Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-2-217
This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-2-217, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Extraterritorial personal service - Proof
Official statutory text
(a) In addition to service of process on the secretary of state as set forth in this part, personal service of process may be made upon any party outside the state by any person over eighteen (18) years of age and not a party to the action. No order of court shall be required to constitute such person a proper officer to receive and execute the process. (b) An affidavit of the person serving the process shall be filed with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending, stating the time, manner and place of service. Acts 1965, ch. 67, § 4; 1979, ch. 418, § 2; T.C.A., § 20-238.
(a) In addition to service of process on the secretary of state as set forth in this part, personal service of process may be made upon any party outside the state by any person over eighteen (18) years of age and not a party to the action. No order of court shall be required to constitute such person a proper officer to receive and execute the process.
(b) An affidavit of the person serving the process shall be filed with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending, stating the time, manner and place of service.
Acts 1965, ch. 67, § 4; 1979, ch. 418, § 2; T.C.A., § 20-238.
(a) In addition to service of process on the secretary of state as set forth in this part, personal service of process may be made upon any party outside the state by any person over eighteen (18) years of age and not a party to the action. No order of court shall be required to constitute such person a proper officer to receive and execute the process.
(b) An affidavit of the person serving the process shall be filed with the clerk of the court in which the action is pending, stating the time, manner and place of service.
Acts 1965, ch. 67, § 4; 1979, ch. 418, § 2; T.C.A., § 20-238.
Status: in_force
Need a lawyer in Tennessee?
Find a Tennessee lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.