Custodian Of Medical Records Laws in Tennessee

Tennessee

Medical Records Custodian & Retention Laws

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Tennessee Medical Record Retention Law:
Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0880-2-.15

Adult patients: Not less than 10 years.
Patients who were minors: One year after the minor reaches the age of majority, OR 10 years from last professional contact, whichever is LONGER.
The retention period runs from: The physician's or a supervisee's last professional contact with the patient.
RETAIN INDEFINITELY: immunization records, and the records of incompetent patients.
Mammography records: at least 20 years.
X-rays, radiographs and other imaging products: at least 4 years.
No record involving services currently under dispute may be destroyed until the dispute is resolved.
Destruction must follow established office procedures, use burning, shredding or another method that protects confidentiality, and the time, date and circumstances of destruction must be recorded and kept.

If you are closing, selling or relocating your practice
Tennessee sets out what has to happen to patient records. The points below are taken from the source above.

0880-2-.15(e)1, Records of Physicians upon Death or Retirement: patients seen in the office during the IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THIRTY-SIX (36) MONTHS shall be notified by the physician or their authorised representative, urged to find a new physician, and informed that on authorisation copies of the records will be sent to the new physician. It does not apply to a patient with fewer than two office encounters in the preceding eighteen months.
0880-2-.15(e)3, Sale of a Medical Practice: the physician or the estate 'must ensure that ALL MEDICAL RECORDS ARE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PHYSICIAN OR ENTITY THAT IS HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS OF CONFIDENTIALITY as provided in these rules', and patients seen in the preceding thirty-six months shall be notified that the practice is transferring to another physician or entity WHO WILL RETAIN CUSTODY OF THEIR RECORDS, and that at their written request copies will be sent to a physician or entity of their choice.
0880-2-.15(e)2 covers a physician departing a group and who bears the notification duty.
The rule contemplates the failure case explicitly: where a physician 'has abandoned his practice and not made provision for the security, or transfer, or otherwise established a secure method of patient access to their records', patients are left to obtain records by whatever lawful means are available - which is precisely the outcome a custodian prevents.
Destruction must be logged: time, date and circumstances recorded and kept.

Tennessee closing-practice checklist
The same requirements as a checklist you can print and work through, with the retention periods, the notice each rule requires and what you may charge for copies.
Open the Tennessee checklist →

Cost

No state copying-fee schedule was located for Tennessee. Charges should be reasonable and cost-based.

Verified September 2026

This page summarises the source above and is not legal advice. Retention periods change and several states adjust their copying fees every year, so confirm the current text before you rely on a date or a figure.