Find Tennessee Birth Records
Tennessee birth records are official documents kept by the Tennessee Office of Vital Records and county health departments across all 95 counties. If you need a certified birth certificate in Tennessee, you can visit any county health department in person, send a mail request to the state office in Nashville, or order online through VitalChek. This guide covers where to get Tennessee birth records, what they cost, who can ask for them, and how to find historical certificates through the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Tennessee Birth Records Quick Facts
Where Tennessee Birth Records Are Kept
The Tennessee Office of Vital Records is the main state authority for birth certificates. The office is at the 1st Floor of the Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243. You can call (615) 741-1763 for help. The office keeps birth records from 1915 to the present and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, lobby hours extend to 6:00 p.m. Walk-in service is available. No appointment is needed at the Nashville office.
The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers about 85,000 births each year and maintains a central registry of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, adoptions, and legitimations. The Vital Records entrance is on the Rosa Parks Blvd. side of the Andrew Johnson Tower. Parking is available on Rev. Kelly M Smith Way off Rosa Parks Blvd. You can also reach the office online at tn.gov/health/vital-records for forms and instructions.
The official portal for the Tennessee Office of Vital Records is the starting point for certified birth certificates for births dating back to 1915.
Every county health department in Tennessee can also issue birth certificates. They use the statewide VRISM (Vital Records Information System Management) system, which means you can get a certificate for any Tennessee birth at any county health department regardless of where the birth occurred. You don't have to go to the county where the birth took place. This makes the process much more convenient for most people in Tennessee. Under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-07-01-.11, the state has established clear rules for who can request records and how information may be disclosed.
Birth records in Tennessee fall under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-205, which restricts access to birth certificates for 100 years from the date of birth. After that, records transfer to the Tennessee State Library and Archives for public access.
How to Get a Tennessee Birth Certificate
There are four main ways to get a certified birth certificate in Tennessee: in person at any county health department or the state office, by mail to Nashville, by phone through VitalChek, or online through VitalChek at vitalchek.com. VitalChek is the only vendor authorized by Tennessee to handle online and phone orders. Additional fees apply through VitalChek beyond the base state fee.
For in-person requests at any county health department, bring a valid government-issued photo ID and the completed Application for a Certified Copy of Certificate of Birth (Form PH-1654). Staff will process your request the same day in most cases. The application is available in English and Spanish. Full application details are posted at vitalrecords.tn.gov/applications. If you don't have a valid photo ID, two alternative forms of identification work, or you can submit a notarized application.
Mail requests take several weeks to process. Send your completed Form PH-1654, a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID, and a check or money order payable to Tennessee Vital Records to: Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243. The Tennessee Vital Records Help Center has step-by-step instructions for each method. By phone, reach VitalChek at 800-241-8322. You can also request a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAOP) along with a birth certificate for an additional $5.00 if the father was added through that process.
Tennessee Birth Record Fees
The fee is $15.00 per certified copy. This applies to the first copy and each additional copy ordered at the same time. There is no extra charge for ordering multiple copies during a single request at the state office or county health department. The fee schedule is posted at vitalrecords.tn.gov/fees.
If you order through VitalChek, additional fees apply: $10.00 processing fee, $5.00 one-time agency expedite fee, and $15.00 per copy. Overnight UPS shipping through VitalChek costs $19.50. The CDC also maintains current fee information for Tennessee birth records at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/tennessee.htm. Payment at the state office and county health departments can be made by cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card. Mail requests require a check or money order only.
If no record is found, the state sends a certified "no record found" letter. The fee for this letter is also $15.00. Many agencies accept it in place of a birth certificate.
Note: Fees are set by the state and apply the same way at all county health departments and the Nashville office.
Who Can Request Tennessee Birth Records
Tennessee birth records are restricted for 100 years from the date of birth. Not everyone can get a copy. The following people can request a certified birth certificate in Tennessee:
- The person named on the birth certificate (the registrant)
- A parent listed on the certificate
- The registrant's current spouse
- A child of the registrant
- A person with legal custody backed by court documents
- An authorized legal representative with proper documentation
- Anyone holding a notarized statement from the registrant giving permission
The natural parents of adopted children and parents whose parental rights have been terminated are not considered to have a direct interest under T.C.A. § 68-3-206. If the applicant is not one of the qualified individuals listed above, they must show documentation supporting their right to the record. This may include custody orders, letters of testamentary, or insurance policies naming the applicant as beneficiary.
The state also complies with requests from federal, state, county, and municipal agencies acting in their official capacity. Social Security numbers listed on a birth certificate may be disclosed for child support enforcement under state administrative rules.
Online Access to Tennessee Birth Records
Tennessee provides online access to historical birth records through the Tennessee Virtual Archive (TEVA). The digital collection covers birth records that have passed the 100-year confidentiality period. You can search and view records at no cost at digitaltennessee.tnsos.gov.
