Tennessee business entity information, including entity name, type, control number, and registration date, is available through the Secretary of State search tool. This online database provides access to the details you need for onboarding, compliance, or business transactions.

Tennessee currently runs two search systems. TNCaB is the primary portal, and the legacy TNBear search remains live and operational, so you may encounter slightly different field labels depending on which one you use.

Summary table: finding your Tennessee entity information

The table below shows where each piece of entity information lives in Tennessee's records and what it looks like.

How to search for Tennessee business entities

Navigate to the Tennessee Business Search portal and enter your business name in the search field. The legacy TNBear filing search offers both "Starts With" and "Contains" matching, so a search there for "Music City" returns "Music City Ventures, LLC" and similar entities.

Using your complete legal name as registered gets the most precise results on either portal. Both portals include an "Active Entities Only" filter checkbox, which helps narrow results when dealing with common business names.

Click the entity name in the search results to open the Business Entity Detail page, which shows the control number in the blue heading bar and a History tab with filing dates and image numbers. Tennessee's business records also cover principal and mailing address, registered agent information, officer information, and any assumed names tied to the entity. Per the SOS business FAQ, the filing history of every business is viewable by clicking "filing history," and Tennessee does not recognize "DBAs" or fictitious names; entities instead register an "assumed name," which is good for 5 years and can be renewed.

What you'll see in search results

The TNCaB search results grid displays these columns:

• Name

• Other Names Used (assumed names)

• Control No. (nine-digit format)

• Status (Active, Inactive, Dissolved, etc.)

• Entity Type

• Registration Date

• Formed In

If your entity is an LLC, our Tennessee LLC requirements guide covers the filing specifics.

How to find your entity number in Tennessee

Your Tennessee entity number, officially called your "Secretary of State Control Number," is assigned to every corporation, limited liability company, and limited partnership formed or qualified in Tennessee, as well as to recorded registered names and reserved names. The official SOS definition describes it as a number padded with zeros to the left to reach nine digits in length, for example 000123123.

Where to locate your Tennessee control number

1. Tennessee business search (fastest method)

• Located: in the left column of search results and at the top of the Business Entity Detail form in the blue heading bar

• Labeled as: "Control No." in TNCaB and "Control #:" in TNBear

• Searchable directly, though only an exact match returns a record

2. Annual reports and SOS filings

• Required entry field when filing your annual report, per the SOS annual report instructions

• Required for assumed name filings

• Required when requesting copies or certificates; the SOS order copies guide states requests must include the control number

3. Franchise and excise tax returns

• An "SOS Control Number" field appears on the front page of the Department of Revenue's 2024 FAE170 return

• Schedule I of that return uses a "Tennessee Secretary of State Control Number" column for disregarded single-member LLCs

• Note that Department of Revenue letters use a separate Letter ID (an "L" followed by nine digits), not your SOS control number

Tennessee entity number format

• Format: exactly nine digits, purely numeric, zero-padded on the left

• Example: 000123123

How to find your entity type in Tennessee

Tennessee's registration type list covers six broad categories: limited liability company, for-profit corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, and general partnership (general partnership filings are voluntary and serve only as public notice).

Professional corporations, PLLCs, series LLCs, professional LLPs, limited liability limited partnerships, and for-profit benefit corporations are recognized under Tennessee law, though it is not independently confirmed whether TNCaB's registration type dropdown lists these as separate selections or files them under one of the six categories above.

Where to find your Tennessee entity type

1. Tennessee business search (most accessible)

• Displayed: in the "Entity Type" column of search results

• Appears in both search results and detailed entity pages

2. Your formation document

• Tennessee LLCs file Form SS-4270, the Articles of Organization

• Tennessee corporations file a Charter, not "Articles of Incorporation"

• Limited partnerships file a Certificate of Limited Partnership; LLPs file an Application for Registration

3. Annual reports

• Annual report requirements differ by entity type; see our Tennessee annual report filing guide

How to find your formation date in Tennessee

TNCaB shows a "Registration Date" for each entity in its search results grid and on the entity detail page. Official sources do not spell out whether that field carries the legal formation or effective date or the date the filing was received, so check with the Secretary of State when that difference changes the answer you need.

Where your Tennessee registration date appears

1. Tennessee business search (easiest access)

• Listed as: "Registration Date"

• Location: displayed in the search results grid and on the entity detail page

2. Filing history

• The History tab on the entity detail page shows the date and image number for the initial filing, annual reports, and amendments

3. Annual report timing (a common misconception)

• Tennessee annual report due dates run off your fiscal year, not your formation date

• Reports for LLCs and for-profit corporations are due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the entity's fiscal year, so a calendar-year entity owes its report by April 1

Formation date vs. effective date

Tennessee's formation date and effective date are typically the same unless a delayed effective date is specified. For-profit corporations may delay effectiveness up to 90 days after filing under T.C.A. § 48-11-304(b), and LLCs have the same 90-day cap under T.C.A. § 48-249-201(a). Tennessee's partnership statutes under Title 61 apply the same limit: T.C.A. § 61-1-110(b) uses nearly identical language, so a delayed effective date for a partnership filing also may not fall more than 90 days after the date the document is filed with the Secretary of State.

Track Tennessee control numbers and deadlines with Discern

Discern pulls your Tennessee entity details into a single system, so your control numbers, entity types, and registration dates are on hand whenever a filing, contract, or diligence request needs them. The platform files Tennessee annual reports with pre-filled forms and tracks deadlines so nothing slips between fiscal year end and the April 1 due date.

For teams with entities outside Tennessee, this also covers Discern's registered agent service and Discern's foreign registration services in the other states where those entities operate, filing on a recurring schedule once an entity is set up.

See how this works for a multi-state portfolio by booking a demo with Discern.

Frequently asked questions

These questions come up most often when teams pull entity details from Tennessee's records.

Is the legacy TNBear search still available?

Yes. TNCaB is the current primary system, but the legacy TNBear search page remains live. The two portals label the same fields slightly differently, such as "Control No." versus "Control #:".

How many digits is a Tennessee control number?

Nine. The state pads shorter numbers with zeros on the left, so a valid control number always reads as nine numeric digits, like 000123123. Searching by control number returns a record only on an exact match.

Does Tennessee issue Certificates of Good Standing?

Tennessee's official term is "Certificate of Existence." The fee is $20, and only active entities in good standing qualify. That requires filed formation documents, all annual reports filed, all fees paid, and confirmation from the Tennessee Department of Revenue that taxes and penalties are current.

Why does a different name show up under "Other Names Used"?

That column lists assumed names. Tennessee entities register assumed names instead of DBAs, each assumed name filing is linked to the parent entity through its control number, and registrations last 5 years before renewal.