What it takes to legally operate in Tennessee. Add your city for local permits.
1 item below — add your city to check local permits, and we're still verifying. We show what we've confirmed and flag what we haven't rather than guess.
Formation & federal100% verified
Form an LLC (or operate as a sole proprietor)Depends on your situation
Tennessee LLC filing fee ~$300
$300From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
$300 · annualFrom our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
Tennessee taxes100% verified
Sales / use tax registrationDepends on your situation
Tennessee has a sales tax
From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
State income taxNot required
Tennessee: no personal income tax
From our reference data — confirm on the official siteOfficial source ↗
Licenses100% verified
Videography occupational licenseDepends on your situation
No license for the work itself; FAA Part 107 is required for commercial drone footage. Deliverable licensing and usage rights should be spelled out in every contract.
Verified against the official source · Sep 2026
Local permits0% verified
Local permitsNot yet verified
Local permits (zoning, home occupation, signage, health) are set by your city/county — tell us your city for specifics.
Not yet verified — check the official source
Insurance0% verified
General liability insuranceRecommended
General liability insurance is recommended for most service businesses.
Not yet verified — check the official source
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