Carter County
Carter County was established in 1796 from parts of Washington County. It occupies about 341 square miles of land in northeastern Tennessee and has a population of 56,356 residents. The City of Elizabethton serves as the county seat and most populous city.
Carter County's trial courts include the Circuit, Criminal, Chancery, General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court rules on civil cases such as land disputes, worker's compensation lawsuits, divorces, adoptions, and guardianships. It has appellate authority to modify or review judgments from other lesser trial courts in Carter County. Felonies and misdemeanor trials are heard at the Carter County Criminal Court. Meanwhile, the General Sessions Court has limited jurisdiction over misdemeanors and civil lawsuits involving up to $25,000 in financial settlements. In Carter County, the Chancery Court handles all probate matters, while the Juvenile Court addresses cases related to minors. The Municipal Court in Elizabethton and other cities are in charge of resolving traffic offenses and ordinance violations.
Carter County public court records are documents containing information related to legal proceedings in the trial courts. They contain details such as litigant names, attorney names, case filings, dockets, motions, evidence, pleadings, transcripts, and judgments. The Circuit Court Clerk in Carter County maintains and disseminates the following court records to the public:
- Criminal court records
- Civil records
- Small claims records
- Property records
- Probate records
- Family court records
These records are open to the public to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in the county's judicial processes. However, the Tennessee Public Records Act prohibits public access to confidential court records such as juvenile and adoption records. These restricted records contain sensitive information on vulnerable persons. Only the record owners and their legal representatives can obtain confidential court records by visiting the Court Clerk at:
Carter County Circuit Court Clerk
900 East Elk Avenue, Suite 906
Elizabethton, TN 37643
Phone: (423) 542-1835
Email: blankenshipj@cartercountytn.gov
Record searchers may access Carter County public court records online via the county's Case Search tool. They can also use the Tennessee Public Case History search to view limited court records created in the county. While inspecting public court records is free of charge, the Circuit Court Clerk may include delivery and copying fees.
