Introduction to Tennessee Birth Certificates

This article is designed to help you get a Tennessee birth certificate.  Counter to common belief, not everything is on the Internet.  Personal birth certificates are one of the items that are not readily available online, and that is probably a good thing.  You do not want your birth certificate in the public domain, where it can be seen by anyone.  However, this does not mean that you can’t easily get your birth certificate.  

Tennessee birth certificates have been maintained by the Tennessee Department of Health – Vital Records for individuals born in the state of Tennessee since 1914.

Tennessee Birth Certificate Authorized Persons

By Tennessee state law, Tennessee birth certificates are confidential records and can only be obtained by the following authorized individuals:

• Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate
• Mother/Father (or Legal Guardian) of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate
• Grandparents and Great Grandparents of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate
• Husband/Wife of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate 
• Adult Son/Daughter of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate
• Adult grandchildren of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate
• Sister/Brother of individual named on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Aunt/Uncle of individual named on the Tennessee birth certificat
• Legal Representative of an Authorized Person of Person Named on the Tennessee Birth Certificate

Tennessee Birth Certificate for Genealogy Purpose

Most information from Tennessee births, deaths, marriages, and divorces can be provided to any requestor as a hand written transcript. This is called a verification.

Requests for verification should be made in writing to the Vital Records office.  You must provide enough information so that our staff can locate the record you would like verified.  The fee is $15.00 per record per year searched.  This fee is charged for the search for the record and is not refunded even if no record is found.  The Vital Records Office keeps birth records for 100 years and keeps death, marriage, and divorce records for 50 years; after that time, the records are sent to the Tennessee State Library and Archives for public access and family research.

Cause of death is not verifiable and is not released except to immediate family members or their legal representatives for certain reasons as specified by state law.

Tennessee Birth Certificate Ordering

Options Option 1 – Order Tennessee Birth Certificate Online

This option is the simplest and easiest way to get your Tennessee Birth Certificate.  Order online and you will get your Tennessee Birth Certificate usually in less than a week.  Many times you will have the option of receiving your vital record by next-day or second-day service.

Order Birth and Death Records Online!  

Option 2 – Order Tennessee Birth Certificate through the Mail

Follow the instructions below, if you are not ordering your Tennessee birth certificate online.  It usually takes 2 weeks upon receipt of request to be sent to you:

Step 1: Download Mail-In Application

Step 2: Please provide as much of the following information as possible to locate the Tennessee birth certificate:

• Full name of person at birth on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Date of birth on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Sex on the Tennessee birth certificate
• County (or city) of birth on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Hospital of birth - if not in a hospital state "home" 
• Full maiden name of mother on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Full name of father on the Tennessee birth certificate
• Your name 
• Your signature 
• Your relationship to the person whose Tennessee birth certificate you are requesting 
• Address where the Tennessee birth certificate is to be mailed 
• Self addressed stamped envelope
• Your daytime phone number
• By Mail: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:

 

Tennessee Vital Records

Central Services Building

1st Floor

421 5th Avenue North

Nashville, Tennessee  37243

Option 3 – In Person

In Person in Tennessee: You may go to any county health department in the State of Tennessee to obtain a certified copy of a Tennessee birth certificate. Most Tennessee birth certificates can be issued while you wait.

Tennessee Birth Certificate Ordering Cost

The fee to search for a Tennessee birth certificate is $15.00, which includes one certified copy of the Tennessee birth certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the Tennessee birth certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $5.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service.