Are divorce records public information in Tennessee?

You may be asking, “Are my divorce records public after the settlement?” Tennessee divorce laws allow the public to request verification of information in the records, and after 50 years, the information is made available to the public.

When are Tennessee divorce records public?

Almost all Tennessee divorce pleadings are available to the public.  Some may even be searchable online.

According to Tennessee divorce law, a certified copy of records from the Tennessee Vital Records Office may be obtained only by a person named on a certificate or by certain family members. If a member of the public would like to verify points of information in the record, though, he or she may obtain verification by filling out a form and mailing it to the Vital Records department.

A records request form must be filled out and submitted via regular mail to the Tennessee Vital Records office in Nashville. This form must accompany the $15 fee in the form of a check or money order, and the results will be returned to you via postal mail.

Divorce records become publicly available after 50 years, along with marriage and death records. The divorce records are made available to the public upon being sent to the Tennessee State Library and Archives through the Genealogical Services.

If You Need a Copy of Your Divorce Certificate

When are divorce records as public record an issue? There may be errors in your divorce certificate if your settlement was not properly filed under Tennessee divorce laws. If you want to request a copy of your divorce certificate, you can do so in person, by mail or through the Internet on the Tennessee Department of Health’s Vital Records website.

When you request your divorce certificate, you will need to complete an application for a certified copy of your certificate, an approved form of identification (typically a government-issued ID) and the $15 certificate fee. If you find errors on your divorce certificate, these may be corrected with a request to the Office of Vital Records. It may be important to your future to make sure that your divorce is legally recorded properly in public records.

Know if Divorce Records are Public

Divorce is a private matter, but information in the records may be verifiable by the public. While it’s unlikely under Tennessee divorce laws to get these records removed, you have the right to know what they contain. If you are going through a divorce in Bartlett, contact the Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC. To schedule a confidential consultation, contact our office at 1-901-683-1850. We can answer any questions about Tennessee divorce laws and what they say about divorce records as public record.