Tennessee Code Title 68. Health, Safety and Environmental Protection § 68-3-313

(a) All legal documents pertaining to the adoption, together with the certificate of birth in the original name, must be placed in an envelope and sealed following the preparation of the new certificate.

(b) These sealed documents must be preserved in a fireproof vault in the department and must not be removed from that office, except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) The sealed documents must be opened by the state registrar for the purpose of issuing a copy of the certificate in the name at birth, upon receipt of a certified copy of an order of the court that granted the adoption or order of parentage or upon receipt of a directive from the department of children's services consistent with §§ 36-1-126 and 36-1-127.

(d) Upon receipt of a certified copy of an order from the court of competent jurisdiction ordering the annulment of the order of adoption or order of parentage or the replacement of a certificate of birth in the original name in the system of record, the state registrar shall open the sealed documents, replace the certificate of birth in the original name where the certificate was originally filed, remove the new certificate, and place it under seal with the legal documents and the certified copy of the court order.