Service of Process is issued under the following statutes:

• Tennessee’s Long-Arm Statutes, Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) Title 20, Chapter 2, Part 2.
• The Tennessee Business Corporation Act, T.C.A. Title 48, Chapters 11-27
• Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act, T.C.A. Title 48, Chapters 51-68
• Tennessee Limited Liability Company Act ,T.C.A. Title 48,Chapters 201-248
• The Tennessee Revised Limited Liability Company Act, T.C.A. Title 48, Chapter 249
• The Tennessee Revised Uniform Partnership Act, T.C.A.  Title 61, Chapter 1
• Tennessee Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, T.C.A. Title 61, Chapter 2

The Hague Convention is preprinted as an annotation to Rule 4, 28 U.S.C.A., Fed. R. Civ. P., Rules 1011, (1992) (Annotation to Rule 4).

The Service of Process Search allows you to check on the status of a Service of Process issuance by the defendant’s last name (or company name if a company) or by court docket number. This database reflects all non-archived processes served through the Tennessee Secretary of State as of three working days prior to the requested date.  Service of Process records are archived on an annual basis.

The Division of Business Services processes over 13,800 summonses annually.

A Service of Process filing may be rejected for many reasons.  Some of the most common reasons are:

• An insufficient number of copies of the summons are submitted (an original and one certified copy are required for each defendant).
• An address for an out-of-state defendant is not provided.
• The defendant and/or agent for Service of Process has a Tennessee address requiring Service of Process by the Sheriff of the county of the defendant and/or agent not by the Secretary of State.
• The $20.00 filing fee is not enclosed.
• The check, bank draft, or money order is not made payable to the “Tennessee Secretary of State.”
• The original and/or certified copy of the summons is not signed by the Clerk or Deputy Clerk.
• The Clerk’s certified stamp, seal, or imprint is not affixed to the summons.
• The process is to be served on an insurance company requiring Service of Process through the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance.
• The action is instituted in a court outside Tennessee.

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. 

Tennessee allows you to receive an absentee ballot by mail or e-mail.  Please indicate how you would like to receive your absentee ballot on your request.  If you indicate e-mail, provide your e-mail address (on the Form 76 your e-mail address should be provided in Block 2) with the request.  If you do not indicate how you want your absentee ballot sent, the absentee ballot will be mailed. Tennessee does not allow you to receive your absentee ballot by fax.

Military personnel, their family members and overseas voters (UOCAVA voters) may receive their absentee ballot via e-mail or by-mail upon request. UOCAVA voters may track when the ballot was received by their local county election commission office. The voted ballot must be received by the local county election commission office by the close of polls on election day to be counted.  Please see our complete guide on How to Vote Absentee for Military and Overseas Voters.

If a voter notifies the election commission that he or she has “spoiled” a ballot or has not received the ballot, the election commission shall note on the records that subsequent supplies have been sent and supply the voter with subsequent voting supplies.

After timely requesting an official absentee ballot, Armed Forces personnel and overseas voters who feel that there may not be a sufficient amount of time to receive and then return the voted ballot may also use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).

Instructions for completing an FWAB, the FWAB ballot and envelopes may be found at FVAP.gov.

Note: If both ballots are received prior to the close of the polls on election day, the county election commission will count the official ballot it provided to the voter.

No. The voter will receive absentee ballots for all regularly scheduled elections for the calendar year in which the request is submitted.

Note that it is the voter’s responsibility to keep the local county election office informed of any changes of address. The ballots will be mailed or e-mailed, depending on the choice of the voter, to the address that is originally submitted to the local county election office until further notice from the voter. 

The voted ballot must be received by mail by the close of the polls on election day. If the ballot is rejected, the registered voter will be notified that the ballot was rejected and why the ballot was rejected.

Applications may be received no earlier than January 1 of the year in which the election is to be held unless the election is to be held less than ninety (90) days after January 1 of the calendar year. In that case, the application may be received no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election.

No. If you meet the qualifications to register to vote in Tennessee but have not registered prior to requesting an absentee ballot and you fall into one of the above categories, your application for absentee ballot will be treated as an application for temporary registration.

Normally, an individual who registers to vote by mail must appear in person in the first election the person votes in after such registration becomes effective. This provision is waived in the case of military personnel, their family members, or overseas citizens. However, since this is only a temporary registration, once you are no longer eligible to vote under this provision of the law, you must complete a voter registration form and submit the form to your local county election commission prior to voting in any subsequent election. 

If you are a registered voter prior to requesting an absentee ballot under this provision, the above information does not apply to you.