State guides · Tennessee
How to register (and renew) a charity in Tennessee
Tennessee charitable solicitation registration is handled by the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations. Here is how the filing works, from the state’s own forms and instructions.
- Agency
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
- Forms
- An initial registration, then an annual renewal.
- How you file
- Online. Online filing has been required since October 1, 2022.
- Who signs
- Two officers, one of them the chief financial officer, e-sign through links the state emails to them. A correction sends the links again.
- What to attach
- The public copy of the Form 990, an audit above $1 million, and the IRS determination letter.
- State fee
- $50 to register. Renewals run from $0 to $240 in tiers (since July 1, 2025).
- Deadline
- Six months after your fiscal year ends.
- Audit or review
- An audit above $1 million.
- If you file late
- $25 a month.
Sources
Researched October 2026 from the agency’s forms, instructions and statutes. Fees and deadlines change; we confirm the current rules each time we file. This page describes how the filing works and is not advice on whether your organization must register.
We can file this for you
We can prepare and file your Tennessee registration and renewals for $95 a year, plus the state fee at cost. The state's own system emails your officers a signature link for each filing. We time these so they arrive in the same week, and tell you before they go out.