Tennessee Secretary of State

Name

Tennessee Secretary of State

Legal name

Tennessee Secretary of State

Website

https://sos.tn.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1796

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Tennessee Secretary of State is the constitutional office administering elections, business entity filings, charitable solicitations oversight, state records management, and the Tennessee State Library & Archives for all Tennessee citizens, businesses, schools, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Government Administration Services

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement (BPAIACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Government services
• Elections administration
• Business filings
• Voter registration
• Public records management

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Tax Revenue: Primary funding through state government appropriations funded by tax revenue. The Department of State is a constitutional office with services and oversight reaching every department and agency in state government.
2. Service Fees: Fees collected for various services including public records requests, photocopies (15 cents per page), manuscript copies (50 cents per page), imaging services, and business filings. Microfilm digitization at $90 per reel.
3. Business Filing Fees: Online filing system for new businesses and annual reports generates filing fees from corporations and businesses registered in Tennessee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Tennessee Secretary of State is a constitutional state government office that administers Tennessee elections and voter registration, registers business entities and charitable organizations, manages state records disposition, preserves Tennessee history through the State Library & Archives, conducts administrative hearings, and publishes official state documents. The office delivers these services to Tennessee residents, businesses, schools, and researchers through online portals, mobile applications, in-person locations, and a statewide regional library system.

Product overview

The Tennessee Secretary of State is a government department providing a broad portfolio of services organized into multiple divisions: Elections (voter registration, poll worker recruitment, election administration), Business Services (corporate filings, annual reports), Charities and Gaming oversight, Records Management (state records retention and disposition), Library and Archives, Publications, and Administrative Hearings. Key digital products include the GoVoteTN mobile app, an online business filing portal, and online voter registration system. The office also manages civic engagement programs including the Anne Dallas Dudley Awards for schools and the Your Vote Matters initiative. The Tennessee State Library & Archives division, recently relocated to the Bicentennial Mall, provides research services, educational programs, and the Passport to Tennessee History collaborative program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Your Vote Matters: Voter registration and election information program for Tennessee businesses, churches, nonprofits, and schools
• Safe at Home
• Anne Dallas Dudley Award
• Tennessee Businesses Against Trafficking (TBAT)
• Library for Accessible Books and Media (LABM)
• GoVoteTN

Products and services

• GoVoteTN Mobile App Mobile application for voter registration, voter lookup, election information, and accessing voter resources on mobile devices for Tennessee residents.
• Online Business Filing System Online corporate filing portal enabling Tennessee businesses to register new entities, file annual reports, and manage business registrations through an intuitive web interface.
• Online Voter Registration Web-based system allowing Tennessee citizens to register to vote online, accessible to Tennessee residents.
• Elections Services Division providing voter registration, election administration, poll worker recruitment, and election information services for Tennessee citizens across the state.
• Business Services Division providing business entity registration, annual reports filing, and business lookup services for Tennessee corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities.
• Charities and Gaming Division Division providing oversight of charitable solicitations and gaming activities, including resources for consumers to learn how charitable contributions are spent.
• Records Management Division Division assisting state agencies in establishing systematic controls for efficient use and sound preservation of state records, overseeing Records Disposition Authorizations.
• Tennessee State Library & Archives Division collecting and preserving books, records, and documents of historical and reference value focused on Tennessee and Tennesseans, with interactive exhibits, research services, and the Passport to Tennessee History program.
• Library for Accessible Books & Media (LABM) Service loaning braille, audio, and large print publications to Tennessee residents with disabilities preventing reading of standard print, utilizing U.S. Postal Service Free Matter mailing.
• Administrative Hearings Division handling administrative hearings and legal proceedings under the Secretary of State's office, providing dispute resolution and regulatory adjudication services.
• Publications Official publications including executive orders, acts and resolutions, and Blue Book publications from the Tennessee Secretary of State.
• Safe at Home Program Address confidentiality program for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, administered through the Secretary of State's office.
• Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) Statewide electronic library resources and services for public libraries in Tennessee, providing digital research and learning materials to residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Online services allow citizens to register to vote, file businesses, and access records digitally

