Tennessee Apostille

Tennessee Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Tennessee, for $2 per apostille. Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Tennessee office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.

Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Tennessee

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Tennessee come from Tennessee Secretary of State (Business Services Division, Office of Authentications (ATS Section)). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $2 per apostille. (source)
  • Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $2 per authentication (same fee as an apostille). (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Nashville): mail form SS-4504, the document (with its county clerk certification, if it was notarized) and the fee to the Office of Authentications; for FedEx or UPS return, enclose a prepaid label with your own name as sender and recipient (source)
  • In person (Nashville): customer service desk, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Central except state holidays; arrive by 2:00 p.m. for same-day service (source)
  • Request form: Apostille or Authentication Request Form (SS-4504), listed on the Business Forms & Fees page
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • In person: arrive by 2:00 p.m. for same-day service. (source)
  • The request form SS-4504 is still revision 3/15; the Business Forms and Fees page lists its fee as $2, while the apostille page itself states no amount, so confirm the fee with the office before sending. (source)
  • Express returns need a prepaid label with your name as both sender and recipient; otherwise documents come back by regular mail. (source)

What Tennessee needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send the certificate signed by the Tennessee State Registrar (birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate); it needs no notarization. (source)
  • Tennessee state records, including vital records signed by the State Registrar, must have been certified within the past two years. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Tennessee state court documents are accepted as state records, which must be certified by the appropriate state official within the past two years. (source)
  • County records must be signed by the appropriate county official and certified by the county clerk within the past two years. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • Have the document notarized by a Tennessee notary public. (source)
  • Then take it to the County Clerk of the county where the notary was commissioned to certify the notary's signature, and send that county certification with your request. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • A transcript must come from a Tennessee school, carry the school seal and be signed by the registrar or assistant registrar. (source)
  • Have the registrar's signature notarized by a Tennessee notary, then have the county clerk certify the notary's signature. (source)
  • An original diploma must carry the school seal and the president's or principal's signature, notarized by a Tennessee notary and then certified by the county clerk. (source)
  • For a photocopy of a diploma, attach a notarized affidavit by the person named on it stating the copy is true and correct, and have the county clerk certify the notary's signature. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • Documents signed by the Tennessee Secretary of State need no notarization. (source)
  • Background checks go through the notarized-document path (notary, then County Clerk certification). (source)
  • The office's list of accepted documents also names TBI background checks among Tennessee state records (certified within the past two years), while the request form lists background checks on the notarized path; ask the office which route applies to yours. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Tennessee Secretary of State issues its Authentication instead of an apostille. Then:

  • After a Tennessee Authentication, you must get the Secretary of State's signature certified by the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. (source)
  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • Documents from other states, even if notarized in Tennessee or attached to an affidavit. (source)
  • Documents issued by a foreign country. (source)
  • Documents that will be used within the United States. (source)
  • Non-English documents without an English translation. (source)
  • Tennessee does not accept federal documents (except U.S. passports), even if notarized or attached to an affidavit. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Tennessee Secretary of State.
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Tennessee?

Tennessee Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Tennessee. The fee is $2 per apostille. Requests can be mailed to the office in Nashville. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Tennessee?

Send the certificate signed by the Tennessee State Registrar (birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate); it needs no notarization. Tennessee state records, including vital records signed by the State Registrar, must have been certified within the past two years. Then send it to Tennessee Secretary of State with the $2 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Tennessee need a county clerk certification first?

Yes. Have the document notarized by a Tennessee notary public. Then take it to the County Clerk of the county where the notary was commissioned to certify the notary's signature, and send that county certification with your request.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Tennessee Secretary of State issues its authentication instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Tennessee office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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