Tennessee Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

Quick answer

Where Can You Search Tennessee Criminal Records Online?

Tennessee criminal records are divided among trial courts, the appellate courts, the TBI criminal-history repository and correctional agencies. Choosing the correct source will save time and help prevent misleading results.

Tennessee-specific court structure

Which Tennessee Court Handles Felony and Misdemeanor Records?

Tennessee’s criminal justice system includes Criminal Courts, Circuit Courts exercising criminal jurisdiction, General Sessions Courts and Municipal Courts. The responsible record office depends on the court where the proceeding occurred.

Why searching two courts may be necessary

Consider a felony charge that begins in General Sessions Court. The preliminary hearing may appear in that court’s docket, while the later indictment, guilty plea, trial or sentence is recorded in Criminal Court.

If the General Sessions docket shows a bind-over or grand jury-related disposition, check the criminal trial court for subsequent proceedings before concluding that the entire case ended.

Step-by-step case search

How to Search Tennessee Criminal Court Records by Name or Case Number

There is no universal search form for every Tennessee criminal trial court. However, the following procedure works as a practical starting point for local court-record searches.

1. Identify the filing county

   Use the county shown on the citation, warrant, indictment, summons or other case paperwork. If the filing location is unknown, determine which jurisdiction handled the alleged offense.

2. Identify the court level

   Determine whether the record belongs to Criminal Court, Circuit Court, General Sessions Court or Municipal Court. The court named on the original paperwork is the best starting point.

3. Open the official court clerk’s website

   Use the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts clerk directory or the county government’s official court website.

4. Find the public case-search option

   Look for labels such as Criminal Case Search, Case Information, Public Records, Dockets, Case Inquiry or Court Calendar.

5. Enter the case number or defendant name

   Use the full case number whenever possible. If searching by name, enter the name as recorded in the court’s system and apply additional available filters.

6. Confirm that the record belongs to the correct person

   Compare the court, filing date, case number and other lawfully available identifiers. A matching first and last name alone does not establish identity.

7. Review the docket and final disposition

   Look for the charge, hearings, motions, dismissal, plea, trial outcome, judgment, sentence or later appeal.

8. Request the official court document if needed

   If a judgment or order is not accessible online, contact the Clerk of the court that maintains the original case.

County-by-county public case access

Tennessee Criminal Records by County: Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga

Tennessee counties use different online court systems. The following examples explain how to search several of the state’s busiest criminal jurisdictions and identify important record-coverage limitations.

What about other Tennessee counties?

For Rutherford County (Murfreesboro), Williamson County (Franklin), Montgomery County (Clarksville), Sumner County (Gallatin), Sullivan County (Kingsport and Bristol) or another county, begin with the official Tennessee court-clerk directory.

Select the filing county and confirm whether the records are maintained by a Criminal Court Clerk, Circuit Court Clerk, General Sessions Clerk or Municipal Court Clerk.

Statewide appellate records

Tennessee Public Case History: Search Criminal Appeals and Appellate Dockets

The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts operates a statewide Public Case History system for proceedings before the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals.

This is not a statewide search of every county’s criminal trial court cases.

How to search an appellate case

1. Open Tennessee Public Case History

   Use the official Tennessee Judicial Branch appellate case portal.

2. Choose the available search field

   Options include Case Number, Case Style, Party Name and Business/Organization.

3. Enter the appellate case information

   Use the complete appellate docket number when known, or search by a party name.

4. Review the matching appellate case

   Inspect its procedural history, docket events and publicly accessible filings.

5. Check the published opinions and orders

   Available documents may include motions, judgments, orders and appellate opinions.

6. Find the original trial court case separately

   Use the trial county and court information to locate the underlying criminal record with the correct Clerk.

What documents are available?

The Tennessee Judicial Branch explains that motions, orders, judgments and opinions filed in the appellate courts after August 26, 2013 are generally linked through Public Case History when publicly available.

Historical documents and restricted filings may require additional research through the Appellate Court Clerk.

Official statewide criminal-history reports

Tennessee TBI Criminal Background Check: TORIS Search, Fees and Limitations

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation maintains the state’s central criminal-history repository. For the general public, it offers a Tennessee-only name-based criminal-history search through Tennessee Open Records Information Services, commonly called TORIS.

How much does a Tennessee TBI background check cost?

TBI lists the $29 general public TORIS charge as nonrefundable.

How to request a TORIS report

1. Open the TBI background check service

   Use the official TORIS website or the TBI Background Checks page.

2. Select the public requester route

   Choose the ordinary general public Tennessee-only background-check option rather than a qualified organization or authorized fingerprinting service.

3. Enter the subject information

   Provide the required identifying information accurately. The service performs a name-based search, not a fingerprint comparison.

4. Review the search scope

   Understand that the public TORIS process checks Tennessee criminal-history information and does not produce a complete nationwide history.

5. Complete payment

   Confirm the applicable charge before submitting the request.

