Tennessee Court Records Search

Tennessee Court Records & Case Lookup

Yearly, Tennessee Courts preside over 260,000 cases, with nearly 1,000 new cases filed every day. Criminal cases filed at the courts account for 59% of cases at over 155,000 lawsuits. It includes cases from assaults to sexual offenses. Civil disputes stand at 41% in Tennessee, with over 100,000 cases filed every year. Civil cases include lawsuits from adoptions to traffic-related disputes.

The Tennessee Public Records Act grants the public access to court records. Per the Act, members of the public have the right to view and copy public records maintained by government agencies, including the courts, unless such records are specifically exempted from the public per the Act. Tennessee law makes certain court records confidential and excludes them from public view.

Tennessee residents have several options to look up public court records in the state. While the Tennessee Judiciary does not provide a central repository to access courts online, most counties maintain their court records online and provide access to the records. Besides online access, most courts allow residents to access court records via other channels.

State of Tennessee Court System

The court system in Tennessee is divided into 32 Judicial Districts. The Tennessee court system comprises the appellate courts, trial courts, and specialty courts. Tennessee appellate courts comprise the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Tennessee Supreme Court is the highest in the state and may accept appeal cases from criminal and civil lawsuits from the lower courts. Also referred to as the court of last resort, the Supreme Court interprets the laws and constitution at the state and federal levels.

The Court of Appeals presides over appeal cases from civil cases from the trial courts. The Court of Criminal Appeals handles trial court appeals from felony and misdemeanor lawsuits. Court rulings from the Courts of Appeals and the Criminal Courts of Appeals may be appealed at the Supreme Court.

All criminal and civil cases begin at the lower courts. Parties dissatisfied with the decision from the trial court may appeal the case at the appropriate court of appeal. The case may progress to the Supreme Court if the case involves serious legal questions or interpretations.

Tennessee Trial Courts

The trial courts in Tennessee are where most cases begin and get resolved. The trial courts are courts of general jurisdiction. They hear a wide range of cases, from civil to felony criminal cases. They are not limited to any specific type of case. Tennessee's trial courts consist of the following:

Circuit Courts in Tennessee

The Circuit Courts are courts of general jurisdiction, with the authority to hear a wide range of cases, from civil to criminal cases. The court also hears appeals from the lower courts on Municipal, general sessions, and juvenile matters. Tennessee Circuit Courts share jurisdiction with the Chancery Court on general civil cases and certain family law and probate matters.

Chancery Courts in Tennessee

Chancery Courts are courts of fairness, with the authority to preside over matters requiring equity. The courts share jurisdiction with Circuit Courts over most civil cases, including divorce, arbitration, paternity, and probate proceedings. They have the sole right to hear cases filed by the state against some corporations, certain creditors' requests, contract disputes, name changes, and land boundary disputes.

Criminal Courts in Tennessee

Criminal Courts and Circuit Courts share jurisdiction over criminal cases. Criminal Courts were created to help ease the caseload from the Circuit Courts. Generally, Circuit Courts do not exert the right to hear criminal cases in Jurisdictions with Criminal Courts.

Probate Courts in Tennessee

The Probate Court in Tennessee has the authority to hear cases involving the administration of deceased estate and probate of wills. The court also presides over conservatorship and guardianship cases.

General Session Courts in Tennessee

General Sessions Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. Their level of authority is largely determined by Private Acts and it varies from one county to another. General Sessions Court presides over preliminary hearings for criminal cases, misdemeanor trials, and violations of municipal ordinances. They also attend to civil cases without financial limits such as recovery of personal property or forcible entry.

Municipal Courts in Tennessee

The court presides over cases involving violation of municipal ordinances. Also called City Courts, Municipal Court's jurisdiction varies across Tennessee. The courts preside over cases, such as traffic violations, city ordinance violations, and code violations. Municipal Courts may impose fines ranging from $50 to $500.

In some cities, Municipal Courts handle cases involving state criminal laws, such as underage alcohol offenses. In other cities, the Municipal Courts do not have such authority, especially where there are specialty courts.

What are the Specialty Courts in Tennessee?

The Specialty Courts in Tennessee are created to address issues that may contribute to an individual's criminal behavior. Specialty Courts, called Recovery Courts in Tennessee, provide an alternative to prosecution through rehabilitation and accountability. Tennessee 82 recovery courts are designed to help reduce recidivism -relapsing into criminal behavior after a previous conviction. Recovery Courts in Tennessee include:

• Adult Recovery Courts
• Veterans Treatment Courts
• Mental Health Courts
• Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Courts
• Juvenile Drug Court
• Family Dependency Treatment Court

Tennessee State Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Tennessee court records and federal court records provide insights into legal proceedings. However, both records vary in jurisdiction, information content, and record access.

