Tennessee Office of Vital Records

The Office of Vital Records reviews, registers, amends, issues and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee.

Main Office - Downtown Nashville

Image of the Tennessee Department of Health office building showing the location of the Office of Vital Records and for free parking.

Where                    

When                    


County Health Departments    

All county health departments can issue any birth or death certificates that have been registered statewide with the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. You do not need to travel to the county where the birth or death occurred. Identification will be required at the time of submission of your application and fees payable. IF you are not a qualified applicant, (parent, child, or spouse), you will also need to present any documents to support your right to the certificate. Entitlement documents can include custody orders, letters of testamentary, insurance policies denoting the beneficiaries, etc. 

Office of Vital Records Help

The following links are to third-party webpages for specific customer service support and help topics for the Tennessee Office of Vital Records.

Tennessee Vital Records Information System Management 

The VRISM project allows for electronic communication between the Tennessee Office of Vital Records and those partners who help register vital events that occur in Tennessee, such as birth, death, marriage, and divorce. The web-based system significantly reduces the time between the occurrence and registration of vital events, allowing for greater efficiency and greater ease of access for the public we serve.

Paper submission of Birth Certificates no longer accepted after June 24, 2019.

Paper submission of Death Certificates no longer accepted after July 16, 2018.

If you are locked out of your account, need technical support, or need to change the email address on your profile, please call the VRISM Help Desk, M-F 8:00-4:30 CST, at 855-874-7686


Existing VRISM Users


New VRISM Users

If you are employed with an entity that is responsible for registering a vital event with the State of Tennessee; Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce or Fetal, please reach out to our help desk at (855) 874-7686 to submit a user agreement.

Contact Us

For questions regarding the registration of birth records, such as demographic information, legal name requirements, rejected records, and more, contact:
Registration Unit
(615) 645-1117

For questions regarding VRISM technical support, such as signing in, resetting security information, and new user registration, contact:
VRISM Help Desk
(855) 874-7686 • Health.VRISM@tn.gov

Birth Clerk Update Sheet

2024 EBRS Guide for Birth Clerks and Midwives

Office of Vital Records
Attn: Birth Registration
710 James Robertson Parkway
Andrew Johnson Tower, 1st Floor
Nashville, TN 37243

Frequently Asked Questions

We have a new employee in our office. Can I just let them use my account to log into thes system?

No, please have them complete a VRISM Access User Request & Agreement by contacting our help desk at 855-874-7686. Once they have been registered, an email will be sent to their email address with their login information.   

How long do I have to file the record with the State?

All documentation must be mailed within five days of the birth in order to complete the registration in accordance with TCA §§ 63-3-301.  If documentation needs to be adjusted, it will be mailed back to you and should be returned to the OVR within two days. 

Where should the VAoP be mailed?

The VAoP should be emailed to certificate.health@tn.gov within two days of completion with originals being mailed to the State office at a minimum of two times per week to:

What do I have to fill out?

Medical Certifiers are responsible for Tabs 7-11. A Medical certifier must be an MD or DO with a valid license to practice in Tennessee (with the exceptions of a physician employed at a VA hospital).

Who can certify a record with a non-natural manner of death?

Only a Medical Examiner may certify a death certificate with a non-natural manner. For more information on this, please review the "Requirements for Manner and Cause of Death" document in this section.

I do not know the date or time of the patient's death. What do I enter?

If the date or time is unknown, enter the numerical information as 99/99/9999 for the date or 99:99  for the time.

What do I have to fill out?

Funeral homes are responsible for Tabs 1-6, assignment, and releasing on Tab 11.  Tabs 1-6 cover the demographic information of the decedent, and Tab 11 is where you may assign the record to a physician and release the record to the state after it is certified.

I do not know the date or time of the patient's death. What do I enter?

If the date or time is unknown, enter the numerical information as 99/99/9999 for the date or 99:99  for the time.

Why can't I release the record?

There are two reasons why you may not be able to release a record:

1. Records may only be released by a Funeral Director.  If you are not a Funeral Director, please  have one at your location log in to release the record.