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Tennessee State CapitolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative through the Passport to Tennessee History program, encouraging visitors to explore four state history institutions within walking distance on the north side of downtown Nashville. The Secretary of State oversees the Library & Archives which collaborates with the Capitol on this visitor experience program.
• Tennessee State MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Passport to Tennessee History initiative and collaborative programming. The Library & Archives moved to the Bicentennial Mall adjacent to the museum, enabling joint visitor experiences and cross-promotional opportunities for Tennessee history education.
• Bicentennial Capitol Mall State ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent neighbor on the Bicentennial Mall where the new Library & Archives facility is located. Partners on the Passport to Tennessee History program offering visitors a comprehensive state history experience.
• National Library Service for Blind & Print Disabled/Library of CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Library for Accessible Books and Media (LABM) is a cooperating library with the NLS network of libraries serving the blind and print disabled. This partnership enables access to the national collection of braille and audio materials for Tennessee residents with disabilities.
• Tennessee Regional Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of State through the Library & Archives provides leadership and coordination to the statewide regional library system, supporting public library services across all Tennessee counties.
• YMCA Center for Civic EngagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecretary Hargett serves on the board of directors of the YMCA Center for Civic Engagement, supporting civic education and voter participation initiatives.
• Union University Advisory BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecretary Hargett serves on the Union University Advisory Board, supporting higher education and civic engagement in partnership with the university.
• Tennessee General AssemblyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Secretary of State is elected by the Tennessee General Assembly in joint session. The office works closely with the legislature on matters including the recent move of the Library & Archives to its new facility on the Bicentennial Mall.
• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecretary Hargett serves as chairman of the executive committee of the Republican Secretaries of State Committee (RSSC) and participates in NASS programs including the Medallion Award and John Lewis Youth Leadership Award initiatives.
• Tennessee Department of HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVital records including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce certificates are maintained by the Tennessee Health Department's Office of Vital Records, which works in coordination with the Secretary of State's office for records access.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Georgia Secretary of State: Southeastern U.S. state constitutional office offering nearly identical services — corporate filings (eSoleProprietor/corporations), elections administration, professional licensing boards, and state records. Strongly comparable in both scope and regional context.
• Texas Secretary of State: State constitutional office with parallel responsibilities for business filings (direct.gov), elections administration, and state records. Highly comparable in service mix and constitutional-office structure.
• New York Department of State: State-level department providing business filings, records management, elections-related functions, and library/archives services. Comparable as a multi-division state government entity delivering civic and business services.
• Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations: Another state-level Secretary/Department of State office performing the same core functions — business entity registration (sunbiz), elections administration, and records management. Most directly comparable in scope and service mix to the Tennessee Secretary of State's Business Services and Elections divisions.
• California Secretary of State: State-level constitutional office providing business filings (bizfile), elections administration, voter registration, archives, and records management. Directly comparable functional scope across business services, elections, and state records.
• North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State: State-level office handling business registrations, trademark filings, elections-related authentication, and records services. Comparable as a state constitutional officer's office with online business filing and authentication capabilities.

Others

• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS): Industry/trade association of state Secretaries of State, of which the Tennessee Secretary of State is a member and active participant (Medallion Award, John Lewis Youth Leadership Award). Comparable as the peer/ecosystem organization rather than a direct service competitor.

Regional players

• Tennessee State Museum: Adjacent state institution partnering with the Library & Archives through the Passport to Tennessee History program on the Bicentennial Mall. Comparable in Tennessee-history mission and visitor-experience scope, but is a museum rather than a records/archive entity.

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Department of Revenue: Another large Tennessee state government agency with which the Secretary of State's Business Services interacts on business-entity taxation matters. Comparable as a fellow Tennessee state agency serving businesses and citizens, but with a tax-administration rather than records/elections focus.
• Library of Congress: National-scale library and archives institution that the Tennessee State Library & Archives collaborates with through the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Comparable in archival, research, and cultural-preservation mission, though at vastly larger federal scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tnsecofstate
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/sectrehargett
• Facebookfacebook.com/TennesseeSecretaryofState
• Instagraminstagram.com/tnsecofstate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-secretary-of-state

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Secretary of State