Tennessee assumed name filing guide

Tennessee's official term for this filing is an assumed name.

The Secretary of State defines it as a name other than the true entity name under which a business conducts business, and the office is explicit that Tennessee does not recognize "DBAs" (doing business as) or fictitious names as separate concepts — the assumed name registration is the only state-level filing of this kind.

The registration is handled entirely at the state level by the Division of Business Services of the Tennessee Secretary of State in Nashville; there is no county-level assumed name filing in the Secretary of State's materials.

The filing is designed for registered business entities: the Application for Registration of Assumed Name (Form SS-4402) states that the assumed name must meet the requirements of T.C.A. § 48-14-101 of the Tennessee Business Corporation Act, T.C.A. § 48-249-106 of the Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, or T.C.A. § 61-3-112 of the Tennessee Uniform Limited Partnership Act of 2017.

An assumed name registration is good for 5 years and can be renewed.

Sole proprietorships and general partnerships are not covered by this entity-level filing: the Secretary of State's General Partnerships forms list contains no assumed name form, and the FAQ frames the filing in terms of a true entity name.

The form for a new registration is the Application for Registration of Assumed Name, Form SS-4402, published by the Division of Business Services with a stated filing fee of $20.00.

The application asks for the entity's true name and Secretary of State control number, its state or country of formation, and the assumed name the entity proposes to use.

The instructions offer three submission paths.

E-filing is available at https://tncab.tnsos.gov/, the Secretary of State's online business filing portal; the office has offered online assumed name filings and renewals since 2015, and its announcement explains that the online tool lets you pay online and complete the filing, or print the completed form and mail it with a check.

For a paper filing, the instructions direct filers to use the online tool at tncab.tnsos.gov to complete and print the form, or to request a blank form by emailing the Secretary of State.

Walk-in submission is also accepted, and the instructions warn that forms that are inaccurate, incomplete, or illegible will be rejected.

The form's address block is 312 Rosa L.

Parks Avenue, Nashville, TN 37243-1102, with the Division reachable at (615) 741-2286.

The Business Forms & Fees schedule lists the same $20 fee for the related change, renewal, and cancellation applications.

According to the Secretary of State's FAQ, an assumed name registration is good for 5 years and can be renewed.

Renewal uses the Application for Renewal of Registration of Assumed Name, Form SS-4481, listed on the Business Forms & Fees schedule at $20; the schedule styles it "Assumed Corporate Name" for corporations and lists it for limited liability companies as well.

If the assumed name itself changes, the office provides the Application for Change of Assumed Name, Form SS-4403, at $20.

To end a registration, corporations use the Application for Cancellation of Assumed Corporate Name, Form SS-4405, at $20, while limited liability companies use the combined Application for Change or Cancellation of Assumed Limited Liability Company Name, Form SS-4229, also $20.

All of these forms are listed alongside the original SS-4402 application on the same Business Forms & Fees page, and the online filing service handles renewals as well as new registrations.

The consulted pages do not describe a deadline for filing a change or cancellation, so no deadline is stated here.

Start with the free official path: read the Secretary of State's assumed-name FAQ, then download Form SS-4402 and its instructions from the Business Forms & Fees page, or file directly through the state's online portal at https://tncab.tnsos.gov/.

Budget the stated $20.00 filing fee, and note that the instructions mention a convenience fee when paying by credit card, debit card, or e-check.

Before filing, confirm your entity's true name and Secretary of State control number, since the form asks for both.

If you operate as a sole proprietor or general partnership, be aware that the Secretary of State describes this registration in terms of business entities and states that Tennessee does not recognize DBAs; check with the Division of Business Services at (615) 741-2286 if your situation is unclear.

Paid help is optional, and this site does not handle filings.