The records currently available on TEVA include statewide birth registrations from 1908 to 1912 and 1914. The year 1913 is largely missing due to a lapse in the state registration law. New records are added as they cross the 100-year mark. As of early 2026, records from 1925 were released to the Library and Archives and became available after February 18, 2026. You can search TEVA by name, date, and county.
For births within the past 100 years, ordering through VitalChek is the fastest online option. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee also maintains information about getting Tennessee birth certificates for legal proceedings at tnep.uscourts.gov. For online eligibility, you need a valid state-issued ID and a U.S. delivery address.
Historical Tennessee Birth Records and Genealogy
Tennessee did not require statewide birth registration until 1908. Records became fairly complete by around 1927. Before statewide registration, four cities kept their own local records: Memphis (beginning in 1874), Chattanooga (beginning in 1879), Nashville (beginning in 1881), and Knoxville (beginning in 1881). These early city records are now at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
The Tennessee State Library and Archives holds all birth records that have passed the 100-year mark. The Archives is at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Nashville, TN 37219, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time. The Research Room staff can help you find older birth records. Mail-in research services are available for those who cannot visit. A complete guide to vital records at the Library and Archives is at sos.tn.gov/library-archives/guides.
A collection of about 340,000 delayed birth certificates covers the period 1869 to 1909. These were filed by adults who needed proof of birth for Social Security or other purposes. The delayed records are accessible through TEVA and at the Archives. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records also explains its genealogy research resources at vitalrecords.tn.gov/genealogy.
The Archives record group for birth records (RG 279) runs from 1879 to the present. It grows yearly as new records are released from the Office of Vital Records. Researchers can use TEVA to view digital copies without traveling to Nashville.
Note: Birth records from 1913 are largely missing statewide due to a lapse in the state registration law that year.
Delayed Birth Certificates in Tennessee
Some people born in Tennessee never had a birth certificate filed at the time of birth. This was common before statewide registration began. If you think no certificate exists for you, start by requesting a certified copy from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. If no record is found, the office sends a certified "no record found" letter. Many agencies accept this letter in place of a birth certificate.
You can file a delayed birth certificate at any age. The fee is $15.00. Evidence needed includes at least one primary source such as hospital records, baptismal records, school records, census records, military records, or affidavits from people who had knowledge of the birth. Full instructions are at vitalrecords.tn.gov/delayed-registration.
Tennessee also allows amendments to existing birth certificates. Amending a certificate within the first six months of the birth event is free. After six months, the fee is $15.00. Amendments follow Form PH-1186. Corrections to the father's name based on a rescission of Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity carry their own fee of $15.00.
Approved Sources for Tennessee Birth Records
The Tennessee Department of Health warns residents to order birth certificates only through approved channels. Unauthorized vendors often charge much higher fees and may not deliver certified copies. You end up paying twice in many cases. The state has approved four ways to get your birth certificate: in person at any county health department or the state office, by mail to Nashville, or online and by phone through VitalChek.
VitalChek can be reached at vitalchek.com or by calling 800-241-8322. Orders placed through VitalChek can be shipped by regular mail or overnight UPS. You must have a valid state-issued driver's license or government-issued ID card to order online. The order must be delivered within the United States or to U.S. territories or military addresses.
Tennessee Birth Record Laws
Tennessee law protects birth certificate privacy through Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-205. Birth records are confidential for 100 years from the date of birth. Only eligible individuals can obtain them during that period. After 100 years, records transfer to the Tennessee State Library and Archives and become public documents available to all researchers.
The medical and health sections of birth certificates remain confidential regardless of age. Information such as APGAR scores, medical risk factors, and other health data cannot be disclosed except for approved statistical or research purposes approved by the State Registrar. Sealed birth records related to adoption under T.C.A. §§ 68-3-313 and 36-1-126 require a specific court order to open.
Under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-07-01-.11, available through law.cornell.edu, the State Registrar can respond to a record inquiry in several ways: by providing the verified information, by noting that no record was found, by asking for more identifying information, or by noting that multiple records match the request. The State Registrar may share non-confidential data with federal, state, county, and municipal agencies for official use. Social Security numbers listed on a birth certificate may be shared for child support enforcement purposes.
Preparation of a new birth certificate by adoption costs $15.00. Preparing a new certificate for a foreign-born person adopted in Tennessee also costs $15.00. These certificates follow the same rules and restrictions as any other Tennessee birth certificate issued after 1915.
Browse Tennessee Birth Records by County
Each of the 95 counties in Tennessee has a county health department that can issue birth certificates for any Tennessee birth. Pick a county below to find local health department info, contact details, and birth record resources for that area.
View All 95 Tennessee Counties
Birth Records in Major Tennessee Cities
Residents of major Tennessee cities get birth certificates through their county health department. Pick a city below to learn about birth records in that area and which county office to contact.