People also ask
Tennessee Rule 1360-07-03-.03 states
- The records shall be retained in a safe and secure manner, for five years following the date of the notarization.
- A backup of the electronic records shall also be maintained for five years following the date of the notarization.
- A notary can elect to store such recordings with a custodian, or a repository and such recordings may be stored separately from the journal if it is cross-referencing the place of storage and how the record is stored.
- The original records and backup shall be protected from unauthorized use.
Use this form to request that the Safe at Home Program facilitate the transfer of records from one public school to another. Safe at Home is also happy to facilitate the transfer of records to or from a private school to another school, public or private.
If you disagree with the judge’s decision in your case, you may file a Petition for Reconsideration (PFR) or an appeal. Usually, a PFR is decided by the judge who initially heard your case. If you appeal an Initial Order, the case will go back to the agency where the case started for a decision and that agency will issue a Final Order. A Final Order (whether issued by the ALJ or the agency) may be appealed through the courts, usually starting with Chancery Court. All Initial and Final Orders will have specific information about how to file a PFR or an appeal. Different cases have different rules about when and where you can file a PFR or an appeal so you MUST check the Notice of Appeal Procedures attached to your order.
If you wish to contact the ALJ assigned to your case, you may email the ALJ. However, you must also include the other parties in the case on your email. Failure to include the other parties in your email is inappropriate ex parte communications. If you do not have contact information for the ALJ assigned to your case, please contact APD.
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.
No, the State of Tennessee only offers notaries and remote online notaries.
This form should be used only by victims services professionals and other advocates who wish to be trained and certified as an Application Assistant. Please contact the Safe at Home Program directly for more information regarding upcoming training sessions or to schedule a training in your area.
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.
Use this form to let the Safe at Home Program know that you have legally changed your name. Be sure to attach documentation of the change to your submitted form. Remember that a legal change of your name must be reported to the Safe at Home Program within 10 days of the change.
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.
A fee can be required not to exceed $25 for each online notarization per Tennessee Rule 1360-07-03-.03.
Generally, hearing decisions are rendered within 90 days from the date the record closes, however, there are many exceptions based on the type of case and whether a rule or statute specifically addresses decision timelines. More specific information about when a decision will be made in your case may be discussed with the ALJ during your hearing.
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.
APD conducts hearings and mediations in all 95 counties across Tennessee. These hearings or mediations may be held in-person, by telephone conference call, or by video conferencing, depending upon the case type and the needs of the parties.
Information regarding the location for your hearing should be contained in your Notice of Hearing, Notice of Hearing and Charges, or Scheduling Order. If you cannot find that information, you can call APD to ask.
If you missed your hearing, you can contact the opposing party or APD to ask about the status of your case. As a result of your absence, the ALJ may have already ruled that you are in default and dismissed the case. Or, the ALJ may have continued the hearing to another date. Either way, you should receive a written order explaining the ALJ’s ruling. If your case has been dismissed and you want to challenge that ruling, you can file a Petition for Reconsideration, explaining why you missed the hearing.
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.
Yes, each vendor that you are utilizing their software to remotely notarize documents should be listed in your dashboard under your vendor technologies. You have the option to add new vendor technologies in your dashboard for free. The same documents are required to be uploaded.
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.
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.
Yes, as long as it was validly issued by the federal or Tennessee state government and contains the name and photograph of the voter.
APD does not offer hearings or mediations in other languages besides English nor does APD directly employ translators or interpreters. However, typically, the government agency involved in your case will provide an interpreter for a pre-hearing conference, mediation, or hearing if an interpreter is needed and requested. If you are having a hard time fully understanding all that is being discussed in your case, you should request that an interpreter be provided.
To request interpretation services, please notify the judge assigned to your case. If you do not yet have a judge assigned to your case, you can notify APD that you need translation services by emailing apd.filings@tnsos.gov or by calling 615-741-7008. Please note, if you call by telephone, APD does not have the ability to answer the call in other languages besides English.
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.
se this form to let the Safe at Home Program know about any changes in your contact information, your household composition, and more. If you have any questions about this form, please contact the Safe at Home program directly for assistance. Remember that any changes to your contact information or your application information should be reported to the Safe at Home Program within 30 days from the date the change occurred.
In accordance with Tennessee Rule 1360-07-03-.04, an online notary public shall use an electronic seal that substantially conforms to the following design: a circular, square, or rectangular seal with the notary public's name as it appears on the commission printed at the top, the county of election printed at the bottom, the words 'Tennessee Notary Public' printed in the center, and the words "Online Notary Public" printed below. The electronic seal must also be accompanied by a statement of the date upon which the online notary public's commission expires.
No, the Tennessee Secretary of State does not recommend nor endorse any third-party vendors. Whatever platform you choose should provide identity proofing, credential analysis, and storage for your video recordings of notarial acts. It should also be capable of attaching your electronic seal, electronic signature, and electronic notarial certificate to an electronic document.
