Ask a Tennessee office for good standing and they will hand you a Certificate of Existence. The Division of Business Services at the Secretary of State issues it. The state defines it as a document that certifies an entity is active and in good standing.
This guide stays with that one certificate. Searches, formation fees and contacts are in the Tennessee office guide.
How much is a Certificate of Existence in Tennessee?
The fee is $20. The state's fee page lists the Request for a Certificate or Request for Certified Copies with the same $20 price, and an asterisk on the amount. Copies of filed documents are $20 per set.
| What the state calls it | Certificate of Existence (copies and certificates) (sos.tn.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee | $20 (sos.tn.gov, checked ) |
| Where to order | sos.tn.gov/businesses/guides/order-copies-certificates (sos.tn.gov, checked ) |
The form covers either a certificate or certified copies, so decide what the other side asks for before you pay. If a bank only wants proof the company is active, the certificate is the item.
Where do you order it?
Online is the quickest route. The Secretary of State says a Certificate of Existence can be requested, paid for and received online, and it keeps a guide called Order Copies and Certificates for the steps. If you prefer paper, there is a form for the same purpose.
Use the company's name exactly as the state record shows it, and check the status first in the business search.
What stops a Tennessee company from getting one?
Two things matter most. The first is tax. The Secretary of State states that tax clearances are required to obtain a certificate of existence, to reinstate, and to terminate, cancel or withdraw an entity from Tennessee. The second is the record status.
A business that has not filed its annual report on time may be administratively dissolved and placed in inactive status. The state lists other reasons too, such as having no registered agent, a name conflict and a returned payment.
Every status word Tennessee uses is explained in our Tennessee office guide.
How do you fix a dissolved company first?
Reinstate it. The state fee page lists the Application for Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution at $70 for an LLC. Tax clearances are required before reinstatement, so any tax account problem needs fixing first. File the missing annual report as well, because that is the usual cause. Our annual report page for Tennessee explains the fee and the date.
Who asks for a Certificate of Existence?
Lenders and banks often want one when they open an account or process a loan. A buyer may ask for it when a company changes hands. Another state may require it before registering your Tennessee company as a foreign entity. For other states, see the general certificate of good standing guide.
State fees are separate from any help you buy. You can order at the state yourself, or ask our private filing service to do it for you.
Sources
- sos.tn.gov/businesses/guides/order-copies-certificates: good standing certificate, certificate ordering. Checked .
- sos.tn.gov/businesses/faqs/what-is-the-required-filing-fee: certificate fee. Checked .