Grundy County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Grundy County are issued by the Grundy County Clerk, not by the Circuit Court Clerk or the Clerk and Master. The county clerk is Tammy Sholey, Suite 101, 68 Cumberland Street, Altamont, TN 37301. The office phone is (931) 692-3622, and the reported office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those hours should be confirmed before travel because the research did not find an official hours page for every county office.
Grundy County marriage records are described in the research as held by the county clerk back to 1850. That makes the county clerk the local source for the license record, the recorded marriage return, and older paper index material. The county clerk does not keep divorce files, probate matters, or other court case files. A reader who needs a divorce decree should start with Chancery Court through the Clerk and Master, or with Circuit Court if the divorce was filed there.
Grundy County Clerk
Clerk: Tammy Sholey
68 Cumberland Street, Suite 101
Altamont, TN 37301
(931) 692-3622
Reported hours: Mon-Thu 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Apply for a Grundy County Marriage License
Grundy County uses the Tennessee County Clerk online pre-application for marriage licenses. The online form saves counter time, but it does not issue the license by itself. Both applicants still need to appear in person at the county clerk's office, complete the signing process, show proof of identity and age, and pay the license fee. Tennessee has no blood test and no general waiting period, so a properly issued license can be used the same day.
- Complete the Grundy County marriage pre-application if you want the clerk to receive the typed information before you arrive.
- If claiming the discount, finish a four-hour approved premarital preparation course within one year before applying and bring the notarized certificate.
- Both applicants go to the County Clerk in Suite 101 with valid government photo ID, proof of age, and Social Security number or the required affidavit if none exists.
- Disclose prior marriages, including the date and reason the last marriage ended, because the form asks for that history.
- Pay the marriage license fee, sign as directed by the clerk, and receive the license for use within 30 days of issuance.
- Have an authorized officiant solemnize the marriage, then make sure the signed license is returned to the County Clerk for recording.
Note: The pre-application is not a remote license. The in-person visit is still required before the license is valid.
Grundy County Marriage Form Fields
The Grundy County pre-application asks for detailed information about both applicants. The form uses gender-neutral designations and includes a "Partner" choice, along with "Prefer not to disclose" options for gender and designation. Date-of-birth selections observed in the form ran from 1901 through 2009, which reflects Tennessee's age limits and the need for proof of age at the counter.
| Form area | Fields requested | Required notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant identity | First, middle, last, original surname, suffix, date of birth, birthplace, country, race, Hispanic origin, gender, and designation | Most identity fields are required; unknown parent names may be entered as unknown. |
| Contact and residence | Street address, city, state, ZIP, county of residence, phone, email, and email confirmation | Address, county, and email fields are required in the inspected form. |
| Marital history | Previously married, which marriage this is, last marriage ended date, and reason ended | Death, divorce, and annulment are listed as end reasons. |
| Education | Highest grade completed, ranging from grade school through doctorate | Used for state vital statistics rather than eligibility by itself. |
| Parents | Father or Parent 1 and Mother or Parent 2 names, original surnames, suffixes, birth states, and countries | Applicant 2 has the same field set and an address-same-as-Applicant-1 checkbox. |
Grundy County Marriage and Divorce Fees
The marriage license fee is listed in the research as $100 without a premarital preparation course certificate and $40 with a valid certificate. Older listings may show $97.50 and $37.50, so the current total should be confirmed with the County Clerk before applying. Divorce filing costs are court costs, not county clerk costs, and the research found standard Tennessee figures rather than a posted Grundy itemized schedule.
| Item | Amount | Where to request or pay |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license without course certificate | $100.00 | Grundy County Clerk |
| Marriage license with valid premarital course certificate | $40.00 | Grundy County Clerk |
| Certified Tennessee marriage certificate | $15 first copy; $15 each additional | Tennessee Office of Vital Records |
| Divorce filing without minor children | $125 standard court cost, plus taxes and service costs | Chancery Court or Circuit Court |
| Divorce filing with minor children | $200 standard court cost, plus taxes and service costs | Chancery Court or Circuit Court |
| Certificate of divorce or annulment | $15 first copy; $15 each additional | Tennessee Office of Vital Records |
The premarital course must be at least four hours, completed within one year before applying, and documented by a notarized Certificate of Completion. The statutory discount reduces the additional marriage fee by $60.
Search Grundy County Marriage Records
Current and recent marriage records may be checked through the Tennessee County Clerk marriage lookup. The lookup for Grundy County accepts Applicant 1 last and first name, Applicant 2 last and first name, a checkbox to search both applicants, and an exact-match option. The research did not confirm the year range or whether the lookup includes the full 1850 county index, so older records should be requested from the county clerk or searched through Tennessee State Library and Archives material.
The image below comes from Tennessee Code section 36-3-301, the statute that lists who may solemnize a Tennessee marriage.
That statute matters because a license is not complete until an authorized person performs the ceremony and the executed license is returned for recording.
Find Grundy County Divorce Records
Divorce is a court matter in Grundy County. The research identifies concurrent divorce jurisdiction in Chancery Court and Circuit Court, so the correct clerk depends on where the case was filed. The Clerk and Master, Patricia Campbell, keeps Chancery divorce files in Suite 200 and can be reached at (931) 692-3455. The Circuit Court Clerk, Penny Sons, keeps Circuit Court divorce files in Suite 206 and can be reached at (931) 692-3368. A statewide vital-record certificate is not the same as the full court decree.
Tennessee divorce rules include residency, grounds, and waiting periods. If the grounds arose in Tennessee, a party must be a bona fide Tennessee resident when filing. If the grounds arose outside Tennessee, one spouse must have lived in Tennessee for six consecutive months before filing. A final divorce generally cannot be entered until 60 days after filing when there are no minor children, or 90 days when minor children are involved.
For court routing, divorce and probate both belong on the Chancery side unless a divorce was filed in Circuit Court. Probate records use the same Clerk and Master office, while criminal, traffic, and General Sessions files stay with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Certified Marriage and Divorce Copies
A certified marriage copy can come from the Grundy County Clerk if the local recorded license is needed. Tennessee Vital Records also issues certified marriage certificates for marriages recorded from 1945 forward. The state application is form PH-1670, and the fee is $15 for the first certificate and $15 for each additional certificate ordered at the same time. Mail requests require the state form, payment to Tennessee Vital Records, and identity documentation unless the request is notarized.
For divorce, the court clerk that handled the case issues certified copies of the Final Decree and other filed orders. Tennessee Vital Records issues a Certificate of Divorce or Annulment for divorces from 1945 forward using form PH-1671 at the same $15 first-copy and $15 additional-copy fee. If the state office finds no record, the $15 fee also covers a no-record letter.
Grundy County Divorce Filing Steps
Divorce filings require more than locating a record. A new case begins with pleadings filed in Chancery Court or Circuit Court. Uncontested cases based on irreconcilable differences usually include a Marital Dissolution Agreement, and cases with children require a Permanent Parenting Plan, child-support worksheet, and parent-education seminar. Contested cases may be sent to mediation under Tennessee court practice.
- Confirm Tennessee residency and choose the legal grounds for divorce.
- Prepare the Complaint for Divorce and any agreement, parenting, or support documents that apply.
- File with the Clerk and Master in Chancery Court or the Circuit Court Clerk, then pay the cost or submit a Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency.
- Serve the spouse unless a waiver or answer is filed.
- Complete any parent-education requirement and mediation ordered by the court.
- Wait the required 60 or 90 days, attend the final hearing, and obtain certified copies after the decree is entered.
Note: Tennessee does not create common-law marriages, but it may recognize a valid common-law marriage formed in another state.