About the Department

The Tennessee Constitution provides that the secretary of state will be elected by the General Assembly, in joint session, for a four-year term. The constitution also mandates that it is the secretary's duty to keep a register of the official acts and proceedings of the governor, and, when required, to "lay same, all papers, minutes and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly.'' Additionally, by authority of the Tennessee Code Annotated, the secretary of state serves on the following state boards and agencies: State Funding Board, Board of Equalization, Board of Claims, State Building Commission, Library and Archives Management Board, Tennessee Local Development Authority, Tennessee State School Bond Authority, Publications Committee, Public Records Commission, Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, State Capitol Commission, Tennessee Competitive Export Corporation, Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the State Trust Board of Directors.

The Secretary of State's Office keeps all acts and resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and signed by the governor. Pamphlet copies and bound volumes of the Public and Private Acts are available for a nominal fee.

This office is also required to keep other records as set out by statute. The activities include the receipt and recording of all corporate charters and annual reports, receipt of all trademarks, the execution of notary commissions and the receipt of all state administrative rules and regulations.

In addition to the executive office of the secretary of state, located on the first floor of the State Capitol, the department is organized into nine operating offices, eight of which are located in the William R. Snodgrass Tower. The Library and Archives Building houses that division's operations.

The State Election Commission, the Tennessee Ethics Commission, the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance and the Tennessee Economic Council on Women are attached to the Department of State for administrative matters relating to receipts, disbursements, expense accounts, budgets, audits and other related items.

• Executive Office
• Fiscal and Administrative Services
• Personnel and Development
• Adminstrative Procedures
• Charitable Solicitations and Gaming
• Elections
• Library and Archives
• Publications
• Business Services & Forms
• Information Systems
• Economic Council on Women
• Tennessee Ethics Commission
• Tennessee Registry of Election Finance