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Vital records document significant life events. Vital records include:
- Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Certificates
- Birth Certificates
- Death Certificates
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.
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
“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).
- A nonresident fiduciary is a person who does not reside in Tennessee, or a bank or trust company not authorized to do business in Tennessee, that is appointed by will, deed, trust agreement, court order or otherwise to serve as trustee of a corporate or personal trust, personal representative of an estate, guardian, conservator for an incompetent person, guardian for a minor or in any other fiduciary capacity.
- Only certain types of individuals, banks or trust companies may serve as nonresident fiduciaries. Please consult Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 35-50-107 for a complete listing of qualified persons or entities.
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.
A nonresident person, bank or trust company cannot serve in a fiduciary capacity in Tennessee unless and until it has appointed in writing the Tennessee Secretary of State as its agent for service of process. This appointment authorizes the Secretary of State to receive and to forward to the nonresident fiduciary by registered or certified mail all process in any action or proceeding relating to any trust, estate or matter within this State in which the person, bank or trust company is serving as fiduciary.
The appointment document submitted to the Secretary of State must contain the following items:
- The name of the specific trust, estate, or person for which the fiduciary has been appointed;
- The name and out-of-state street address (including zip code) of the fiduciary;
- A statement clearly designating the Tennessee Secretary of State as agent for service of process;
- An original signature of the nonresident person or the representative of the bank or trust company (or a certified copy of the signed appointment document); and
- The date the document is signed.
- The appointment document need not be in affidavit form or notarized.
- The appointment document must be accompanied by a filing fee of $10.00. Please make checks or money orders payable to the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Agent Appointment by Nonresident Fiduciary form is also available.
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/