How to Get a Copy of Divorce Papers in Tennessee

To get a copy of divorce papers in Tennessee, you order one of two records: a divorce decree from the Clerk of the Circuit or Chancery Court in the county where the divorce was granted, or a divorce certificate from the Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records. Which one you want depends on who is asking to see it.

Decree or Certificate: Pick the Right Document First

A divorce decree is the full court order that ended the marriage. It runs multiple pages and lays out every term the judge approved, including how property and debt were divided, custody, and any alimony or child support.¹ This is what you need when a legal question about the terms comes up: enforcing custody, refinancing a home, proving your right to an asset from the settlement.

A divorce certificate is a one-page summary issued by the Department of Health. It confirms the divorce happened and lists both spouses’ names, the date, and the county.² It is enough for routine tasks like proving marital status for benefits, but it will not satisfy a lender reviewing your debts or a court enforcing support.

Ordering a Divorce Decree From the Court Clerk

The decree lives at the courthouse. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit or Chancery Court in the county where the divorce was granted. If you visit in person, the clerk can usually pull the file, copy it, and certify it the same day. Bring a government-issued ID.

If you cannot come in, call that specific clerk’s office to confirm the mail-in procedure. Most ask for a written request with both spouses’ full names, the approximate divorce date, and the case number if you have it. Send payment with your request. Ask specifically for a certified copy: the clerk stamps it with an official seal, which is what other agencies and courts require before treating it as a legitimate legal document.

Tennessee law sets standard fees for all circuit and chancery clerks: $0.50 per page for the copy, plus $5.00 for certification and the court seal.³ A typical decree is five to twenty pages, so expect roughly $7.50 to $15.00 for one certified copy. Confirm the total and accepted payment methods in advance; some offices only take checks or money orders.

Ordering a Divorce Certificate From Vital Records

If you only need proof the divorce occurred, the Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records is faster and cheaper. The office holds divorce records from 1976 to the present.⁴ A certified certificate costs $15.00.

By Mail

Download the Application for Certified Copy of Tennessee Certificate of Divorce or Annulment (form PH-1671) from the state’s website. Fill it out and enclose a check or money order for $15.00 payable to Tennessee Vital Records, plus a photocopy of your government-issued ID. If you would rather not send an ID copy, get the application notarized instead.⁵ Do not send cash. Mail everything to Tennessee Vital Records, Andrew Johnson Tower, 1st Floor, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243. As of early 2026, mail requests are processed in about three days after receipt.⁶

Online or by Phone

For a faster turnaround, order through VitalChek, the only third-party vendor authorized by Tennessee to process credit and debit card transactions for vital records.⁷ VitalChek adds its own service fee on top of the state’s $15.00; check the current amount on their site before ordering.

In Person

Walk-in requests are accepted at the Nashville office at 710 James Robertson Parkway and are often filled the same day. You can also request through your local county health department. Anyone who is not the spouse, parent, or child named on the record will need to bring documentation supporting their right to the certificate.⁷

Divorces Before 1976

Vital Records does not have older files. Those have been transferred to the Tennessee State Library & Archives, which maintains a statewide divorce index for July 1, 1945 through December 31, 1975. Staff can search a five-year window if you provide both spouses’ names and a rough timeframe.⁴

For divorces before July 1, 1945, you have to specify one county and one court for the Library & Archives to search, along with a five-year date range. Court minute books are sometimes the only surviving record for very old divorces, so a formal decree may not exist in the form you expect.

What to Have Ready Before You Request

No matter which office you contact, gather these details first:

Full names of both spouses, as they appeared on the original filing (including the wife’s name at the time of the divorce).
The county where the divorce was granted.
The approximate date the divorce was finalized. Most offices can search a range if you do not have the exact date.
The court case number, if you have it. Without it, the details above are usually enough.

