Article 4, §2 of the Tennessee Constitution provides that the Tennessee legislature may deny the right to vote to persons convicted of "infamous" crimes. Pursuant to this provision in the Tennessee Constitution, the Tennessee legislature has excluded individuals convicted of various felonies from the right of suffrage.
However, the legislature has also established conditions and procedures through which individuals who have lost their voting rights may regain them. The manner in which a person may restore a lost voting right depends upon the crime committed and the year in which the conviction occurred. If your conviction has been expunged, you should answer, ‘No,’ on the voter registration form when asked if you have a felony conviction.
I work for an agency, how many days before a Rulemaking Hearing must I file a notice?
We recommend filing a Notice of Rulemaking Hearing 52 days prior to the hearing.
The T.C.A. requires a notice to be posted 45 days prior to a hearing. In addition to the 45 days, our office is allotted 7 days to process your agency’s notice prior to posting it online.
I have a question about the rule filing process, who can I contact?
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to filing notices and rules and we are here to help answer your questions! Our Rulemaking Guidelines packet can be a helpful resource to obtain general information about the filing process.
I have a question regarding a posted rule online, who can I contact?
While the Secretary of State’s office is responsible for receiving and posting agency rules and regulations, we are not qualified to answer questions pertaining to rule content.
You can visit the Effective Rules table here. General contact information can be found at the bottom of each Authority’s rules page.
How do I register a nonprofit in Tennessee?
Domestic and Foreign Nonprofit Corporation filings can be filed through our online filing system.
An assumed name is a name other than the true entity name under which it conducts business. Tennessee does not recognize 'DBAs' (doing business as) or fictitious names. The assumed name is good for 5 years and can be renewed.
Do you have to use an attorney to incorporate?
You are not required to use an attorney to file a new entity; however, using the services of a professional may be helpful.
What are the most common reasons for rejection of a filing?
The required filing fee was not enclosed.
The document has not been signed
The document is not clear and legible.
The document was not enclosed.
The document is not dated.
An email address was not provided.
The name that you have requested is unavailable because it is not distinguishable from another business entity on file.
We were not able to obtain tax clearance from the Department of Revenue. Please, contact the Tennessee Department of Revenue at (615) 253-0600 or (800) 342-1003. Once you have satisfied their requirements, resubmit your document to our office for filing.
The address of the registered office must be a physical Tennessee address; it cannot be a post office box, route number, or box number alone.
What is a registered agent?
A registered agent is a person or company who agrees to accept legal mail on behalf of your entity. Tennessee requires that all entities (except General Partnerships (GP) to maintain a registered agent/office in the State of Tennessee at all times.