2. There may be missing information. To determine if this is the case, open the record and click "Finish" at the bottom of Tab 11. You will be directed to the VRISM Warning Screen. Ensure there is no missing data form the record, which would be shown as a link under an "Attn: Funeral Director or Person Acting as Such" or "Attn: Medical Certifier" heading.

Am I required to have the couple review the draft copy before I give them the official license?

Yes, the system will not let you print the official license without checking the box that the couple has reviewed and approved the draft copy.

Is the couple required to sign the license in from of the clerk before they leave with the license?

Yes

Is the Attorne office required to start the case in VRISM?

No, that is up to each Court Clerk’s office.  The only thing to watch for is that both offices are not starting the same record.

What if I find that two cases have been started?

The office that created the second case must be the one to cancel it in VRISM.  Follow the path:  Death > Maintain > Cancel

Tennessee's Most Popular Baby First Names by Year

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

EMMA

WILLIAM

2

OLIVIA

MASON

3

AVA

JAMES

4

SOPHIA

ELIJAH (tie)

NOAH (tie)

5

ISABELLA

 

6

ABIGAIL

LIAM

7

HARPER

JACKSON

8

ELIZABETH

JOHN

9

MADISON

JACOB

10

ELLA

ETHAN

11

AVERY

SAMUEL

12

ADDISON

AIDEN

13

EMILY

CARTER

14

AUBREY CHRISTOPHER

15

CHARLOTTE LEVI

16

AMELIA (tie)
BROOKLYN (tie)

 

GABRIEL (tie)
MICHAEL (tie)

18

SADIE LUKE

19

CHLOE JOSHUA 

20

LILY (tie)
PAISLEY (tie)
LANDON

21

  BENJAMIN 

22

ZOEY JOSEPH (tie)
LUCAS (tie)

23

MIA  

24

EVELYN ALEXANDER 

25

CAROLINE(tie)
LAYLA (tie)
JAYDEN

26

  HUNTER 

27

LILLIAN (tie)
SERENITY (tie)

DAVID

28

  CALEB 

29

ANNA (tie)
HANNAH (tie)
ANDREW

30

  LOGAN (tie)
WYATT (tie)

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

EMMA

WILLIAM

2

AVA

MASON

3

SOPHIA

ELIJAH

4

OLIVIA

JAMES

5

ISABELLA

NOAH

6

ABIGAIL

JACOB

7

ELIZABETH (tie)
MADISON (tie)

LIAM

8

 

ETHAN

9

EMILY

JACKSON

10

HARPER

JOHN

11

ADDISON

MICHAEL

12

BROOKLYN

JAYDEN

13

CHLOE

AIDEN

14

ELLA BENJAMIN

15

AUBREY LEVI

16

AMELIA JOSEPH

17

AVERY (tie)
LILLIAN (tie)
SAMUEL

18

  GABRIEL

19

LILY ALEXANDER

20

ZOEY LANDON

21

CHARLOTTE COLTON

22

PAISLEY ELI (tie)
JOSHUA (tie)

23

SADIE  

24

MIA BENTLEY

25

ANNA CARTER (tie)
HUNTER (tie)
LUKE (tie)

26

CAROLINE  

27

HANNAH  

28

LAYLA DAVID

29

SAVANNAH CALEB (tie)
CHRISTOPHER (tie)

