County Clerk

1 North Washington Avenue,
Brownsville, TN 38012
Tel: 731-772-2362
Fax: 731-772-1213
[email protected]
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

Sonya Castellaw

County Clerk

Sonya Castellaw is a Haywood County native and graduated from Haywood High School. She worked in the County Clerk’s office for 18 years before she was elected County Clerk. Sonya is a Certified Public Administrator through the University of Tennessee/County Technical Assistance Service.

Deputy Clerks

  • Michelle Granberry
  • Casey Firmin
  • Kristen Goodman
  • Marilyn Stokely

Motor Vehicles Services

Tag Renewal

  • Residents may renew their tags on line at tncountyclerk.com. There is an additional fee for using the credit card. The fee is 2.25 percent plus $1.00 of the total transaction.
  • The fee to renew a passenger vehicle in the city limits is $126.00 in the office. If you mail in your renewal, the fee is $128.00, which includes $2.00 for postage.
  • The fee to renew a passenger vehicle is $119.00 in the county. If you are mailing in your renewal, the fee is $121.00, which includes a $2.00 for postage.
  • Any specialty plate is an additional $36.00. If you have a specialty plate that has been personalized, then you will need to add another additional $36.00.
  • A donation of $1 to promote Organ Donor Awareness is optional.
  • New residents of Tennessee are required to apply for a license plate and/or the county wheel tax immediately after moving.
  • Residents moving from another county to Haywood County must show two (2) proofs of residency. Some examples include: utility bill, property tax statement or paycheck stub showing current home address.

Automobile Title

  • The application for a title to a vehicle is $14.00. The total fee for a new title and license plate is $140.00 for city residents and $133.00 for county residents.
  • If you would rather have a specialty plate, then you will need to add an additional $36.00 to the $140.00 or $133.00.
  • Transfer of a tag and application for title is $18.00
  • If there is a lien on the vehicle, you will need to add an additional $11.00 to the transaction.

Marriage License

The license fee is $97.50. The cost is reduced to $37.50 if the couple completes a premarital preparation course from a qualified instructor and submits the Certificate of Completion form when applying for the license.

  • Both the applicants must appear in the office to sign the permanent record book.
  • There is no waiting period. The license must be used within 30 days from the date of issue.
  • The State of Tennessee does not require a blood test.
  • Both parties must be 18 years or older. A driver’s license or certified copy of birth certificate is required for identification.
  • A license issued in Haywood County is valid throughout the State of Tennessee.

Business Tax

  • The application fee is $15.00 for the original license.
  • Each year the license is renewed and a tax is paid, based on the gross receipts earned during the tax period, with the Department of Revenue, Nashville, Tennessee. You may go to the Department’s website at www.tn.gov/revenue and click on “online services.”
  • A business located within the city limits of Brownsville must also obtain a city license.
  • For an application for new business tax license use the following link: Business Tax License

Tennessee Drivers License

The Haywood County Clerk’s office issues Tennessee Driving License renewals, replacements and ID renewals on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Genealogy Information

  • Marriages are recorded in Haywood County for the years 1859 to the present. To request copies, you must submit in writing the names of the applicants and the date of the marriage. The fee for this is $5.00 per copy.
  • Wills or probate records in the Haywood County Clerk’s office may be obtained for the years of 1826 through 1982. The fees for these copies are $0.25 per copy. If you desire certified copies, a $5.00 fee is applicable. If you desire copies of wills after the year of 1982, you must contact the Haywood County Chancery Court at 731-772-0122 since probate was transferred to that office in 1982.
  • Divorce records in the Haywood County Clerk’s office may be obtained for the years 1941 through 1965. The fee for these copies is $0.25 per copy. If you desire certified copies, a $5.00 fee is applicable. If you desire copies of divorces after 1965, you must contact the Haywood County Chancery Court at 731-772-0122 or the Haywood County Circuit Court at 731-772-1112 since divorces were transferred in 1965 to these courts.
  • County Court minutes are recorded in this office for the years of 1826 to the present. To obtain copies, you must call and give a description of the minutes desired. A different fee is applicable to each type of minute copies desired.

Holiday Schedule

  • New Year’s Day – January 1
  • Martin Luther King Day – 3rd Monday in January
  • Good Friday – Friday before Easter
  • Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
  • Independence Day – July 4
  • Labor Day – 1st Monday in September
  • Veteran’s Day – November 11
  • Thanksgiving Day – 4th Thursday in November
  • Day after Thanksgiving – 4th Friday in November
  • Christmas Holiday – December 25 and an additional day