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The program does NOT:
- Help participants change their identities or relocate.
- Remove or delete existing public records.
- Offer legal advice.
- Relieve participants of their legal or financial responsibilities.
The Safe at Home Program will receive all first class and certified mail sent to the substitute address and then forward that mail to the participant at their designated mailing address.
A raffle is a game of chance in which a participant is required to purchase a ticket for a chance to win a prize, with the winner to be determined by random drawing.
No. Only qualified 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organizations that have applied and been approved are allowed to hold a raffle. Holding a raffle would be a violation of law and subject to criminal prosecution.
If the Secretary of State is notified of an unapproved event, the Division will notify the local district attorney general. Conducting an unapproved game of chance may be a violation of the criminal gaming statute, and local law enforcement has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the individuals responsible for the event.
Only a qualified 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organization that has submitted an application to the Division of Charitable Solicitations and Gaming and that has been approved by the Tennessee General Assembly can hold a raffle.
Raffles, reverse raffles, cakewalks, cake wheels, and bingo.
You can file form SS-4800 to change the mailing address by mail or in person. A change in Registered Agent or principal address requires filing Articles of Amendment and paying the statutory $20 filing fee. Forms can be found on our the Forms & Fees page for mail and in person filings.
Yes. The individuals who are not allowed to purchase tickets include:
- Any member of the board of directors of a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organization authorized by the general assembly to operate an annual event for such organization.
- Any officer or employee of a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organization authorized by the general assembly to operate an annual event for such organization.
- Any immediate family member residing in the same household as the board of directors or an officer/employee of the organization. (The Charitable Gaming Law defines immediate family as spouse, child, step-child, brother, sister, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent or grandparent)
- Any member of the general assembly during such member's term of office as a member of the general assembly.
- The Secretary of State or any employee of the Secretary during the Secretary's term of office and such employee's term of employment with the Secretary.
- Any vendors including employees, agents, or subcontractors (also includes immediate family members of the same household) who provide printing services, telephone services, and any records, devices, or other gaming-related supplies and those who provide prizes for the authorized annual gaming event.
An organization that fails to submit the report by 90 days will be responsible for a $10.00 per month late fee. If a report is not filed at all, action may be taken against the organization. Failure to timely file in 2 of 3 consecutive gaming event periods could result in disqualification from conducting future events.
Yes. A financial report is due 90 days after the annual event date stated in your application. If gross revenue from an event exceeds $75,000 an audited financial statement is also required. Also, organizations must return at least 25% of its gross proceeds of the event back to its stated charitable purpose or program.
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.
No. The law only allows qualified 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) organizations to hold gaming events. Political candidates and campaigns for public office are not considered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax exempt organizations.
Please contact the district attorney for the county in which you believe the game of chance is taking place or contact Charitable Solicitations at (615) 741-2555 and the Division will notify the appropriate authorities.
No. If someone is required to pay for a chance to win a prize, it is considered a raffle. Only qualified and approved 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) organizations may hold a raffle. It does not matter that the payment is called a “donation.”
Organizations with an approved gaming event can begin selling tickets 120 days before the event.
Poker games and/or tournaments, pull-tabs, punchboards, video lottery games, instant and online lottery games, keno, and games of chance associated with casinos including, but not limited to slot machines, roulette wheels, and the like. Events such as bingo or “casino nights” that are purely recreational in nature and in which participants are not required to pay to participate with the promise of a prize, jackpot, or “winner-takes-all” would not fall into this category.
Yes, however each participating organization must file an application and each pay the required fee. All applicants must qualify. If one organization fails to qualify, then participants will be rejected.
The Office of the Secretary of State has developed an application form that must be used to apply for the program, which captures all required information and must be completed with the assistance of a Certified Application Assistant, who must also sign the application. The application must be submitted to the Safe at Home Program by a certified application assistant.
For more information see our Applicant Guide.
The nonprofit must file a notice with the Division stating the reason less than 25% was returned to its charitable purpose or program. If this happens in two (2) consecutive years, the nonprofit will be disqualified from applying or holding future gaming events for a period of five (5) years.
Program Participants are not subject to selection for state or municipal jury duty. T.C.A. § 40-38-607.
Program participants should not appear on state or municipal jury selection lists. If a program participant is selected for jury service, the summoning court should excuse the program participant.
If a program participant receives a jury summons for either state or municipal jury duty, the Participant must notify the summoning court of the participant's exempt status and provide a copy of the Participant's Certificate of Program Participation, if requested.
Participants may not fail to respond to a jury summons.
Certified Application Assistants work with various state and local agencies and/or nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic abuse and other crimes. At list of Certified Application Assistants can be found here. Safe at Home is most effective as part of an overall safety plan. Additional information regarding safety plans can be found here.
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.
Yes, however, in the case of events to which tickets are being donated to a charitable organization, the professional solicitor is responsible for attaining a written commitment from the charitable organization stating that they will accept donated tickets and specifying the number of tickets they are willing to accept. No more contributions for donated tickets that will be accepted may be solicited by the professional solicitor.
"Professional solicitor" means any person who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of, a charitable organization, whether such solicitation is performed personally or through such person's agents, servants or employees or through agents, servants or employees specially employed by or for a charitable organization, who are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the direction of such person, or a person who plans, conducts, manages, carries on or advises a charitable organization in connection with the solicitation of contributions. Any independent marketing agent or entity to whom a professional solicitor assigns fundraising or solicitation responsibilities shall be deemed to be a professional solicitor for purposes of this part. A salaried officer or permanent employee of a charitable organization is not deemed to be a professional solicitor. However, any salaried officer or employee of a charitable organization that engages in the solicitation of contributions for compensation in any manner for more than one (1) charitable organization is deemed a professional solicitor. A professional solicitor does not include an attorney, investment counselor, or banker who in the conduct of such person's profession advises a client. See T.C.A. §48-101-501(7).
The Division of Charitable Solicitations and Gaming maintains a list of approved events on its website at Gaming Events.
Raffles and games of chance are considered gambling, which is prohibited in Tennessee. However, certain charitable organizations are allowed to apply to have one raffle, reverse raffle, cakewalk or cakewheel each year if that event is conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Tennessee Charitable Gaming Implementation Law.
An Administrative dissolution occurs for the following reasons:
- Failure to file an annual report
- Being without a registered agent
- A foreign entity fails to maintain its assumed name due to a name conflict
- Returned payment by a financial institution
A certificate of existence is a document issued by our office that certifies that an entity is active and in good standing.