How to Get an Apostille in Tennessee

Educational information, not legal advice. Fees, addresses and processing times reflect the Tennessee Secretary of State and can change. Confirm current details on the official sos.tn.gov page before you mail anything.

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How do you get same-day apostille service in Tennessee?

To get same-day apostille service in Tennessee, visit the customer service desk on the third floor at 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue in Nashville and arrive by 2:00 p.m. Central time, because that is the daily cutoff for same-day processing even though the office stays open until 4:15 p.m. Show up with your certified or notarized document, a completed form SS-4504 naming the destination country, and the $2 fee, and the office attaches the apostille while you wait. If you cannot reach Nashville, a mailed request is processed in about three business days after it arrives, not counting transit. One detail specific to Tennessee: if you want an express return, enclose a prepaid shipping label that shows your own name as both the sender and the recipient, because a label listing the Secretary of State as sender causes billing problems with the courier and will not be used.

Who issues apostilles in Tennessee?

Apostilles in Tennessee are issued by the Secretary of State, through the Office of Authentications in the Business Services Division in Nashville. The office authenticates the signature and seal of a Tennessee notary or public official, issuing an apostille for Hague Convention countries and an authentication for the rest. It handles Tennessee documents only, so a document issued or notarized in another state goes to that state. A private document such as a power of attorney must be notarized by a Tennessee notary first, while a vital record must be a certified copy from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records; you also need to state the county of certification on the request form, which is a Tennessee-specific field.

How much does a Tennessee apostille cost?

A Tennessee apostille costs $2 per apostille, which ties it with Illinois for one of the lowest state fees in the country. Payment is by check or money order payable to the Tennessee Secretary of State. As always, the $2 is the state charge only, and any private service adds its own handling fee on top, which is nearly the entire cost of the flat rates advertised online for a state this cheap. Because the fee is so small and same-day counter service exists, Tennessee is one of the most economical states to handle yourself when you can get to Nashville. Verify today's fee before submitting, as these amounts change.

How long does a Tennessee apostille take?

A Tennessee apostille is same day at the counter when you arrive by the 2:00 p.m. cutoff, and about three business days for a mailed request once the office receives it, not counting transit in each direction. Include a completed form SS-4504, the county of certification, your payment, and a return method so the finished apostille comes back promptly. For express return, remember the label rule above, since a wrongly addressed label is the most common avoidable delay in this state. If your foreign deadline is firm and you can reach Nashville before early afternoon, the same-day counter is the most reliable route.

Can Tennessee apostille an FBI background check?

No, Tennessee cannot apostille an FBI background check, because it is a federal document authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Sending a federal report to Nashville means it comes back unprocessed. The Tennessee Secretary of State authenticates documents issued or notarized in Tennessee, such as a Tennessee birth certificate from the Office of Vital Records or a power of attorney notarized by a Tennessee notary. Whether federal or from another state, such documents go to their own authority.

By the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Tennessee Secretary of State, Apostille & Authentication Guide (sos.tn.gov). These details shift over time, so confirm them with the state before you act.