30

AUBREE  

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

EMMA

WILLIAM

2

AVA

MASON

3

OLIVIA

ELIJAH

4

SOPHIA

JAMES

5

ISABELLA

JACOB

6

ABIGAIL

JACKSON

7

MADISON

ETHAN

8

CHLOE

NOAH

9

ADDISON

LANDON

10

EMILY

LIAM

11

ELLA

MICHAEL

12

AUBREY

AIDEN

13

LILLIAN

JOHN

14

HARPER

SAMUEL

15

ELIZABETH

JAYDEN

16

LILY

BRAYDEN

17

HANNAH

ANDREW

18

BROOKLYN

JOSHUA

19

AMELIA

JOSEPH

20

KAYLEE

BENTLEY

21

AVERY

ELI

22

ZOEY

BENJAMIN

23

NEVAEH

CALEB

24

ANNA

ALEXANDER

25

MIA

DAVID

26

LAYLA

CHRISTOPHER

27

SAVANNAH

DANIEL

28

ALEXIS

MATTHEW

29

ZOE

HUNTER

30

SERENITY

GABRIEL

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

EMMA

WILLIAM

2

ISABELLA

MASON

3

AVA

ELIJAH

4

OLIVIA

JACOB

5

MADISON

JAMES

6

ADDISON

JACKSON

7

ABIGAIL

JAYDEN

8

SOPHIA

NOAH

9

CHLOE

AIDEN

10

EMILY

JOHN

11

ELIZABETH

JOSHUA

12

BROOKLYN

CHRISTOPHER

13

ELLA

LANDON

14

LILY

ETHAN (tie)

MICHAEL (tie)

15

LILLIAN

 

16

ANNA

SAMUEL

17

HANNAH

BRAYDEN

18

ALEXIS

ANDREW (tie)

CALEB (tie)

19

HARPER

 

20

NEVAEH

BENTLEY

21

TAYLOR

LUCAS

22

AVERY

 

23

AUBREY

DAVID

24

LAYLA (tie)

ZOEY (tie)

HUNTER

25

 

JOSEPH

26

SAVANNAH

BENJAMIN

27

NATALIE (tie)

RILEY (tie)

GABRIEL

28

 

BRYSON

29

KAYLEE

ALEXANDER (tie)

LOGAN (tie)

30

AMELIA

 

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

ISABELLA

WILLIAM

2

EMMA

JACOB

3

MADISON

ELIJAH

4

ABIGAIL

JAMES

5

OLIVIA

NOAH

6

ADDISON

ETHAN

7

AVA

JACKSON

8

SOPHIE

AIDEN (tie)

JOSHUA (tie)

9

CHLOE

 

10

ELIZABETH

JAYDEN (tie)

JOHN (tie)

11

EMILY

 

12

ELLA

CHRISTOPHER

13

ALEXIS

MICHAEL

14

ANNA

MASON

15

KAYLEE

LANDON

16

HANNAH

MATTHEW

17

LILLIAN (tie)

LILY (tie)

CALEB

18

 

BRAYDEN

19

BROOKLYN (tie)

LAYLA (tie)

DAVID

20

 

ALEXANDER

21

NEVAEH

GABRIEL

22

TAYLOR

SAMUEL

23

SARAH

BENJAMIN

24

ALYSSA

LOGAN

25

AMELIA

ANDREW

26

RILEY

JOSEPH

27

AUBREY

GAVIN (tie)

JEREMIAH (tie)

28

KYLIE (tie)

SAVANNAH (tie)

 

29

 

CHRISTIAN (tie)

DANIEL (tie)

30

NATALIE

 

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

EMMA

WILLIAM

2

MADISON

JACOB

3

ISABELLA

JAMES

4

OLIVIA

JOSHUA

5

ABIGAIL

NOAH

6

ADDISON

ETHAN

7

AVA

ELIJAH

8

CHLOE

JACKSON

9

EMILY

MICHAEL

10

ELIZABETH

AIDEN

11

ALEXIS

JAYDEN

12

SOPHIA

JOHN

13

ELLA

LANDON

14

SARAH

CHRISTOPHER

15

LILY

BRAYDEN

16

LILLIAN

MATTHEW

17

ALYSSA (tie)

KAYLEE (tie)

SAMUEL

18

 

JOSEPH

19

ANNA (tie)

BROOKLYN (tie)

CALEB

20

 

MASON

21

TAYLOR

ANDREW

22

HANNAH

LOGAN

23

SAVANNAH

DAVID

24

NEVAEH

ALEXANDER

25

MARY

BENJAMIN (tie)

TYLER (tie)

26

MAKAYLA

 

27

RILEY

DANIEL

28

TRINITY

CHRISTIAN

29

ALLISON

CAMERON

30

CAROLINE (tie)

HALEY (tie)

