The County Clerk, formerly the county court clerk, was a statutory official for many decades prior to becoming a constitutional office in the 1978 amendments to the Tennessee Constitution. The County Clerk is elected to a four-year term in the August general election in the same even-numbered year that the governor is elected. The County Clerk performs a wide variety of functions, which generally include:
Keeping the official records of the county legislative body
Collecting certain local and state taxes (such as local wheel taxes, local hotel/motel taxes, beer taxes, business taxes, and vehicle registration fees)
Issuing motor vehicle titles and registrations
Issuing marriage licenses
Issuing business licenses
Processing applications for beer permits
Processing applications for notaries public
Issuing pawnbroker licenses
Issuing hunting and fishing licenses
The County Clerk receives fees for the services rendered by the office.