Knox County Birth Records
Knox County birth records are available through the Knox County Health Department Vital Records Division in Knoxville and through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records in Nashville. Knox County is the third most populous county in Tennessee with roughly 480,000 residents. Knoxville began keeping municipal birth records as far back as 1881, making this one of the few places in Tennessee where pre-statewide records survive. This page covers how to get a certified birth certificate, who qualifies, what it costs, and where to find historical Knox County records.
Knox County Quick Facts
Knox County Health Department Vital Records Division
The Knox County Health Department Vital Records Division is the primary local source for certified birth certificates in Knoxville and Knox County. The main office is at 140 Dameron Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Phone: 865-215-5100. There is also a West Clinic location at 9000 Executive Park Drive, Suite A301B, which handles birth certificates only. Call ahead to confirm which location is best for your request and to verify current hours.
Through the VRISM system, the Knox County Health Department can issue certified birth certificates for any birth in Tennessee going back to 1908. You do not have to have been born in Knox County. The system connects this office to the statewide registry in Nashville.
Who can request a birth certificate at the Knox County Health Department: the person named on the certificate, a parent listed on the record, a legal guardian with proof of guardianship, or the spouse or adult child of the named person. Under Tennessee vital records rules, records less than 100 years old are restricted to these eligible parties only.
The cost is $15.00 per copy. Knox County accepts cash, money order, or personal check made payable to Knox County Health Department. There is a 2.5% credit card fee (minimum $2.00) and a $30.00 fee for returned checks. Bring your government-issued ID and any supporting documents on your first visit. Full details on eligibility requirements are available at knoxcounty.org/health/vitalrecords.
Knox County Health Department Vital Records Portal
The Knox County Health Department maintains a dedicated vital records page at knoxcounty.org/health/vitalrecords with full details on eligibility, required documents, payment options, and office locations for requesting Knox County birth certificates.
The site lists both the Dameron Avenue main office and the West Clinic location in Knoxville so you can pick the one closest to you before making the trip.
Knox County Clerk and Archives
The Knox County government website at knoxcounty.org provides access to the full range of county services in Knoxville including the County Clerk's office and the Knox County Archives, both of which are relevant to historical birth records research.
The Knox County Clerk is at 400 W Main Ave, Room 225, Knoxville, TN 37902 and handles marriage licenses and other county documents, but birth certificates come from the health department.
Knox County Archives and Early Records
The Knox County Archives at 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902, phone 865-215-8800, holds a limited number of birth and death records for the city of Knoxville dating back to 1881. These are historical records, not certified certificates. For a certified copy, you still need to go to the health department or the state office. But for research purposes or genealogy, the Archives provides a unique resource that does not exist for most other Tennessee counties.
Knoxville was one of a small number of Tennessee cities that kept local birth records before the state began requiring registration in 1908. The Archives' Knoxville records from 1881 through 1907 are also available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives on microfilm and through the Tennessee Virtual Archive. Research hours at the Knox County Archives are 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
Note: These pre-1908 city records are birth registers maintained at the local level and may not cover all births in Knox County, only those in Knoxville proper. Births in rural parts of Knox County during that era may not appear in these records at all.
Tennessee Office of Vital Records
Knoxville residents who prefer to order by mail or online can contact the Tennessee Office of Vital Records directly. The state office is at 710 James Robertson Parkway, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, Nashville, TN 37243. Phone: (615) 741-1763. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with extended hours on Tuesday and Thursday until 6:00 PM.
For online orders, use VitalChek at vitalchek.com or call 800-241-8322. VitalChek charges a service fee in addition to the $15.00 state cost. Mail requests go directly to Nashville with no extra fee but take longer to process. Full instructions for all request methods are at vitalrecords.tn.gov. For Knox County residents in Knoxville, the local health department is usually the faster option since you can get a certificate the same day you visit.
Who Can Access Knox County Birth Records
Tennessee law under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-205 restricts access to birth records less than 100 years old. Records 100 or more years old are public. For recent records, only eligible people can receive a certified copy.
You qualify if you are the person named on the certificate, a parent listed on it, a legal guardian with court documents, or the spouse or adult child of the named person. If your name is not on the record, you need to document your legal right to receive it. If no valid state ID is available, the Knox County Health Department accepts two items from an alternate ID list. Their full eligibility details are at the health department's vital records page.
Birth Certificate Fees in Knox County
A certified birth certificate costs $15.00 per copy. The full fee schedule is at vitalrecords.tn.gov. Each additional copy requested at the same time costs another $15.00. The Knox County Health Department adds a 2.5% credit card processing fee with a $2.00 minimum. Returned checks carry a $30.00 fee. Cash or money order avoids both of those extra charges.
Online orders through VitalChek include a service fee set by VitalChek. To avoid that cost, order in person at the Knox County Health Department in Knoxville or send a mail request to the state office in Nashville.
Historical Knox County Birth Records
Knox County has one of the strongest pre-statewide birth record collections in Tennessee. Knoxville began recording births in 1881, nearly 30 years before Tennessee required statewide registration in 1908. These city records from 1881 through 1907 are held at the Knox County Archives and the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA).
The TSLA is at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Nashville, TN 37219. Their research room is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Their guide to vital records at the archives is at sos.tn.gov. The Knoxville city records are available on microfilm and through the Tennessee Virtual Archive online.
The Digital Tennessee births database also covers early records that have been digitized. For Knox County births from 1908 onward, this database is a free starting point for any search. It gives you record details that can help you order a certified copy if one exists.
Delayed Birth Registration in Knox County
Some Knox County residents may not have a birth certificate on file despite being born after statewide registration began. Home births in rural parts of the county were sometimes missed. If you cannot find your record, you can apply for a delayed registration through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records.
You need supporting documents to establish proof of birth. These can include school enrollment records, church baptism or christening certificates, census entries, old hospital records, sworn affidavits, and other personal documents. Submit the application and all supporting evidence to the state office. Full guidance is at vitalrecords.tn.gov. Keep copies of everything you send in.
More Resources for Knox County Birth Records
The CDC's Tennessee vital records guide at cdc.gov summarizes how to get birth records from any Tennessee county, including Knox County. It covers what records are available, how far back they go, and what office handles them.
For genealogy research on Knoxville and Knox County births, the combination of the Knox County Archives, the TSLA, and the Digital Tennessee database gives you access to records going back to 1881. This is a stronger set of historical resources than most Tennessee counties can offer. If you are searching for a birth that predates 1908 in Knox County, start with the Archives on S. Gay Street in Knoxville before looking elsewhere.
Cities in Knox County
Knox County includes Knoxville as its county seat and several other communities. Knoxville is the only city in Knox County that meets the population threshold for an individual city page.
Nearby Counties
Knox County borders several other East Tennessee counties. Each has a health department connected to the VRISM system where you can request Tennessee birth certificates.