HUNTER

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

MADISON

WILLIAM

2

EMMA

JACOB

3

ADDISON

JAMES

4

ABIGAIL

ELIJAH

5

EMILY

ETHAN

6

AVA

JOSHUA

7

CHLOE

JACKSON

8

OLIVIA

CHRISTOPHER

9

ISABELLA

NOAH

10

ELIZABETH

JAYDEN

11

HANNAH

MICHAEL

12

SARAH

JOHN

13

ALEXIS

MATTHEW

14

TAYLOR

LANDON

15

ANNA

CALEB

16

ALYSSA

AIDEN

17

ELLA

ANDREW

18

KAYLEE

SAMUEL

19

SOPHIA

TYLER

20

LILY

DAVID

21

BROOKLYN

DANIEL

22

MAKAYLA (tie)

SAVANNAH (tie)

CHRISTIAN

23

 

LOGAN

24

NATALIE

JOSEPH

25

LILLIAN

MASON

26

DESTINY

HAYDEN

27

MARY (tie)

NEVAEH (tie)

BRAYDEN

28

 

JONATHAN

29

BRIANNA

GAVIN

30

GRACIE

CHARLES

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

MADISON

WILLIAM

2

EMMA

JACOB

3

EMILY

ETHAN

4

ADDISON

JAMES

5

ABIGAIL

JOSHUA

6

HANNAH

CHRISTOPHER

7

AVA

JACKSON

8

ELIZABETH

MICHAEL

9

CHLOE

NOAH

10

ISABELLA

ANDREW (tie)

ELIJAH (tie)

11

OLIVIA

 

12

ANNA

JOHN

13

ALYSSA

MATTHEW

14

SARAH

SAMUEL

15

ALEXIS

DAVID

16

ELLA

LANDON

17

KAYLEE

CALEB

18

SAVANNAH

JAYDEN

19

SOPHIA

JOSEPH

20

TAYLOR

TYLER

21

LILLIAN

CHRISTIAN

22

LILY

AUSTIN (tie)

JONATHAN (tie)

23

MARY (tie)

NATALIE (tie)

 

24

 

DANIEL

25

BRIANNA

AIDEN

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

MADISON

WILLIAM

2

EMMA

JACOB

3

EMILY

JOSHUA

4

HANNAH

JAMES

5

ABIGAIL

ETHAN

6

OLIVIA

CHRISTOPHER

7

SARAH

MICHAEL

8

CRHLOE

NOAH

9

ALEXIS

ANDREW (tie)

ELIJAH (tie)

10

ANNA

 

11

ISABELLA

JACKSON

12

AVA

JOHN

13

ELIZABETH

CALEB

14

ADDISON

MATTHEW

15

SAVANNAH

LANDON

16

BRIANNA

TYLER

17

ALYSSA

SAMUEL

18

ELLA

AUSTIN

19

TAYLOR

DAVID

20

LILLIAN

JOSEPH

21

ASHLEY

CHRISTIAN

22

KAYLEE

LOGAN

23

MORGAN

HUNTER

24

JASMINE

JONATHAN

25

BROOKLYN (tie)

HALEY (tie)

DANIEL

RANK ORDER

GIRLS NAMES

BOYS NAMES

1

MADISON

WILLIAM

2

EMMA

JACOB

3

EMILY

ETHAN

4

HANNAH

JAMES

5

ABIGAIL

JOSHUA

6

OLIVIA

ANDREW

7

ALEXIS

MICHAEL

8

CHLOE

CHRISTOPHER

9

ELIZABETH

MATTHEW

10

SARAH

JOHN

11

ANNA

ELIJAH

12

AVA

CALEB

13

ALYSSA

TYLER

14

HALEY

SAMUEL

15

ISABELLA

JOSEPH

16

TAYLOR

JACKSON

17

ASHLEY

AUSTIN (tie)

NOAH (tie)

18

DESTINY (tie)

ELLA (tie)

 

19

 

LANDON

20

BRIANNA

CHRISTIAN

21

KAYLEE

DAVID

22

HAILEY

HUNTER

23

LAUREN

DANIEL (tie)

JONATHAN (tie)

24

SYDNEY

 

25

SAVANNAH

LOGAN

This Page Last Updated: August 27, 2026 at 11:02 AM