eRegister

Tennessee Mechanics Lien
Deadlines & Filing Rules

Every notice, deadline, and recording requirement for a Tennessee construction lien, drawn from T.C.A. §§ 66-11-112, 66-11-115, 66-11-130, 66-11-143, 66-11-145 and the same rule engine that calculates deadlines for our filing customers.

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Tennessee lien rules at a glance

Preliminary notice
Not required to preserve lien rights
Lien filing deadline
within 90 days after completion of the project
Notarization
Required
The lien claim must be sworn to under oath
Where to record
Register of deeds for the county
E-recording
Varies by county
Ask the recording office whether it accepts electronic recording before you rely on it.
Enforcement deadline
Within 1 year after project completion

Who can file a mechanics lien in Tennessee

Lien rights depend on where you sit in the contracting chain. Tenant-ordered improvements can support a lien in Tennessee.

Claimant Lien rights in Tennessee
General contractor (direct contract with the owner) Yes
Subcontractor (hired by the general contractor) Yes
Sub-subcontractor (hired by a subcontractor) Yes
Material supplier to the owner Yes
Material supplier to the general contractor Yes
Material supplier to a subcontractor Yes

Tennessee mechanics lien deadlines

Not required to preserve lien rights. Tennessee requires a notice of intent to lien before the lien itself is recorded, served at least 90 days ahead of filing.

Calculate your Tennessee deadlines

Enter your role and project dates to turn the rules below into calendar dates. For other states, use the mechanics lien deadline calculator.

Project type

Choose your role to see which dates you need.

These dates come from the same rules our lien filing service uses. They are not moved for weekends or holidays. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.

Notice of intent to lien

The final warning before a lien is recorded.

Who Project type Deadline
All claimants All projects At least 90 days before filing the lien

Mechanics lien filing deadline

The last day the lien can be recorded against the property.

Who Project type Deadline
All claimants All projects Within 90 days after completion of the project

Recording and enforcing a Tennessee lien

Recording the lien

Record with the register of deeds for the county. Whether electronic recording is accepted varies by county, so confirm with the recording office and build mailing time into the deadline. The lien must be notarized. The lien claim must be sworn to under oath.

After recording

A copy of the recorded lien must be served on the property owner promptly after recording. To keep the lien alive it must be enforced by lawsuit within 1 year after project completion.

Wrongful lien exposure

In Tennessee, a wrongful lien claimant can be ordered to pay the owner's attorney fees and costs. If the court finds a lienor willfully and grossly exaggerated the lien amount, it may deny any recovery on the lien, and the lienor may be liable for the injured party's actual expenses, including attorney's fees. The older automatic-penalty statute, § 66-21-108, was repealed in 2019 (per secondary sources; repeal text not read).

Practitioner notes for Tennessee

Tennessee's lien statute is in Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 11. A prime contractor, meaning anyone with a contract directly with the owner, has a lien that lasts one year after the improvement is complete or abandoned. A suit to enforce it must be filed within that year (T.C.A. § 66-11-106). To protect its priority against later buyers and lenders, the prime should record a sworn notice of lien with the register of deeds within 90 days after completion or abandonment (§ 66-11-112). Subcontractors and suppliers further down the chain, called remote contractors, have more steps. Except on 1-4 family residential units, a remote contractor must serve a notice of nonpayment on the owner and on the prime contractor it worked under. The notice is due within 90 days after the last day of each month in which work or materials went unpaid, and missing it bars the lien except for retainage (§ 66-11-145). The remote contractor must also serve a notice of lien on the owner within 90 days after completion or abandonment. That lien lasts only 90 days after service, so suit must be filed within that time (§ 66-11-115). On an owner-occupied home of one to four units, generally only the prime contractor has lien rights (§ 66-11-146). An owner or prime contractor can serve a written demand that cuts the time to sue to 60 days (§ 66-11-130). If the owner records a notice of completion, remote contractors may have only 10 days (residential) or 30 days (other projects) to respond (§ 66-11-143). A lienor who willfully and grossly exaggerates the amount can lose the lien and owe the owner's attorney's fees (§ 66-11-139). Confirm with counsel on residential projects.

These notes summarize the statute as we read it.

Statutory sources: T.C.A. §§ 66-11-112, 66-11-115, 66-11-130, 66-11-143, 66-11-145. Read the Tennessee lien statute. Deadlines turn on facts specific to your project. Confirm with counsel before relying on them.

File your Tennessee mechanics lien

We calculate the Tennessee deadlines from your project dates, prepare the lien on the correct form, and handle recording. Self-serve from $99, or full service with recording and notices handled for you from $299.

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Tennessee mechanics lien FAQ

How long do I have to file a mechanics lien in Tennessee?
The Tennessee lien must be recorded within 90 days after completion of the project. The same deadline applies to every claimant.
Do I need to send a preliminary notice in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee does not require a preliminary notice to preserve lien rights, although sending one is still an effective way to get paid before a lien becomes necessary.
Does a Tennessee mechanics lien need to be notarized?
Yes. The lien must be notarized before it is recorded. The lien claim must be sworn to under oath.
Where is a mechanics lien filed in Tennessee?
With the register of deeds for the county. Whether electronic recording is accepted varies by county, so check with the recording office and allow time for mailing and processing when working back from your deadline.
How long is a Tennessee mechanics lien valid?
A Tennessee lien must be enforced through a foreclosure lawsuit within 1 year after project completion. If no suit is filed by then, the lien expires and can no longer be used to force payment.
Is a notice of intent to lien required in Tennessee?
Tennessee requires a notice of intent to lien before the lien itself is recorded, served at least 90 days ahead of filing.
Can a subcontractor file a mechanics lien in Tennessee?
Yes. Subcontractors have lien rights in Tennessee, and so do sub-subcontractors.

More Tennessee lien tools

Bordering states

This page summarizes Tennessee lien law for general information and is not legal advice. Deadlines depend on your role, project type, and dates; confirm them against the statute or with counsel before relying on them.