Celina · Upper Cumberland
Starting a business in Clay County.
Where to go, what it costs, and what is particular to Clay rather than true everywhere. The rules are Tennessee’s; the office, the hours and the number of licences are local.
Where you go
Clay County Clerk
Donna R. Watson
145 Cordell Hull Drive, Celina, TN 38551
Post: PO Box 218, Celina, TN 38551
Open: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8am to 4pm; Sat 8am to noon; closed Wed
What it costs in Clay
$15county licence only
$15 to the county clerk, and that is the whole of it. Celina does not levy a city business tax, which makes Clay cheaper to start in than most of the region.
The $15 is set by state law, so it is the same in every Tennessee county. You need it once you expect more than $3,000 a year.
Worth knowing: Celina does not levy a city business tax, so inside Celina it is one licence, not two. Closed Wednesdays.
The rest of it is the same everywhere
Choosing between a sole proprietorship and an LLC, registering with the Secretary of State, sales tax, and the order to do it all in are Tennessee-wide rather than Clay-specific. The full guide covers them, including why an LLC costs $300 rather than the hundred or so most people expect.
Read the full guideWe serve Clay County
The Biz Foundry is a non-profit in Cookeville and coaching is free across all fourteen Upper Cumberland counties, in person or over video. There is no office in Celina; there is a person who will talk to you about Celina.
Book a free session →Checked against official county and state sources on September 17, 2026. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.