Tennessee Court Records
How Tennessee's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.
Tennessee has an unusually complex set of trial courts. Most counties have circuit courts, chancery courts, and general sessions courts, and larger counties add separate criminal and probate courts. Each court has its own clerk, so finding a case starts with working out which court heard it.
There is no single statewide public search of trial court records. Many large counties, including Shelby, Davidson, Knox and Hamilton, run their own online case searches.
Tennessee's clerks are elected county officials, and the names and responsibilities of their offices vary. In some counties, one clerk serves both circuit and general sessions courts, while in others they are separate offices. The Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a directory of clerks for each county.
How Tennessee's courts are organized
Tennessee has one high court, two intermediate appellate courts and several kinds of trial courts.
Tennessee Supreme Court
Five justices hear appeals they choose to review and death penalty cases automatically.
Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals
The Court of Appeals hears civil appeals; the Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal appeals.
Circuit courts
General jurisdiction trial courts that hear civil cases and, in many counties, criminal cases. The circuit court clerk keeps the records.
Chancery courts
Hear equity cases, divorce, adoption, probate in many counties, and some civil cases. The clerk and master keeps the records.
Criminal courts and general sessions courts
Criminal courts in larger counties hear felonies. General sessions courts hear misdemeanors, preliminary hearings, small claims and evictions.
Searching Tennessee court records online
Online access in Tennessee depends on the county.
- Tennessee appellate court case searchCase information and opinions for the Supreme Court and appellate courts.
- Tennessee court clerksInformation about Tennessee courts, with links to many local court websites.
Getting records from the clerk's office
Contact the clerk of the specific court: the circuit court clerk, the clerk and master of chancery court, or the criminal court clerk. Clerks provide copies and certified copies for set fees.
Deeds are kept by the county register of deeds.
Clerks can provide copies and certified copies for set fees. Many large counties, such as Shelby, Davidson, Knox and Hamilton, offer free online searches of their criminal and civil dockets, and some allow online document purchases.
- Find a Tennessee courtContact information for courts in every county.
What is public, and what is not
Most Tennessee court records are public, but juvenile, adoption and mental health records are confidential.
Tennessee allows expunction of dismissed charges, acquittals and some convictions after a waiting period. Expunged records are removed from public view.
Tennessee court records are generally public under the Tennessee Public Records Act and court rules. Juvenile and adoption records are confidential, and judges may seal records only after making specific findings. Tennessee allows expunction of dismissed charges, acquittals and some convictions after a waiting period.
- Help4TN: ExpungementFree information about expungement and other legal issues.
Older and archived records
Historical court records, including many county court records on microfilm, are held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
The Tennessee State Library and Archives holds microfilm of county court records, including chancery, circuit and county court minutes, many dating back to the 1700s.
- Tennessee State Library and ArchivesHistorical state and county records.
Criminal history and background records
A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation keeps the state's criminal history records and sells public name-based searches.
- TBI criminal historyHow to request a Tennessee criminal history record.
- Tennessee sex offender registryPublic search of registered sex offenders.
- TDOC felony offender searchFind people in Tennessee state custody.
Federal court records in Tennessee
Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in Tennessee's state courts. Tennessee is divided into 3 federal judicial districts, and each has its own clerk's office:
Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from Tennessee's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Tips for a faster search
- Figure out which court heard the case first: circuit, chancery, criminal or general sessions.
- In large counties, general sessions handles most misdemeanors and traffic cases.
- Expunged records will not appear in public searches.
- If you don't know which court heard the case, start with general sessions court, where most criminal cases begin.
- Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
- Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.
Legal help and law libraries
Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:
- Help4TNFree legal information and help finding legal aid.
- Tennessee State Law LibrariesLaw libraries in the Supreme Court buildings in Nashville, Knoxville and Jackson.
This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.