What Is A Registered Agent In Tennessee

How to Cull a Registered Agent For Your Tennessee Nonprofit

Confident registered agent standing in an office.

Tennessee nonprofits will likely need to appoint and retain a registered agent.

This in-depth guide provides information nearly a nonprofit registered agent'southward office and responsibilities, the benefits of hiring a professional registered amanuensis service, and what it ways to deed as your own registered amanuensis.

TENNESSEE REGISTERED Amanuensis GUIDE FOR NONPROFITS

SKIP AHEAD:

What Is a Tennessee Registered Agent?
Can I Exist My Ain Registered Agent in Tennessee?
Should My Nonprofit Use a Tennessee Registered Agent Service?
How Do I Choose a Registered Agent in Tennessee?
How Practise I Change My Nonprofit's Registered Agent in Tennessee?
Frequently Asked Questions

Terminal Updated: 2022-01-17

What Is a Tennessee Registered Agent?

A registered amanuensis is a professional person who will serve every bit your organization's representative to the Tennessee Secretarial assistant of State while yous operate your concern. Some states refer to registered agents as resident agents, statutory agents, or service of procedure agents.

Your registered amanuensis typically volition receive correspondence, such every bit compliance data and taxation notifications, on behalf of your organization. Registered agents also are in charge of accepting service of process documents. This simply means your registered agent will have the legal summons and documents on your nonprofit's behalf in the result someone sues your nonprofit.

In Tennessee, the requirements for registered agents include:

They may be domestic or foreign individuals or business organisation entities.
1. Individuals must be Tennessee residents that are at least 18 years of historic period.
2. Business organisation entities must be registered to operate in Tennessee.
They must take a physical address (non just a P.O. box) in Tennessee.
They must always be available at said physical address during regular business hours.

Can I Exist My Own Registered Agent in Tennessee?

Any private can serve as your nonprofit's registered agent equally long as they run into the requirements listed in a higher place. You may cull to human action every bit your nonprofit's registered agent; you may also select a fellow member of your board of directors or a reliable friend.

If yous choose to act every bit your arrangement's registered agent, you lot must sympathize the importance of this position. If you lot miss a filing deadline or lose a document, you could put your nonprofit'south compliance status at hazard and the Secretary of Country could revoke your nonprofit'due south corporation status.

Many nonprofits and other businesses choose to hire a professional person registered agent service to ensure their organization remains in compliance at all times.

Should My Nonprofit Use a Tennessee Registered Agent Service?

Earlier you decide to hire a Tennessee registered agent service, be sure to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

Advantages

You might consider hiring a registered agent service for your nonprofit organization for several reasons. Specifically, this arroyo can:

Save Yous Time: When yous kickoff start your Tennessee nonprofit, you need to focus on doing everything you lot can to make it successful. Hiring a professional registered agent service will allow you to focus on what's important while the registered agent takes care of all incoming mail service and official notices. In addition, they'll often remind you of upcoming of import filings or deadlines.
Protect Your Personal Privacy and Your Business concern's Reputation: Unfortunately, at some bespeak in time, your organization may confront a lawsuit. When yous hire a professional person registered agent service, all service of process notices will be delivered to a business organization address. If you act as your own registered agent, law enforcement agents could evangelize these notices to your home or your place of work, depending on the address on file.
In add-on to protecting your privacy and your concern's reputation, registered agent services are accustomed to receiving and properly handling this legal paperwork. This will help ensure your organization doesn't lose a lawsuit on a technicality considering y'all forgot to file something on time or you mishandled something due to not knowing how the legal system works.
Ensure Prompt Handling of Your Business Mail: Because a registered agent service'south primary job is to serve equally a registered agent for a number of organizations, you can be sure they'll accost any mail they receive promptly. In add-on, they'll be available during their normal business concern hours to answer any questions you might have about these documents.
Continue Your Nonprofit Compliant: You must ensure your nonprofit remains compliant with the requirements gear up forth past the Country of Tennessee and the federal government (if you successfully apply for 501(c)(3) status). Hiring a registered amanuensis service will help ensure you lot don't miss a single filing.
Offer Convenience: Registered agents are required to be nowadays at their listed address during business organisation hours. That means hiring a registered agent service will allow you to accept off work as needed and cull a flexible working schedule if desired.
Provide National Support: If you think you may want to abound your organization nationally, choose a national registered agent service so it tin proceed to support you as your business grows.

