Does Tennessee have a Certificate of Formation?
No. Tennessee does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. To create an LLC you file Articles of Organization (Form SS-4270) with the Tennessee Secretary of State, at $50 per member with a $300 minimum. Certificate of Formation is the term used in Texas, Delaware, Washington, and New Jersey.
How Tennessee compares
- Tennessee
- $50
- Rank
- 6 of 11 states, lowest to highest
- Median
- $50 - Tennessee sits exactly at it
- Range
- $40 (Kentucky) to $500 (Massachusetts)
Quick facts
- Tennessee term
- Articles of Organization (LLC) - no "Certificate of Formation"
- LLC form
- Form SS-4270 - $50/member, $300 minimum, Secretary of State
- Corporation form
- Charter (Form SS-4417) - $100
- Where "Certificate of Formation" applies
- Texas, Delaware, Washington, New Jersey
- Certificate of existence
- Proof of good standing - $20, does not create the entity
- File through
- Business Services Online (Secretary of State)
The same question in every other state
This requirement is set at state level, so the answer changes when you cross a state line. Below is how 27 other states answer the same question, each linked to the page that cites the agency it came from. The full breakdown is on How to Form an LLC.
| State | Answer |
|---|---|
| Arizona | No. Arizona does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| California | No. California does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Colorado | No. Colorado does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Connecticut | No. Connecticut does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Florida | No. Florida does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Idaho | Not by that name. Idaho's LLC formation document is called the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. |
| Iowa | No. Iowa does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Kentucky | No. Kentucky forms an LLC by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State for a $40 fee. |
| Louisiana | No. Louisiana does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Maryland | No. Maryland does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Massachusetts | No. Massachusetts does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Michigan | No. Michigan does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Minnesota | No. Minnesota does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Missouri | No. Missouri does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| Nevada | No. Nevada does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New Mexico | No. New Mexico does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
| New York | No. New York does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Ohio | No. Ohio does not use the term Certificate of Formation. |
| Oklahoma | No. Oklahoma does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Oregon | No. Oregon does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation' for LLCs. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Pennsylvania does not use a Certificate of Formation. |
| South Carolina | No. South Carolina does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| Utah | No. Utah does not use the term 'Certificate of Formation.' The document that forms a Utah LLC is the Certificate of Organization, filed with the Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code under Utah Code ยง 48-3a-201. |
| Vermont | No. Vermont creates an LLC through Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State under 11 V.S.A. |
| Virginia | No. Virginia does not use the term Certificate of Formation for LLCs. |
| West Virginia | No. West Virginia LLCs file Articles of Organization on Form LLD-1 with the Secretary of State. |
| Wisconsin | No. Wisconsin does not use a document called a Certificate of Formation. |
Full context for Tennessee
This page answers one question. The complete Tennessee guide -- covering the surrounding requirements, the forms, the agency, and what happens if you get it wrong -- is at Tennessee Certificate of Formation: What to File (2026).
Sources
- https://sos.tn.gov/businesses/services/business-forms-fees
- https://sos.tn.gov/businesses/faqs/what-is-the-required-filing-fee
- https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-48/limited-liability-companies/chapter-249/part-2/section-48-249-202/
- https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms_boc.shtml
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/limited-liability-company-llc
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