Tennessee marriage records
Who holds it: Licenses issued and recorded by the County Clerk (any county; valid 30 days); state certificates at the Office of Vital Records for the last 50 years; older records at the Tennessee State Library and Archives1
On this page
County copy fee
County clerk: $5.00 to certify a copy; $0.50 per page for copies2
Who may order
Certified copies: the person named, parents, children, spouse; legal guardians, legal representatives and attorneys with documentation3
How to search and order
- License any county
- A license may be issued by any Tennessee county clerk regardless of residence and is valid 30 days4
Fees
- Marriage license fee
- Statutory components: $15.00 state tax + $5.00 state tax (county schools) + optional county tax up to $5.00 + $10.00 clerk fee, plus an additional $62.50 fee (T.C.A. § 36-6-413), of which $60.00 is waived with a 4-hour premarital course certificate. Total charged varies with the optional county tax; confirm with the county clerk2
- State certificate fee
- $15.00 per certified copy (first and each additional) from the Office of Vital Records; no-record letter costs the same5
- License fee (example)
- Davidson County Clerk (Nashville): marriage license $99.50 cash or $101.49 card (checks not accepted); $60 savings with a notarized premarital course Certificate of Completion6
Older records and indexes
- Premarital discount
- $62.50 additional fee; $60.00 waived if both applicants present a premarital preparation course certificate (course of 4+ hours within one year), or for non-residents marrying in Sevier County7
- Years at state
- Office of Vital Records keeps marriage records for 50 years, then transfers them to the State Library and Archives8
- Older records
- TSLA holds marriage records 1780-1861, 1862-June 1945 and July 1945-1975; 1976-current at Vital Records9
More details
- State filing
- County clerk files each marriage record with the Office of Vital Records monthly10
- County copy (example)
- Davidson County Clerk: certified copy of a marriage license $5.00 each by mail plus a $2.00 mail fee; Davidson licenses from the last 30 years printable in the office; 1779-2012 Davidson marriages at Metro Archives11
Related records in Tennessee
- Divorce records: who holds it
- Divorce case file: clerk of the court that granted it (Circuit Court Clerk or Clerk and Master of Chancery Court). Divorce certificates: Office of Vital Records (last 50 years); State Library and Archives for July 1945-1975; before July 1, 1945 only in county court records9
- Older records: vital transfers
- Births go to TSLA after 100 years; deaths, marriages and divorces after 50 years8
How Tennessee handles it
- Marriage license fee discount: $60 off with a premarital course; in Sevier County non-residents also get the $60 exemption7
Marriage records in Tennessee counties with a full guide
The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.
| County | Office | Search online | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blount County | Blount County Clerk12 | — | Archived marriage license copies: $.50 per page; certification $5.00 (Records & Archives)13 |
| Bradley County | Bradley County Clerk14 | — | — |
| Davidson County | Davidson County Clerk15 | — | — |
| Hamilton County | Hamilton County Clerk16 | — | — |
| Knox County | County Clerk17 | — | Certified copy $5.50 in person; $9.02 online (includes mail and processing fees)18 |
| Madison County | Madison County Clerk19 | — | — |
| Maury County | Maury County Clerk20 | — | — |
| Montgomery County | County Clerk21 | — | — |
| Putnam County | County Clerk22 | — | — |
| Rutherford County | Rutherford County Clerk23 | — | Mail fee: $7.00 by mail24 |
| Sevier County | Sevier County Clerk25 | — | In office $5.00 per certified copy; by mail $15.00 by money order or cashier check; online $16.36 credit card only26 |
| Shelby County | County Clerk: both parties appear27 | — | — |
| Sullivan County | County Clerk29 | Search28 | $5.00 in office; $7.00 each by mail28 |
| Sumner County | Sumner County Clerk30 | — | — |
| Washington County | County Clerk31 | — | — |
| Williamson County | Williamson County Clerk32 | — | — |
| Wilson County | County Clerk33 | — | County clerk: $5.00 to certify a copy; $0.50 per page for copies34 |
For any other county, see the county list on the Tennessee guide.
Official copies vs look-alike sites
A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Tennessee office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.
Rules in other states: marriage records in every state. Everything else in Tennessee: Tennessee public records guide.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Marriage (CTAS-390)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage: Fees and Taxes (CTAS-396)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026
- Entitlement GuidelinesTennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Obtaining a Marriage License (CTAS-392)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026
- FeesTennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage Services (Davidson County Clerk)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Additional Fee, Premarital Preparation Course (CTAS-440)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026
- Genealogy ResearchTennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
- Order Records from TSLATennessee Secretary of State, Tennessee State Library and Archiveschecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage Records (CTAS-395)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage License Certified Copy (Davidson County Clerk)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Blount County, TN homeBlount County, TNchecked November 4, 2026
- Records & Archives - Fees & CopiesBlount County, TNchecked November 4, 2026
- Bradley County, TN home pageBradley County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
- Davidson County ClerkMetro Nashville, County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Hamilton County Government home pageHamilton County, TNchecked November 4, 2026
- Knox County Tennessee Government (home)Knox County, Tennesseechecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage License - County ClerkKnox County, Tennesseechecked November 4, 2026
- Site MapMadison County, Tennesseechecked November 7, 2026
- GovernmentMaury Countychecked November 4, 2026
- Tn-mon-marriageMontgomery County Government, TNchecked November 4, 2026
- Departments (county department list)Putnam Countychecked November 8, 2026
- Rutherford County homeRutherford County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage LicensesRutherford County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Welcome to Sevier County, TN (home)Sevier County, Tennesseearchived copychecked November 7, 2026
- Marriages (County Clerk)Sevier County, Tennesseearchived copychecked November 7, 2026
- Marriage LicensesShelby County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- Sullivan County: marriageSullivan County, Tennesseechecked November 5, 2026
- Sullivan County: county-clerkSullivan County, Tennesseechecked November 5, 2026
- Sumner County homechecked November 4, 2026
- Washington County TN: county-clerkWashington County, Tennesseechecked November 5, 2026
- County ClerkWilliamson County Clerkchecked November 4, 2026
- County ClerkWilson County, Tennesseechecked November 4, 2026
- Marriage: Fees and Taxes (CTAS-396)University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), e-Lichecked November 4, 2026