Certified Copies in Tennessee: Where and What It Costs
Certified copies
Ordering Certified Copies in Tennessee
Where to order a certified vital record or corporate record issued in Tennessee, what it costs, what the office requires, and what happens to it afterwards.
- Birth certificate
- $15.00
- Death certificate
- $15.00
- Marriage
- $15.00
- Divorce
- $15.00
Vital records
Issued by: Tennessee Department of Health, Vital Records
Post to: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
Verify current fees: (615) 741-1763
| Record | Certified copy |
|---|---|
| Birth | $15.00 |
| Death | $15.00 |
| Marriage | $15.00 |
| Divorce | $15.00 |
What Tennessee requires
- A photocopy of valid government photo ID showing your signature must accompany the request.
- The state keeps births 100 years and deaths, marriages and divorces 50 years; older records go to the Tennessee Library and Archives.
Corporate records
A certificate of good standing and certified copies of formation documents for a Tennessee entity come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Office of Authentications, normally online and often the same day.
Tennessee Secretary of State, Office of Authentications
- Order from the state where the entity was formed, not where it trades.
- A certificate of good standing is a statement of current status. A certified copy of the articles is a different product; if a foreign authority asks for the formation documents, you need the latter.
- Ask for a certified or exemplified copy. A plain download from the state website carries no seal and cannot be authenticated.
What happens next
Once you hold the certified copy, authentication in Tennessee goes through Tennessee Secretary of State, Office of Authentications, at $2.00 per apostille. Note that Tennessee also requires a county-level step for notarised documents, though a certified vital record issued by the registrar skips it.
Questions people actually ask
Where do I order a Tennessee birth certificate?
From Tennessee Department of Health, Vital Records. Post to Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243. A certified copy is $15.00.
Does the Tennessee Secretary of State issue birth certificates?
No. Vital records come from the health department; the Secretary of State handles corporate records and, in most states, the apostille. They are separate offices with separate fees.
What will Tennessee reject?
A photocopy of valid government photo ID showing your signature must accompany the request.
Can I have it apostilled straight away?
Yes, and that is the right order. Order the certified copy first, then send it for authentication. Do not sign, stamp or laminate it in between, and do not open a sealed envelope.
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.
