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A Certificate of Authority to transact business in Tennessee may be filed online or by paper if your Corporation, Nonprofit Corporation, or Limited Liability Company was formed in another state. Foreign Limited Liability Partnership and Foreign Limited Partnerships must be filed by paper. All paper forms can be found on our Business Forms and Fee page.
RDA means “Records Disposition Authorization”. A Records Disposition Authorization (RDA) defines the proper storage and disposal method for a State record series. It includes a description of the record series, a retention schedule, destruction method, and other information.
You may obtain Form #SS-4507, Application for Certification of Municipal Clerks & Recorders and Continuing Education Credit, from our website or upon request from our office.
For certification, the application must be accompanied by a copy of the certificate(s) from the institution(s) at which the qualifications were completed. The certificate(s) (other than a degree) should indicate the number of hours completed. If credit is claimed for job-related seminars, then documents must also be submitted outlining seminar content.
For continuing education credit, the application must be accompanied by a copy of the certificate(s) of attendance and a statement as to the number of credit hours completed. If credit is claimed for job-related seminars, then documents must also be submitted outlining seminar content. Please note that the Division of Business Services does not pre-certify seminars for content applicability or for applicable credit hours. Applications are accepted by mail, fax or in person. Upon receipt and approval of an application, the Division of Business Services will issue to the applicant a certificate confirming the certification or continuing education credit.
A municipality with a population of 1,500 or more according to the 1990 Federal Census or any subsequent Federal Census, which employs an officer or employee responsible for exercising any of the duties of Municipal Clerk & Recorder, must have at least one certified person. For other municipalities, certification is optional.
Tennessee has a replevin law that provides for the restoration of alienated public records to their rightful custodians. Law enforcement authorities can reclaim these documents without any compensation to the would-be private owner. Contact TSLA if you have knowledge of the whereabouts of misplaced public records, or if you would like to report a lost or stolen public record. We can offer advice on how to proceed. We generally advise callers to contact their county attorney, county sheriff, or county archivist, depending on the unique circumstances of each county. Even though it is up to law enforcement authorities to prosecute theft, we have been able to aid several Tennessee counties in recovering their lost or stolen public records.
Staff members at TSLA's Archives Development Program will work with you to determine whether items are, indeed, government records that belong in a state or county archive. By avoiding the purchase of stolen records on eBay or through other auctions, you will ultimately save time, the loss of your money, and potential lawsuits. It will also ensure that we, as Tennessee citizens, continue to have access to the records of our own government.
f you are a document collector, dealer, or staff member at an archives, library, historical society, or museum, you can:
- avoid buying, selling, or trading in lost or stolen Tennessee public records.
- identify lost or stolen public records and report them to the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Sometimes, collectors like to obtain records relating to, for example, Civil War history or African-American slavery. For more information about the nationwide interest in these items, see our article on "eBay Sales of Public Records."
In some cases, well-meaning citizens have "saved" their county records from destruction or neglect years ago. In other cases, county archives did not exist, and the records were long stored in private hands. Now, however, most counties have a safe place to store county records, and the items need to be returned to their proper location. Please contact TSLA if you need help getting in touch with the proper state or county official in order to return public records in someone's possession.
To retain certification, a certified person is required to attend a minimum of 18 hours of continuing education courses every 3 years. This requirement may be met by attending a minimum of 18 credit hours from any of the following or combination thereof, provided that the hours were not used to complete the required hours of education for certification:
- The Academy for Advanced Education (U.T.);
- The International Institute of Municipal Clerks annual conference or state, provincial or regional clerks meetings;
- Seminars conducted by the Tennessee Municipal League;
- Leadership and Technical Programs (U.T. Municipal Training); or
- Job-related seminars.
- Any person who is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and who satisfies continuing legal education requirements
- Any person who has been appointed or is acting in the capacity of a city manager or administrator and who possesses a M.A. degree in public administration
- Any person who is a certified public accountant holding a certificate as provided in Section 62-1-106 or Section 6-1-107
- Any person who has served as both a city judge and city recorder for at least 25 years
To be certified, a person must obtain certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks or must complete a minimum of 100 credit hours from any of the following or combination thereof:
- The Municipal Clerks Institute (U.T.);
- The U.T. Center for Government Training
- Seminars conducted by the Tennessee Municipal League;
- Leadership and Technical Programs (U.T. Municipal Training);
- Job-related seminars; or
- An A.A. or A.S. degree (maximum credit of 25 hours) or a B.A. or B.S. degree (maximum credit of 50 hours), provided that credit will be given for only one degree.