Disadvantages

The simply disadvantage of hiring a registered agent service is that it costs money, whereas yous could act as your own registered amanuensis for free.

Exercise I Need to Rent a Professional Registered Agent Service?

While hiring a professional registered agent service can exist a cracking idea for several reasons, it becomes essential in some situations. If you reply "yes" to any of the following questions, you should hire a registered agent service for your nonprofit.

Does your nonprofit keep irregular business hours? As previously noted, your nonprofit'southward registered amanuensis must be bachelor at their listed address during standard business hours. If your nonprofit's operating hours fall outside the standard 9-to-5, you'll need to hire a registered amanuensis service.
Exercise you alive out of state? Your nonprofit'southward registered agent must exist a resident of the land in which your nonprofit is incorporated. If you're not a Tennessee resident, yous'll demand to hire a Tennessee registered agent to correspond your nonprofit.
Is your nonprofit located in multiple states — or will it exist in the time to come? If your nonprofit currently operates in multiple states — or has plans to practise and so — yous must appoint a registered agent in every state in which information technology will operate. Because you plain can't be in two places at in one case, it'due south essential that yous hire a registered agent service.
Will you operate without a physical address? If y'all plan to solely operate your nonprofit online, or without a physical address, yous won't have a business accost to list on your Nonprofit Corporation Charter and other important legal documents. By hiring a professional person registered agent service, y'all tin list their bureau's physical address on all documents.

Go Professional Assistance to Form Your Tennessee Nonprofit

Discover out which nonprofit formation service is the best for you in our review on Startup Savant.

All-time Services

How Do I Choose a Registered Agent in Tennessee?

You must select a registered amanuensis for your Tennessee nonprofit when you lot file your nonprofit'due south Nonprofit Corporation Charter. The Nonprofit Corporation Charter is the primary nonprofit formation document in Tennessee.

Nominating a Registered Agent Online

You lot may file your nonprofit's charter through the Tennessee Secretary of State website and pay the $100 filing fee online. When you consummate the Nonprofit Corporation Charter online, you'll be able to nominate your nonprofit's registered agent.

Nominating a Registered Agent by Mail or in Person

To grade your Tennessee nonprofit by mail or in person, download Form SS-4418 - Nonprofit Corporation Charter and follow the instructions to draft your organisation'southward lease. Once it's finished, y'all may submit the original along with the $100 filing fee to the Tennessee Secretary of State. You lot will list your registered agent's name and contact details in Article 4.

How Practice I Change My Nonprofit's Registered Agent in Tennessee?

Conclusion

When working in a nonprofit environment, you have more important things to focus on than checking the mail, filing legal documents, and worrying about remembering compliance deadlines. That's what a registered amanuensis can exercise for you lot. When y'all hire a professional registered agent service, you tin leave these tasks in their capable easily and truly focus on what matters well-nigh to your organisation.

Oftentimes Asked Questions

Who can serve every bit a nonprofit'southward registered agent?

In the state of Tennessee, anyone age eighteen or older may serve as your nonprofit's registered agent as long as they're a state resident and bachelor at their listed address during standard business hours during the calendar week. We do, withal, recommend all nonprofits use a registered agent service.

How much does a Tennessee nonprofit registered amanuensis cost?

Although using a registered agent service tin cost your nonprofit between $l and $300 per year, it will save y'all fourth dimension, money, and stress in the long run.

How much does it cost to change my nonprofit's registered agent?

Changing your Tennessee nonprofit's registered amanuensis with the Secretarial assistant of State costs $20.

What is a statutory agent?

A statutory agent is some other proper name for a registered amanuensis.

What is a resident agent?

A resident amanuensis is another name for a registered agent.

What is a service of procedure agent?

A service of process agent is another name for a registered agent.

What does service of process mean?

Service of process simply ways receiving legal documents, such as a court summons. A court summons is a document that requires a representative of your arrangement to appear earlier a judge considering of a awaiting lawsuit.

What is the difference between a commercial registered amanuensis and a noncommercial registered amanuensis?

Most states require nonprofit owners to provide their nonprofit'southward registered agent'due south proper noun and address when forming your nonprofit. In some states, you volition be asked whether you are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered agent. Some states refer to professional registered agents equally commercial agents and individual agents as noncommercial.