People also ask
Vital records document significant life events. Vital records include:
- Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Certificates
- Birth Certificates
- Death Certificates
The Tennessee Health Department’s Office of Vital Records reviews, registers, amends, issues and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that occur in Tennessee in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated.
- Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
- Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243 - Phone: (615) 741-1763 or (866) 233-0740
- Website: Tennessee Office of Vital Records
You will need:
- Proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate), and
- Two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, a utility bill, vehicle registration or title, or bank statement).
- If your name differs from that on your primary ID, proof of the changed name (such as a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, etc.)
Learn more about the required documents at the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page.
The Secretary of State’s Absentee By-Mail Ballot Status Tracker tool allows voters to track the status of their absentee by-mail ballot.
You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.). Hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted.
Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day must bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. A driver's license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, by Tennessee state government or by the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.
Learn more about what types of ID are acceptable here or call the Division of Elections at 1-877-850-4959.
“Public record or records’ or ‘state record or records’ means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, microfilms, electronic data processing files and output, films, sound recordings, or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any governmental agency.” T.C.A. § 10-7-301(6)
The test for determining whether a record is public is “whether it was made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any governmental agency.” Griffin v. City of Knoxville, 821 S.W. 2d 921, 924 (Tenn. 1991).
Visit the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Driver Service Center Locations page for information about locations and hours, closure advisories, and self-service kiosks and online renewal.
No. If you already have a valid government-issued photo ID for voting purposes, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security will not issue a free photo ID to you.
You may obtain a free photo ID to vote from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security at any participating driver service center across the state. You may use the “express service” line at the driver service center to obtain your photo ID to minimize wait times. Visit the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page for more information.
Yes. If you cannot afford a copy of the documents required to obtain a free photo ID, you may sign a form stating under oath that you are indigent and have been unable to obtain an acceptable photo ID for voting without paying a fee.
Find your early voting and Election Day polling place and hours in the GoVoteTN app.
If you don’t bring a photo ID, you will vote a provisional ballot. You will then have two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election commission office to show a valid photo ID. Upon returning to the election commission office, the voter will sign an affidavit and a copy of the voter’s photo ID will be made to be reviewed by the counting board.
A History of Tennessee – Student Edition can be found at www.tnsoshistory.com.
No, but if you do not have another form of valid photo ID, the Department of Safety and Homeland Security will reissue your license with your photo for free upon request.
After bills are passed by the General Assembly, they are signed by both Speakers and the Governor. Our office is tasked with chaptering and posting these online.
Once a bill is received by our office, it may take a day or so to get it posted online. Acts and resolutions from the most recent General Assembly, as well as previous sessions, can be found here.
You can view the status of a bill by visiting the General Assembly’s website here.
Yes, as long as it was validly issued by the federal or Tennessee state government and contains the name and photograph of the voter.
Once receiving a private act from the General Assembly, our office will mail a certified copy to the local governing body the act applies to. This will also include instructions on how to notify the Secretary of State of the outcome once voted on by the local government.
Private Acts can also be found on our Acts and Resolutions homepage.
If you are unsure or have questions about your photo ID, contact your county election commission or the Division of Elections at 1-877-850-4959.
The Tennessee Blue Book is published every two years. The 2021–2022 Tennessee Blue Book will be released in Spring 2022.
No, Tennessee Blue Books are free to Tennessee residents
The Tennessee Blue Book is a great resource for teachers and students alike.
Digital versions of the Tennessee Blue Book can be found here.
There is also a Student Edition site targeted towards Tennessee history www.tnsoshistory.com/
The Records Management Division (RMD) was established by Tennessee Code Annotated 10-7-303 to assist state agencies in establishing systematic controls for the efficient use and sound preservation of state records. The Division serves as the primary records management agency for the state of Tennessee and provides professional consultative and analytical records management leadership to agencies. This guidance aids in the appropriate development, utilization, disposition, retention, and destruction of records.
The Records Management Division is further directed by the Public Records Commission (PRC) to serve as administrative liaison between state agencies and the PRC; to establish procedural guidelines for paper and electronic records oversight and retention; and to coordinate efforts supporting the state's Paperwork Reduction and Simplification Act of 1976 (TCA 4-25-101).
What is the Records Disposition Authorizations process?
Records Disposition Authorizations (RDAs) are record retention guides state agencies follow to maintain their records properly. The Records Management Division oversees the records management process. The Secretary of State’s office online RDA filing system provides users with an easy way to filter, search, and find RDAs and provides retention and destruction method information. Click here to search all effective RDAs.
Lesson plans are available here and are broken down by grade level.
For additional resources, you can visit the Tennessee State Library & Archives Education Outreach page.
Tennessee Blue Books are subject to availability to out-of-state residents and may not be readily available upon initial release.
Please note if you live out-of-state and fill out a request form online, your request may be delayed to ensure availability to Tennessee citizens. Since the Tennessee Blue Book is released in the spring, we recommend waiting until the end of the year to inquire about availability.
State agencies are required by law, T.C.A 10-7-503(a)(2)(B), to have a designated Public Records Request Coordinator. This person is the designated contact for receiving public records requests. Contact the appropriate agency’s coordinator to request access to that agency’s records. If you have further questions or need additional assistance, contact: Office of Open Records Counsel
- Phone: (615) 401-7891
- Open.records@cot.tn.gov
- http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/openrecords/