Knox County
Established June 11, 1792, by Governor William Blount, Knox County is one of only nine United States counties named after the first United States Secretary of War, Henry Knox. Knox County covers 508.3 square miles, with Knoxville - Tennessee's third most populous city - as its county seat.
The Knox County trial court system comprises the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court. The Circuit Court primarily hears civil matters with claims exceeding $25,000 and shares jurisdiction over criminal cases with the Criminal Court. It also hears appeals from the Juvenile and General Sessions Courts.
The Chancery Court comprises the Chancery Division and the Probate Division. The Chancery Division handles divorces, name changes, contract disputes, and related matters, while the Probate Division deals with wills and administration of estate cases.
The General Sessions-Civil Court hears civil matters involving less than $25,000, while the General Sessions-Criminal Court has limited jurisdiction to handle traffic violations, conduct preliminary hearings in felony cases, and misdemeanor trials where the defendant waives their right to a grand jury investigation and trial by jury in the Circuit or Criminal Court.
The criminal Court handles cases involving serious offenses, such as felony crimes. The Juvenile Court handles custody matters, termination of parental rights, adjudication of children as delinquent, and related matters.
Unless exempted, documents relating to legal proceedings or applications in any of the Knox County Courts constitute the county's public court records. These records are primarily maintained and organized by the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court, and the Clerk of the Criminal, General Sessions - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit Courts.
Knox County public court records are publicly accessible. You may view records of the Circuit and Civil Session Court online via KnoxCircuit Records. Note that you require a subscription to access the platform. Subscription fees range between $120 and $480.
For records of other courts or cases not found on KnoxCircuit Records, you may contact the relevant court clerk or visit the relevant court in person.
