NEW! As of April 25, 2017, our office can issue certified birth and death certificates for births (in the last 100 years) and deaths (in the last 50 years) that occurred anywhere in the State of Tennessee and not just Hamilton County.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Office of Vital Records issues birth and death certificates for those born in Tennessee within the last 100 years and for deaths in Tennessee within the last 50 years. Copies of birth and
death certificates are certified and include a raised, embossed
seal. Parents can also add the father's name to a child's birth
certificate with a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAoP).
Certificates can be requested as a walk-in, by mail, or by fax. See the Birth and Death Certificate sections below to print the request form. Requests can be mailed to our address listed above, or if you prefer to pay with a credit card by fax, you can fax your request to (423) 209-8024, and call us at (423) 209-8025 with credit card information. We accept Discover, Visa, or MasterCard.
For birth records more than 100 years old and death records more than 50+ years old, check with the Tennessee State Library and Archives here http://sos.tn.gov/tsla/history
The State Vital Records Office can be contacted at (615) 741-1763 (Central Time Zone). All Vital Records applications may be found HERE.
A computer generated certified birth certificate for the last 100 years is available
for persons born in TN. Computer generated birth certificates will
be processed while you wait. Certified copies of the original records
are available to the person named on the record and to certain family
members or legal representatives. If you request a birth certificate through
the mail, it is usually returned to the customer within one to five
days of the date received.
The fee will be $15.00 for each certified copy.
You will need to provide Vital Records with the following
information:
- full name on certificate
- date of birth
- place of birth
- mother's maiden name and father's name
- a check or money order made payable to Hamilton County
- your signature and relationship to the person named on the
birth record
- a photocopy of a government form of ID, which includes the
signature of the requester.
Identification Requirements for Births:
One item from the following list:
- Current drivers license, including the issue and expiration
date.
- Current passport, Military I.D. card, alien, temporary or
permanent resident card
- Employment authorization card
- U.S. Certificate of Naturalization Certificate of Citizenship
or Citizenship I.D. card
or
Two items from the following list:
- Current pay stub or W2
- Vehicle registration with name and current address
- Voter Registration card
- Military Discharge (DD214)
- Utility Bill, Bank Statement or deposit slip with name and
current address
- Health care coverage card
- Medical record Application page of an insurance policy
- Signed Social Security Card
For those persons who have had their identification stolen, a
copy of a police report or other official document which verifies
the theft is required.
- the address to which the original should be mailed
- a daytime telephone number
You may access the application for Birth Certificate HERE.
Death records are issued for events occurring in Tennessee within the last 50 years. Cause of death is available
only to the decedent's parent, child, spouse, or an attorney or
agency acting on behalf of the decedent's estate, or qualifying
family member. Please submit a photocopy of a government issued
form of identification which includes your signature. Copies of
any legal documents, where applicable, should also be submitted.
The fee will be $15.00 per certified copy.
You will need to provide Vital Records with the following information:
- full name on certificate
- date of death
- sex and age at death
- county of death
- name and location of funeral home
- the purpose for the copy of the certificate
- a check or money order made payable to Hamilton County
- your signature and relationship to the person named on the
birth record
- a photocopy of a government form of ID, which includes the
signature of the requester
- the address to which the original should be mailed
- a daytime telephone number
You may request the certificate by mailing required information
to our address listed above or fax the information to (423) 209-8024. If you prefer to pay with
Discover, Visa
or Mastercard, call us at (423) 209-8025 with your credit
card information.
You may access the application for Death Certificate HERE.
Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity
After a child’s birth certificate has been recorded at the TN
Office of Vital Records, parents who did not acknowledge paternity
in the hospital may go to the local health department for assistance
in acknowledging paternity. Unmarried parents can make an appointment
at the Hamilton County Vital Records Office to add the father to
the certificate through the paternity acknowledgment process. Call
(423) 209-8025 to schedule an appointment.