Tennessee state court records cover cases arising from violating state laws. Typically, it includes criminal, civil, probate, family law, and juvenile law cases. State court records contain arrest warrants, criminal and civil complaints, plea deals, and sentencing information. Access to state court records is usually through the county's websites or by visiting the courthouse.

Federal Court records are case files from legal proceedings of federal crimes such as money laundering, human trafficking, tax offenses, and all crimes committed across state or federal borders. Federal court records include information on national-level cases. Generally, federal court records are accessible online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). Access to the records from PACER requires registration and may incur fees.

All federal court records in Tennessee originate from the Federal Courts in the state. They are:

• The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
• The United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
• The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Tennessee?

Generally, most court records are public records in Tennessee. Nearly all court records are accessible to the public unless the record is restricted due to a court order or state or federal law. Non-public court records are court documents exempted from public view to protect the privacy of the record holder or to protect sensitive information.

How To Seal or Expunge Tennessee Court Records

Section 40-32-101 of the Tennessee Code Annotated provides the conditions under which individuals may have their court records destroyed. Destroying court records is typically through sealing or expungement. Tennessee law only provides for the expungement of eligible criminal convictions.

Sealing court records is hiding the records from the public. Sealing does not destroy the record. Expungement, on the other hand, completely wipes the records. It erases the record permanently from all criminal history records as though it never existed.

Although Tennessee permits the destruction of court records, not all criminal convictions are eligible for expunction. Per the law, the following court documents related to misdemeanor or felony charges may be eligible for expunction:

• The charges were dropped or dismissed
• The grand jury returned a "no true bill"
• The case went to trial, and it resulted in a not-guilty verdict
• The case resulted in a "nolle prosequi"
• The order of protection was challenged in court and denied after a successful defense
• The individual has completed all terms of their sentence and paid all fines
• The waiting period has elapsed. At least 5 years after completing the sentence
• There is no pending conviction other than the one under review

Furthermore, only certain criminal convictions, non-sexual, non-violent, or non-DUI convictions, qualify for expunction. Typically, it includes most misdemeanor convictions and some Class E felonies such as vandalism, forgery, and false insurance claims.

How To Expunge Court Records in Texas

Expunging court records begins with filing the petition for expunction in the judicial district where the case was tried. Persons expunging their court records may complete the Order for the Expungement of Criminal Officer Record form. The state law requires separate forms to be completed for each charge requiring expunction. Petitioners may also include self-addressed and stamped envelopes for each charge to receive a copy of the court's decision.

After filing, the petitioner may notify other parties to the case, such as the prosecutor and the victim. The court may require a hearing to determine if it's in the public interest to erase the record. If the petition is approved, a copy of the verdict is sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TDI) and other law enforcement agencies, which then delete the record from their paper and electronic databases.

Generally, charges that were dismissed, not guilty verdict, "no true dill" or nolle prosequi may be expunged at no cost to the record holder. All other expungements of court records require the petitioner to pay fees to the court clerk for processing the requests. It costs $100 to expunge court records in Tennessee.

How Do You Access State of Tennessee Court Records?

All courthouses in Tennessee maintain a database of all court proceedings within their jurisdictions. Therefore, accessing court records in Tennessee can be done through online access, in-person visits to the courthouse, or written requests sent by mail.

Online Access to Tennessee Court Records

Tennessee courts offer various online platforms to access court records. Online platforms permit record seekers to search for case information and track court proceedings without visiting the courthouse. The following resources allow users to search Tennessee court records online:

• Appellate Case Search: The web tool grants access to Tennessee online court records from the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, and Criminal Court of Appeals. Searchers may use the case number, case style, first and last name, or an organization's name to retrieve court records from the database.
• Individual County Courts: Although the Tennessee Judiciary does not provide a central database to access court records, the records are available online through each county's online court system. For example, Davidson County provides online access to court records through its Court Case Information portal. Likewise, Montgomery County offers electronic access to court records using the Online Court Records System.

In-Person Access to State of Tennessee Court Records

Due to the absence of a unified electronic database to access court records in Tennessee, interested persons may visit the courthouse where the case was tried to obtain the records. Each county has its process for requesting court records in person at the courthouses. Generally, most Clerk of Courts require record seekers to submit written requests or complete record request forms provided on the county's website.

Searchers may provide the required information, such as full names of the parties or case numbers, to retrieve the record. The Clerk of Court charges a fee to copy the records or obtain certified copies of the records. The fee varies per county. Viewing the records at the courthouse is free.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

Judicial administrative records are documents relating to the daily operations of the courts and not the cases it handles. All requests for judicial administrative records may be mailed to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in Tennessee at:

How To Access Older and Archived Court Records in Tennessee

Older court records are available at the Clerk of Courts Office in the county where the case was tried. Also, record seekers may access archive court records from the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA). The TSLA holds a repository of historical and archived court records. Interested persons may order the records from the TSLA or search the online catalog to view the records. The TSLA charges a fee for ordering the court records.