Use this form to request that the Secretary of State verify your eligibility, and the eligibility of your children, for enrollment in public benefits programs or public schools. Participants should fill in their information and take this form to the public benefits agency or public school to be completed by a case manager or registrar. The form should then be submitted directly to the Safe at Home Program for verification and certification. Participants must ensure that their residential address is up to date and that the Safe at Home Program has fully verified their residential address prior to submitting the form.
In April of 2018, the Tennessee Legislature passed Senate Bill 1758 known as the “Online Notary Public Act”. This Act went in effect as of July 1, 2019. The Act defines “Online Notarization” as “a notarial act performed by means of two-way video and audio conference technology…”. This means that the notary and the principal whose signature is notarized are not in the same place but interact remotely over the internet. All regular notary rules apply to these transactions including the requirement for the notary to confirm the identity and state of mind of the principal, the voluntary nature of the act and the legality of the document. This will require online notaries to have access to significant technological resources via a contract with a third-party online notary vendor. This Act authorizes Tennessee notaries to perform remote online notarizations after the completion of an application and approval from the Tennessee Secretary of State. The steps which must be taken for a notary to perform online notarizations can be found in the Online Notary Public Guide.
This form is intended for use only by authorized administrative agency officials at either the state or local level. If you have questions regarding this form, please contact the Safe at Home Program directly.
A Notary is considered a public official and may be removed from office just as any other official. Complaints concerning official misconduct should be directed to local Law Enforcement in the county in which the Notary is elected or in which the alleged misconduct occurred.
With regard to criminal conduct of a notary, Attorney General Opinion No. 07-157 states:
"Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-7-103, the District Attorney General has the duty of prosecuting all violations of state criminal statutes which occur in his or her district. This duty includes prosecutions of criminal acts committed by notaries. A citizen who wishes to file a criminal complaint against a notary public may do so by contacting the District Attorney General of the judicial district in which the alleged criminal conduct occurred and proceeding through the complaint process."
Additionally, as explained in the above opinion of the Attorney General, a notary may be removed from office through the ouster proceedings set forth in Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-17-101.
A directory of District Attorneys can be found at Tennessee District Attorneys General Directory.
- The name of your vendor and a description of the technologies it uses to provide the services listed in the Tennessee Rules [1360-07-03-.02(h), (i), (l ), (m), (n)]
- An explanation of the method or technology you will use to maintain an electronic notary journal as required by the Rules;[1360-07-03-.03(12)]
- A copy of your unique electronic seal; [1360-07-03-.03(k)]
- A copy of your unique electronic notarial certificate or other technology for rendering a notarized electronic document tamper-evident;[1360-07-03-.04(13)]
- A copy of the instructions or techniques supplied by the vendor that allows the online notary public's electronic notarial certificate to be read and authenticated;[1360-07-03-.04(8)]
- A copy of the instructions or techniques supplied by the vendor that allow the online notary public to conduct identity proofing and credential analysis. [1360-07-03-.02(m)]
Use this form to request a contested case hearing. Participants may request a contested case hearing if they have been notified that their program participation is to be terminated, with limited exceptions, or when they have been notified that their confidential information has been requested by an administrative agency and the Secretary of State has determined that some or all of their information should be disclosed. If you think that you may want to request a contested case hearing, please contact the Safe at Home Program directly to discuss your concerns.
Generally, ALJs are initially assigned to individual cases either by rotation or randomization, depending on the case type. Those case types with a larger volume of cases before APD are randomly assigned amongst the pool of judges. For these case types, if a hearing is continued or rescheduled, the case may be reassigned to another ALJ. Case types with a smaller volume of cases before APD are assigned by rotation amongst the ALJs. If a hearing is rescheduled for one of these cases, the case usually stays with the initial ALJ.
You may represent yourself. You are not required to have an attorney and you are not entitled to have an attorney appointed for you. You may, however, hire an attorney to represent you at your own expense. Cases before APD are official legal proceedings and they can be complicated. We understand that, and we try to make the process, hearings, and orders as straightforward as possible. However, we also encourage those with complicated cases and who cannot afford an attorney to reach out to your local bar association or Legal Aid Society in your county or region. |
Regarding businesses that may be a party in a case … if you are the owner of a sole proprietorship, you may also self-represent your business. If a party in a case is a separate legal entity, such as an LLC or corporation, representatives of those business entities may testify in hearings. However, those representatives may not act as an attorney for cross-examination of witnesses, make opening or closing statements, etc.
This form should be submitted only by program participants who no longer wish to participate in the Safe at Home Program. Remember that your withdrawal request must be properly signed and notarized in order to be processed.
In e-notarization, the notarization uses digital signatures but must occur in the physical presence of the notary, similarly to a traditional/pen and paper notarization. In remote notarization, the person is not in the physical presence of the notary but is present through audio and visual equipment such as a webcam.
This form is intended for use only by authorized law enforcement officials to request disclosure of information pertaining to a program participant. If you have questions regarding this form, please contact the Safe at Home Program directly.
If you do not attend your scheduled hearing, the ALJ may rule that you are in default and dismiss the case. If you want to challenge that ruling, you can file a Petition for Reconsideration , explaining why you missed the hearing.