Who Is Allowed to Request

Divorce decrees are court records. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, court records are open for inspection by any Tennessee citizen unless a specific law restricts them.⁸ In most cases, anyone in the state can walk into a clerk’s office and request a copy of a decree. Sensitive information like Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers is treated as confidential and should not appear on copies provided to the public.

Certificates from the Department of Health are tighter. People named on the record, along with their parents or children, are “qualified applicants” who can request with just an ID. Anyone else must document why they are entitled to the record.⁷

Using Divorce Papers for a Name Change

One of the most common reasons people order divorce papers is to revert to a prior name. Different agencies want different documents.

The Social Security Administration accepts a divorce decree that states your new or restored name. If the decree specifies a name, SSA will put that name on your card. If the decree does not mention a name change at all, SSA will accept other documents, like a birth certificate or a prior court-ordered name change, to establish the name you want.⁹

The U.S. State Department requires an original or certified copy of the divorce decree, not the certificate, to change your name on a passport. Whether you renew by mail or apply in person, the decree must be certified.¹⁰ A divorce certificate will not work here.

For a Tennessee driver’s license, most people bring the certified decree along with their current license to a driver service center. Check with your local center for any additional requirements.

Using the Papers Outside the United States

If a foreign government needs to accept your Tennessee divorce papers, it will almost certainly require an apostille, an international certification that the document is authentic. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office handles this, and there are a few steps in between.

Before the apostille, the document must be notarized by a Tennessee notary public, then taken to the county clerk in the county where the notary is commissioned to have the notary’s signature certified. Only then can you submit the document to the Secretary of State with a completed Apostille or Authentication Request Form (SS-4504) and a $2.00 processing fee.¹¹ You can mail the request to the Office of Authentications, 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243, or visit in person Monday through Friday. Same-day service is available if you arrive by 2:00 p.m.¹²

Fixing Errors on Your Divorce Papers

A misspelled name or a wrong date can cause real problems when you try to use the document later. The correction path depends on which record has the error.

Errors on the Decree

Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 60.01 allows the court to fix clerical mistakes in any judgment or order at any time, either on its own or when someone files a motion asking for the correction.¹³ Clerical errors are things like a transposed digit in a date, a misspelled name, or a typo in an address. You would file a motion with the same court that issued the decree, explaining the error and the correction you want. Rule 60.01 covers clerical errors only. Changing a substantive term of the divorce, like custody or a property split, is a different legal process and typically requires a separate motion or petition.

Errors on the Certificate

Corrections to a divorce certificate go through the Department of Health. Tennessee law distinguishes between minor corrections and formal amendments. Obvious errors, letter transpositions, and omissions can often be fixed within one year of the divorce without the certificate being marked as “amended.” After one year, or for more significant changes, the corrected certificate will carry an “amended” notation along with the date and a description of the supporting evidence.¹⁴ If the registrar finds the evidence insufficient, the amendment will be denied and you will be told why.

1
Tennessee Courts. Final Decree of Divorce (with Marital Dissolution Agreement)
2
Tennessee Department of Health. Certificate of Divorce or Annulment
3
Justia. Tennessee Code 8-21-401 – Schedule of Fees
4
Tennessee Secretary of State. Vital Records at the Library and Archives
5
Tennessee Department of Health. Application for Certified Copy of Tennessee Certificate of Divorce or Annulment (PH-1671)
6
State of Tennessee Department of Health. How Long Will It Take?
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State of Tennessee Department of Health. How Do I Get My Certificate? (In Person, Local County Health Department, Mail, or Online)
8
Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-504 – Confidential Records – Exceptions
9
Social Security Administration. Evidence Required to Process a Name Change on the SSN Based on Divorce, Dissolution, or Annulment
10
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error
11
Tennessee Secretary of State. Apostille and Authentication Guide
12
Tennessee Secretary of State. Business Forms and Fees
13
Tennessee Courts. Rule 60.01 – Clerical Mistakes
14
Justia. Tennessee Code 68-3-203 – Amendment of Records