Tennessee ranks 8th out of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) for how easy, fast and affordable it is to get certified birth, marriage, divorce and death records.
Cost#11 (tie)of 51
Speed#1of 51
Ease of ordering#19of 51
Birth certificates #7 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3 days; mail: 3 days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–1.5 weeks online (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1908
Marriage records #13 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3 days; mail: 3 days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–1.5 weeks online (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
The state holds the last 50 years (older records at the Tennessee State Library and Archives); also from the county clerk
Divorce records #8 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3 days; mail: 3 days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–1.5 weeks online (estimate)
Where to order
State vital records office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
The state holds the last 50 years; full decrees from the court clerk
Death certificates #8 of 51
Cost
$15 first copy, $15 each extra copy
Processing time
Online: 3 days; mail: 3 days; in person: same day
Time until the copy is in hand
About 1–1.5 weeks online (estimate)
Where to order
State office or a local county office
Order online
Yes, through the state’s approved vendor, for an extra fee
Records available
State records from 1908
Note: These rankings were done on . Prices, processing times and ordering rules may have changed since then, so check with the issuing office before you order. Times marked “estimate” add typical mail delivery to the office’s posted processing time. “Not published” means the office does not post that detail.
How to order Tennessee birth, death, marriage and divorce records
How do I get a Tennessee birth certificate?
A certified Tennessee birth certificate costs $15 per copy. You can get one the same day at the state Office of Vital Records in Nashville, or apply at any county health department, which can issue any Tennessee birth certificate. Mail and online orders take about 3 days to process.
Tennessee birth records: ordering details
Who can order
The person named, their mother, father, son, daughter, husband or wife. A father not listed on the certificate is not entitled to it. Legal guardians, legal representatives and attorneys can order with documentation, as can others with a notarized letter from an entitled person. See the entitlement guidelines.
Fee
$15 for each certified copy, including additional copies. If no record is found, you get a certified no-record letter for the same fee. Online orders through VitalChek add VitalChek’s own fees, shown at checkout.
How to order
County health department:any county health department can issue any birth certificate registered statewide; bring ID and the fee. In person: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Pkwy., Nashville, TN 37243 (entrance on Rosa Parks Blvd.), Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No appointment needed; pay by cash, check, card or money order. By mail: the Application for Certificate of Birth (PH-1654), a copy of a signed government ID (or a notarized application), and a check or money order payable to “Tennessee Vital Records” to the same address. Online:VitalChek, the only official online vendor.
ID needed
One of: a current driver’s license, current passport, military ID, resident card, employment authorization card, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Or two of: a pay stub or W-2, vehicle registration, voter card, DD-214, a utility bill or bank statement with your current address, a health insurance card, and others on the ID list. A signed, notarized application needs no other ID. For a newborn, the mother’s hospital-issued copy of the birth certificate (dated within the last two years) can serve as ID.
Processing time
In person: same day. Mail: about 3 days. Online: about 3 days (state processing times as of June 23, 2026; they change with volume). Delivery time is extra. Estimate: about 1–1.5 weeks to have it in hand by mail or online.
Older and local records
Tennessee began statewide birth records in 1908. The Office of Vital Records keeps birth records for 100 years and then sends them to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, which holds births for 1908–1912 and 1914–1925, plus delayed birth certificates for 1869–1925. For births from 1926 on, contact Vital Records. Some cities kept earlier records (Nashville and Knoxville from 1881, Chattanooga from 1879, Memphis from 1874).
Tip: Skip the trip to Nashville. Any county health department in Tennessee can issue your birth certificate, no matter which county you were born in.
A certified Tennessee death certificate costs $15 per copy, with or without the cause of death. Any county health department can issue any Tennessee death certificate registered statewide, and the state office in Nashville issues them the same day in person. Mail and online orders take about 3 days to process.
Tennessee death records: ordering details
Who can order
Without cause of death: the mother, father, son, daughter, husband or wife; funeral directors when the copy goes to the funeral home; and beneficiaries, executors, legal guardians, legal representatives and attorneys with documentation. With cause of death: the same family members, and others only with documents showing the cause of death is needed for a legal right or claim, or a court order. See the entitlement guidelines.
Fee
$15 for each certified copy, including additional copies. If no record is found, you get a certified no-record letter for the same fee. Online orders through VitalChek add VitalChek’s own fees, shown at checkout.
How to order
County health department:any county health department can issue any death certificate registered statewide. In person: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Pkwy., Nashville, TN 37243 (entrance on Rosa Parks Blvd.), Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No appointment needed; pay by cash, check, card or money order. By mail: the Application for Certified Copy of Certificate of Death (PH-1663), a copy of a signed government ID (or a notarized application), and a check or money order payable to “Tennessee Vital Records” to the same address. Online:VitalChek, the only official online vendor.
ID needed
One of: a current driver’s license, current passport, military ID, resident card, employment authorization card, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Or two of: a pay stub or W-2, vehicle registration, voter card, DD-214, a utility bill or bank statement with your current address, a health insurance card, and others on the ID list. A signed, notarized application needs no other ID.
Processing time
In person: same day. Mail: about 3 days. Online: about 3 days (state processing times as of June 23, 2026; they change with volume). Delivery time is extra. Estimate: about 1–1.5 weeks to have it in hand by mail or online.
Older and local records
The Office of Vital Records keeps death records for 50 years; older records go to the Tennessee State Library and Archives, which holds deaths for 1908–1912 and 1914–1975. There are no statewide death records for 1913. For deaths from 1976 on, contact Vital Records.
