Tennessee Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Tennessee
What Tennessee requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Office of Authentications
- County step
- Required
- State fee
- $2.00 per apostille
- Typical time
- Same day at the counter, about three days for mailed orders
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
The county step, which most people miss
Before the Tennessee Secretary of State will act on a notarised document, the notary must be certified by the county clerk where the notary was commissioned.
Skipping it means the state returns the package untouched, usually a week or two later, and the whole chain restarts. It is the most common single reason a Tennessee document is rejected before it ever reaches a federal desk.
What Tennessee requires of the document
- Documents must be issued or certified by the State Registrar (Department of Health) or by a County Clerk.
- A notarised document must be stamped, signed and dated by the notary, carry a notarial act, and be certified by the County Clerk where the notary is registered.
- Counter service Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:15pm Central.
Where to send it
By post: Office of Authentications, Tennessee Secretary of State, Business Services Division, ATTN: ATS Section, 312 Rosa L. Parks Ave, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243
Timing: Same day at the counter, about three days for mailed orders
Tennessee Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
Checked against the state's own page on 8 September 2026.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does Tennessee require a county step?
Yes. A notarised document must be certified by the county clerk where the notary was commissioned before the Secretary of State will act on it. Skipping this is the most common reason a Tennessee package is returned.
I live elsewhere but my document is from Tennessee. Where does it go?
To Tennessee. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Tennessee authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
What does Tennessee charge?
$2.00 per apostille This was checked against the official page for that state on 8 September 2026. Fees change without notice, so confirm before filing.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
