The Hamilton County Health Department 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. "Certified copy of the original" means it will be on the government-issued blue security paper and have a color-changing seal located on the back of the paper, and a red state seal located on the lower right side of the front page. 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

 

Hamilton County Vital Records Office
921 East Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Telephone: (423) 209-8025
Fax: (423) 209-8024
Email: HDVitalRecords@HamiltonTN.gov

Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday

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.

To receive a birth certificate, you will need to fill out an application and provide Vital Records with the following information:  

1.                   full name on the certificate

2.                   date of birth

3.                   place of birth

4.                   mother's maiden name and father's name

5.                   a check or money order made payable to Hamilton County Vital Records, or credit card payment   

6.                   your signature and relationship to the person named on the birth record

7.                   a daytime telephone number

8.                   A photocopy of a government form of ID, which includes the signature of the requester. (See ID Requirement section)     

Death records are issued for events occurring in Tennessee within the last 50 years. Copies of Tennessee death certificates will only be issued to certain family members or to persons with a legal right to the certificate. Copies of any legal documents, where applicable, should also be submitted. 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.

The fee will be $15.00 per certified copy.

You will need to fill out an application and provide Vital Records with the following information:

  • full name on the certificate
  • date of death
  • sex and age at death
  • county of death
  • name and location of the funeral home
  • the purpose of the copy of the certificate
  • a check or money order made payable to Hamilton County Vital Records
  • 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 (See ID Requirement section)
  • the address to which the original should be mailed
  • a daytime telephone number

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. This process can be done for a child up to 19 years of age.  Call (423) 209-8025 to schedule an appointment.

  • If the application is signed and notarized, no additional identification documents are required.
  • If the actual mother’s copy of a birth certificate is for the prior or current year and is submitted as the application and the response is being mailed or presented to a parent, no additional identification documents are required.

Otherwise, you will need one item from the first list OR two items from the second list.        

    One item from the following list:     

  • Current driver’s 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.      

Requests can be mailed to our address listed below, or if you prefer to pay with a credit card, requests can be faxed or e-mailed to the fax number or the email address listed above.  A Vital Records representative will contact you for credit card information. 

 We accept Discover, American Express, Visa, or MasterCard. 

Mail to:

Hamilton County Vital Records Office
921 East Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403

Application for Birth Certificate

Application for Death Certificate

 

The Tennessee Office of Vital Records Office can be contacted at (615) 741-1763 (Central Time Zone). All Tennessee Office of Vital Records applications may be found HERE.