. Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, TN 37243
It should be noted that all registered agents in the state of Tennessee are required to have physical street address. Upon the submission of your Change of Registered Agent form, the Tennessee Secretary of State will verify the listed address. If it is a P.O. box rather than a physical street address, your application will be rejected.
While it is also possible to change you registered agent when your file your company’s Annual Report, the process will entail an additional filing fee of $20.00.
Change of Registered Agent Fee: $20
Should You Hire a Professional Tennessee Registered Agent Service?
Hiring a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent has some distinct advantages. First and foremost, compared to serving as your own agent, professional registered agent services allow you to keep your personal address private. They’re also much less expensive than hiring a lawyer or accountant to provide registered agent service.
An often-overlooked benefit is how easy it is to expand your Tennessee business into other states if you choose a professional registered agent. They typically have offices in all 50 states, so if you begin transacting business in an additional state, your same registered agent service can handle that for you.
If you’re interested in hiring a professional registered agent service, take a look at our guide to the top service providers.
Conclusion
The process for changing a registered agent in Tennessee isn’t a complicated one, but it’s certainly advisable to know exactly what you want to do ahead of time. If you know what you want going in, you’ll find that the process is really quite painless.
We hope this article answered your questions about changing your Tennessee registered agent!