Tip: Ask for the copy with cause of death if it’s for life insurance or benefits; others may only qualify for the version without it.
A certified Tennessee marriage certificate costs $15 per copy from the state Office of Vital Records in Nashville, in person (same day), by mail or online through VitalChek. The state holds marriages from the last 50 years; older marriages are at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Tennessee marriage records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
The state issues a certified copy of the Certificate of Marriage, which is not a copy of the marriage license. Verified information about a marriage is also available for $15.
Who can order
The people named, their mother, father, son or daughter. Legal guardians, legal representatives and attorneys can order with documentation. See the entitlement guidelines.
Fee
$15 for each certified copy, including additional copies. If no record is found, you get a certified no-record letter for the same fee. Online orders through VitalChek add VitalChek’s own fees, shown at checkout.
How to order
In person: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Pkwy., Nashville, TN 37243 (entrance on Rosa Parks Blvd.), Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No appointment needed; pay by cash, check, card or money order. By mail: the Application for Certified Copy of Certificate of Marriage (PH-1670), a copy of a signed government ID (or a notarized application), and a check or money order payable to “Tennessee Vital Records” to the same address. Online:VitalChek, the only official online vendor.
ID needed
One of: a current driver’s license, current passport, military ID, resident card, employment authorization card, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Or two of: a pay stub or W-2, vehicle registration, voter card, DD-214, a utility bill or bank statement with your current address, a health insurance card, and others on the ID list. A signed, notarized application needs no other ID.
Processing time
In person: same day. Mail: about 3 days. Online: about 3 days (state processing times as of June 23, 2026; they change with volume). Delivery time is extra. Estimate: about 1–1.5 weeks to have it in hand by mail or online.
Older records
Vital Records has marriages from 1976 on. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has a statewide index for July 1, 1945–December 31, 1975, and county marriage records from earlier years (counties were required to record marriages from 1838).
Tip: For a marriage from 1945 to 1975, have the groom’s name ready. The State Library and Archives’ statewide index for those years is arranged by the groom’s name.
A certified Tennessee divorce certificate costs $15 per copy from the state Office of Vital Records in Nashville, in person (same day), by mail or online through VitalChek. It is not a copy of the decree; for the full decree, contact the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.
Tennessee divorce records: ordering details
Certified copy vs. verification
The state issues a certified copy of the Certificate of Divorce or Annulment, which is not a copy of the divorce decree. The decree is a court record.
Who can order
The people named, their mother, father, son or daughter. Legal guardians, legal representatives and attorneys can order with documentation. See the entitlement guidelines.
Fee
$15 for each certified copy, including additional copies. If no record is found, you get a certified no-record letter for the same fee. Online orders through VitalChek add VitalChek’s own fees, shown at checkout. Decree copies: set by the court clerk.
How to order
In person: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Pkwy., Nashville, TN 37243 (entrance on Rosa Parks Blvd.), Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–4 p.m. No appointment needed; pay by cash, check, card or money order. By mail: the Application for Certified Copy of Certificate of Divorce or Annulment (PH-1671), a copy of a signed government ID (or a notarized application), and a check or money order payable to “Tennessee Vital Records” to the same address. Online:VitalChek, the only official online vendor. Decree: the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.
ID needed
One of: a current driver’s license, current passport, military ID, resident card, employment authorization card, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship. Or two of: a pay stub or W-2, vehicle registration, voter card, DD-214, a utility bill or bank statement with your current address, a health insurance card, and others on the ID list. A signed, notarized application needs no other ID.
Processing time
In person: same day. Mail: about 3 days. Online: about 3 days (state processing times as of June 23, 2026; they change with volume). Delivery time is extra. Estimate: about 1–1.5 weeks to have it in hand by mail or online.
Older records
Vital Records has divorces from 1976 on. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has a statewide divorce index for July 1, 1945–December 31, 1975, and can search county records for earlier divorces, which were heard in Circuit or Chancery Court.
Tip: The $15 state certificate is not the decree. If you need the full terms of the divorce, order the decree from the court clerk instead.
Note: Fees, processing times and rules are set by the issuing offices and can change. Times are estimates. Check with the office before you order. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
Other records
Other Tennessee records people search for
Official Tennessee sites for other common lookups. Some records are kept by counties or carry fees; the note on each line says so.
Official Tennessee sites for other records
Court case lookup
Tennessee State Courts There is no statewide trial case search; records are kept by each county court clerk.
Note: Links go to official state sites or services the state designates. Access rules, fees and coverage are set by each office and can change. PublicLibraries.com is not a government agency.
About Tennessee public records
Certificate Information
The Tennessee Office of Vital Records is one of the few state agencies that archives and maintains the original birth, death,
marriage and divorce records. Records can be requested in person, by mail or online. Local county offices may have computer
systems that issue short form certificates for all vital records.
Short form copies cost $8 dollars and $5 dollars each additional copy. Long form copies are $15 and $5 dollars each additional
copy. Some records before 1949 are not available in short copy.
Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Central Services Building
421 Fifth Avenue, North
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-1763
Adoption records are available for indentifying information by eligible persons. All sealed records and post adoption records
are available with a court order.
Department of Children's Services
Cordell Hull Building
Nashville, TN 37243
615-532-5637
Most of the large counties in Tennessee have online tools to search parcel information such as GIS data maps, treasurer and
appraisal information as well as other property data. The state Comptroller of the Treasury also maintains detailed information
such as property address, sales records, gis map location, and building information.
