How to Look Up an LLC in Tennessee: Search, Status, and Records

You can run a Tennessee LLC lookup for free through the Secretary of State’s Business Entity Search, which returns the company’s current status, registered agent, formation date, and principal office address in seconds. No account or login is required, and the database is open to anyone.¹

How to Run the Search

Go to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website and open the Business Entity Search link, hosted by the Business Services Division. You can search by business name or by control number, the unique eight- or nine-digit identifier the state assigns to every registered entity. If you have the control number, use it: that is the fastest way to land on the exact record, especially when several companies share similar names.

If you only know the name, you don’t need the full legal version. A single keyword from the title is enough to get started. The tool gives you three match options:

Starts With returns every entity whose name begins with the text you entered. Use it when you’re unsure of the exact legal name.
Exact Match returns only an entity whose name matches your entry word-for-word. Use it when you know the full legal name.
Contains returns any entity with your keyword anywhere in its name. Use it when you only remember one word from the company’s title.

Pick a match type, enter the name or control number, and click search. If the results list several entries, click the entity name or control number of the one you want to open its full record.¹

What the Results Tell You

Each record pulls together the data points the LLC has filed with the state. The fields you’ll see include:

Status: Active, Dissolved, or Terminated. Active means the LLC has met its filing obligations and is authorized to do business. Dissolved or Terminated means it has lost that authority.
Formation date: when the LLC was originally created with the Secretary of State.
Principal office address: the LLC’s main business address on file.¹
Registered agent: the person or company designated to accept legal documents for the LLC. Tennessee requires every LLC to maintain a registered agent with a physical Tennessee address, not a P.O. box.²
Management structure: whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed, along with the names of the managers or members listed in the filings.

What a Dissolved or Terminated Status Means

If the record shows dissolved or terminated, the company is no longer authorized to conduct business in Tennessee. The most common cause is administrative dissolution, which happens when an LLC fails to file its required annual report or fails to maintain a registered agent in the state. Annual reports are due by April 1 each year, so a status change in the spring usually traces back to a missed filing.

If you’re checking on someone else’s LLC and see this status, treat it as a warning. The company may not have the legal authority to enter into enforceable contracts, and its members may face personal exposure for obligations incurred after dissolution. The owners can restore the LLC by filing an Application for Reinstatement with the Secretary of State for $70, after obtaining tax clearance from the Tennessee Department of Revenue.³ Until that happens, the status in the lookup won’t change.

When You Need an Official Document

The on-screen results are fine for quick reference, but banks opening business accounts, courts, and other states processing foreign qualification applications typically want formal documentation rather than a screenshot.

Certificate of Existence

A Certificate of Existence, also called a Certificate of Good Standing, is an official statement from the Secretary of State confirming the LLC is properly formed and compliant with state requirements. You can request one online, by mail, or in person for $20.⁴ Online requests can be paid for and received electronically.⁵

Certified Copies of Filings

You can also order certified copies of specific documents on file, such as the LLC’s original articles of organization or amendments. The fee is $20 per set. You’ll need the LLC’s control number, its legal name as it appears in state records, and the specific documents you want.⁵ Certified copies carry the Secretary of State’s official seal and can be used as self-authenticating evidence in court proceedings; a plain printout from the website generally cannot.

What the Lookup Won’t Show

The search won’t reveal every person who owns a stake in the LLC. Tennessee’s public business database shows only what was included in the company’s formation documents and annual reports, which means members and managers are listed but silent owners typically aren’t. Under the federal Corporate Transparency Act, domestic LLCs were originally required to report their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, but as of March 2025, all entities formed in the United States are exempt from that reporting requirement.⁶ If you need a complete ownership picture, the state lookup alone won’t get you there.

1
Tennessee Secretary of State. Search
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Tennessee Secretary of State. Search Results and FAQs
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Tennessee Secretary of State. Application for Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution or Revocation
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Tennessee Secretary of State. Business Forms and Fees
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Tennessee Secretary of State. Order Copies and Certificates
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Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting