How to Find Tennessee Birth Records
How to Find United States Birth Records 
Tennessee Births
Statewide registration of births began in 1914 in Tennessee with general compliance by 1927.
Next Step: When did the birth occur? [edit | edit source] |
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Births before 1874[edit | edit source]
Before 1874, no births were recorded by the county or state. You must search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place.
| Records that give birth information: | ||
Births from 1874 thru 1908[edit | edit source]
In 1874, some Tennessee counties and cities began recording births, but coverage is incomplete. Delayed birth records exist as early as 1869. If you cannot locate your ancestor in the databases below, try searching for birth information in other records.
For births that exist during this time period, try the following databases:
| Includes Index Only | ||||
| Try 1st: | ||||
| Tennessee Births, 1828-1939 | FamilySearch - Free; index only | |||
| Try 2nd: | ||||
| Includes Index and Digital Images | ||||
| At FamilySearch Centers/libraries: | ||||
| Tennessee Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909 | Ancestry Library edition - free at FamilySearch Centers and Libraries; Find your local FamilySearch Center | |||
| Use Your Ancestry subscription: | ||||
| Tennessee Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909 | Ancestry subscription version - $, to sign up for a subscription; Obtain a subscription to Ancestry | |||
| Can't find your ancestor in the online index? | Tips for searching online indexes | |||
| No birth record for your ancestor? | Other records with birth information | |||
Obtain the Record[edit | edit source]
With approximate birth years and places, you can locate birth records from 1874-1908 on microfilm available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives (includes links to various online collections) and the Family History Library (search the Catalog under TENNESSEE [COUNTY] VITAL RECORDS).
Delayed birth records after 1910 are available for a fee at the Office of Vital Records (PDF file).
There are no restrictions on pre-1910 records.
Births from 1908 thru 1913[edit | edit source]
Most counties kept birth records beginning in 1908. Few of these records are available online. Chattanooga $, Davidson County Free, Knoxville $, Memphis Free, and Nashville Free birth records are indexed online.
Obtain the Record[edit | edit source]
With a name, you can locate birth records from 1908-1912 on microfilm available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives (includes links to various online collections) and the Family History Library (index films 338134-338139, record films 1308011-1308089).
Births after 1913[edit | edit source]
Statewide registration of births began in 1914 in Tennessee. Currently, there are no online indexes to Tennessee births from 1914 to the present.
Obtain the Certificate[edit | edit source]
With full names, dates and places of an event, you can order a copy of the birth certificate for a fee from the Tennessee Department of Health (PDF file) or VitalChek.
Restrictions for persons born within the last 75 years:
To obtain a copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 75 years, you must be an immediate family member.
If you do not want to order the birth record, there are other records with birth information you can search.