Chrissy Henderson, Register of Deeds

»Frequently Asked Questions

The office of Register of Deeds can be traced back to the period when this region was part of the English colony of Carolina. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, the first constitution included a provision for a Register to be elected by the county court in every county. The Tennessee Constitution of 1835 provided for the popular election of the Register for a term of four years. Tennessee's Constitution of 1870 retained the office of Register and continued the term of office at four years. The 1978 amendments to the Tennessee Constitution retained the four-year term for the Register.

Tennessee's Constitution does not specify the duties for the office of Register of Deeds. Therefore, the state legislature determines the duties of the Register by statute. The Register's general duties have always been to record various types of legal instruments and transactions, particularly those conveying title to land. This basic function, in regard to land titles, remains a vital one. However, over the years, other types of instruments have been added to those eligible for registration. Today, many of the basic duties of the office are listed in Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-13-108. In addition, many other statutes contain duties that the register must perform in today's office.