Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity

What is Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity?

If you are not married when your child is born, your child does not have a legal father. This service allows the father’s name to be placed on the birth certificate for a child born out of wedlock.

The father’s name may be added to a birth certificate by completing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, if all of the following are true:

1. The child has not yet reached his/her 19th birthday.
2. The mother was not married at the time the child was born or within 300 days prior to the child’s birth.
3. Both the biological mother and the father want to add his name to the birth certificate.
4. There is no father’s name on the birth certificate.

How do you request Acknowledgement of Paternity?

This service is by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday and may be scheduled over the phone. You may also call the Department of Health Tennessee Vital Records office at 1-800-457-2165 for further information.