Tennessee, vital records
The Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, issues birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates, and any county health department issues birth and death certificates. Older records are at the State Library and Archives.
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Vital records
Department of Health office that maintains and issues Tennessee birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates. Any county health department can issue a birth or death certificate registered statewide.
Open official site Tennessee Office of Vital RecordsVital records
When Tennessee began keeping each kind of record, which years the State Library and Archives holds, and which newer records to request from the Department of Health.
Open official site Tennessee State Library and Archives, vital records guideVital records
TSLA holds Tennessee marriage records from 1780 to 1975 and sends copies for $5 to residents and $10 out of state. Records from 1976 on are at Vital Records.
Open official site Order Tennessee marriage records from TSLAVital records
TSLA holds Tennessee divorce records from July 1, 1945 to 1975 and sends copies for $5 to residents and $10 out of state. Records from 1976 on are at Vital Records.
Open official site Order Tennessee divorce records from TSLAState agencies
Starting point for family history at the Tennessee State Library and Archives: the online catalog, archival finding aids, genealogy index and county fact sheets.
Open official site Tennessee State Library and Archives, researchers and genealogistsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics links to every state and territory vital records office, with fees and mailing addresses. The federal government itself issues no certificates.
Open official site CDC, Where to Write for Vital RecordsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics data on births and deaths in the United States, such as leading causes of death and life tables. It publishes statistics, not copies of records.
Open official site CDC, National Vital Statistics SystemFederal
Social Security Administration form to apply for an original or replacement card or to correct your record. It generally asks for your birth certificate as proof of age.
Open official site SSA, Form SS-5, Social Security card applicationVital records
TSLA index to more than 91,000 statewide death registrations from 1908 to 1912, the first years Tennessee recorded deaths, searchable by year and county.
Open official site Tennessee death records index, 1908 to 1912Vital records
TSLA index to more than 613,000 Tennessee death certificates from 1914 to 1933, with name, county and certificate details used to order a copy.
Open official site Tennessee death records index, 1914 to 1933Guide
The Tennessee Department of Health Office of Vital Records registers and issues the original certificates of divorces that occur in Tennessee and issues certified copies of them. The certificate records the divorce; the decree, with the marital dissolution agreement and support terms, is a court record obtained from the clerk of the court that granted the divorce at that clerk's copy fee. The Office's page is at tn.gov/health.
Guide
Record guide
At a glance
More Tennessee records on this site: Tennessee public records, Free Background Checks.
Straight answers
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No. The CDC is explicit: 'The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records.' Every U.S. vital record is kept by the state where the event occurred.
A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted by SSA, passport offices, and courts. An informational copy is marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity' and cannot be used for legal ID.
It varies by state, but a mail order to a state vital records office is typically 4, 8 weeks. Walk-in county clerk requests can be same-day. Online orders through VitalChek add a separate processing time on top of the state's.
Most states limit certified copies to the registrant, immediate family, and legal representatives. Informational copies are generally available to anyone after a waiting period defined by state law.
You should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, form FS-240). Replacements come from the U.S. Department of State, not from a state vital records office.
All states
Every state page lists that state's official vital record sources, each opened and verified.