6. Review the electronic response

   The report indicates whether a potentially matching Tennessee criminal-history record exists and provides releasable information according to the TBI process.

TBI background-check contact

Tennessee Open Records Information Services
Phone: 615-744-4057

The TORIS website recommends using a desktop or laptop for reliable viewing of electronic PDF results.

Correctional records

Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL)

The Tennessee Department of Correction provides a free Felony Offender Information Lookup, or FOIL, for qualifying people who are or have been in TDOC custody or supervision.

FOIL should not be confused with either a criminal court docket search or a full TBI criminal-history background report.

How to search Tennessee offender records

1. Open the official FOIL website.
2. Choose Search by Name, TDOC ID or State ID.
3. Enter the available identifying information.
4. Choose alias matching when appropriate.
5. Complete the verification challenge.
6. Review the matching offender information carefully.

What can FOIL show?

Depending on the available record, FOIL may provide:

• Offender name and corrections identification number
• Photo and available identifying information
• Incarceration, probation or parole status
• Location or supervision information
• Sentence and offense information
• Reported parole eligibility or release information

The Department of Correction warns that some information originates from other Tennessee jurisdictions and should be confirmed with the originating agency when necessary.

Specialized public safety information

Tennessee Sex Offender Registry and Other Public Registries

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation operates a public sex offender registry. Registered offender profiles may include names, photographs, registered addresses and offense-related information, subject to applicable law and agency reporting.

Registry information is not a complete list of criminal convictions. Some crimes do not require registration, while certain registration obligations may relate to convictions from another jurisdiction.

TBI explains that local registering agencies are responsible for maintaining relevant registration information. The public registry should not be used to harass, threaten, stalk or unlawfully target individuals.

The TBI also provides other specialized public registries, including drug offender and persistent domestic violence offender information, through its official government website.

Court-certified judgments and dispositions

How to Obtain Certified Tennessee Criminal Court Records

For a certified judgment, dismissal, sentencing order or criminal court docket, request the record directly from the Clerk of the court that handled the prosecution.

1. Find the original case number

   Use the local public search or contact the Clerk for help identifying the case.

2. Confirm the court and county

   A General Sessions proceeding and a later Criminal Court prosecution may have separate numbers or files.

3. Choose the exact document

   Ask for the judgment, sentencing order, final disposition, dismissal order or another particular filing.

4. Check public access

   Ask whether the record is publicly available, sealed, expunged, confidential or located in an archive.

5. Request certification

   If the record must be used officially, specify that a certified copy is required rather than an ordinary photocopy or docket printout.

6. Confirm copying fees and delivery

   Ask about per-page charges, certification, mail delivery and accepted payment methods.

Tennessee criminal record copying fees

The Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk and Knox County Criminal Court Clerk publish the following charges for ordinary public court-document copying services:

Using the two clerks’ published standard charges, a certified four-page paper document would have a base price of $7: four pages at $0.50 each plus $5 certification. Postage or other applicable services are not included.

Restricted and cleared criminal records

Tennessee Expungement: Why a Criminal Record May Be Missing

Tennessee permits expungement of qualifying criminal records under Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-101.

Depending on the statutory provision and case disposition, eligible records may involve:

• Dismissed criminal charges
• Charges resulting in a not-guilty verdict
• Cases in which the grand jury returned no true bill
• Qualifying diversion dispositions
• Other specified nonconviction circumstances
• Selected misdemeanor or felony convictions that satisfy statutory conditions

Eligibility for expungement of a conviction is more restrictive than eligibility for many nonconviction dispositions. The offense, full criminal history, sentence completion and other statutory requirements must be examined.

An expunged charge may no longer appear in a public county search, and Tennessee law restricts unlawful disclosure of expunged criminal-history information.

Separate federal judiciary

Federal Criminal Court Records in Tennessee

Federal prosecutions are not searched through Tennessee’s ordinary county criminal court systems.

Tennessee’s federal district courts include:

Use PACER to search federal criminal case dockets and available filings. A PACER account and applicable access fees may be required.

Common search problems

Why Can’t I Find Tennessee Criminal Records Online?

A missing case result does not automatically establish that a person has never been arrested, charged or convicted.

How to interpret a Tennessee criminal case outcome

A criminal docket can contain several legally different events. Make sure you understand what each event actually means.

Record accuracy and lawful use

Using Tennessee Criminal Public Records Responsibly

Public criminal case information should not automatically be treated as a complete or identity-confirmed background check. A record may concern someone with a similar name, may reflect charges that were dismissed, or may have been changed by later court proceedings.

Before relying on a Tennessee criminal case search:

• Verify the correct individual using lawful identifying details.
• Confirm the county, court and case number.
• Read the final disposition for each charge.
• Check for later amendments, judgments or appeals.
• Respect sealed, expunged and confidential records.
• Use the correct official report for the purpose involved.

Background screening for employment, housing or other regulated eligibility decisions may be subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and other laws. A free court search does not automatically satisfy those requirements.

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