Find a Tennessee Court Case by Name Without Searching the Wrong County or Court
Tennessee does not provide one statewide public name search for every trial-court case. Most circuit, criminal, chancery, probate, general sessions, juvenile and municipal records are maintained by local court clerks, and online access differs from county to county.
This guide helps you identify the filing county, choose the correct clerk, search name variations, use the statewide appellate system, locate criminal-history information and request the exact court document needed for official use.
Choose What You Need to Find
Tennessee uses separate systems for local trial cases, statewide appeals, criminal-history reports and correctional status. Start with the card matching your goal.
Find the county clerk responsible for the trial court, then use that clerk’s official search or request process.
Use the county-first workflowSearch statewide by case number, case style, party name or business organisation.
Search Tennessee appealsThis is different from reading one county court docket and currently costs $29 per request.
Compare record systemsSearch correctional status, location, sentence and supervision information without a search fee.
Open the offender-search routeTennessee Trial-Court Searches Begin With the County
Tennessee’s appellate courts have a statewide public search, but trial-court records are generally maintained locally. The first question is not only “What is the person’s name?” It is “In which county and court was the case filed?”
- Identify the county where the case originated. Use the location of the arrest, lawsuit, divorce filing, probate estate, eviction, traffic citation or other court event.
- Identify the likely court type. A felony case, small claim, divorce, probate matter and city traffic ticket may all use different clerks.
- Open Tennessee’s official court-clerk directory. Filter by county and, when necessary, by clerk type.
- Open the county clerk’s official website. Look for Case Search, Public Inquiry, Court Records, Docket Search or Case Information.
- Search the name with minimal filters. Start broad, review likely matches and then narrow by court, case type, filing date or status.
- Save the complete case number. Use it for later searches, copy requests, payment questions and court-date confirmation.
Choose the Tennessee Court Type Before Searching
Court names and clerk titles vary by county. The same clerk may serve several courts in one county, while a large county may have separate criminal, circuit, chancery, sessions, probate and juvenile clerks.
Handles civil and criminal matters and appeals from juvenile, municipal and general sessions courts. In judicial districts with a separate Criminal Court, major criminal cases may be handled there instead.
Exists in districts with heavier criminal caseloads. It handles criminal cases and misdemeanor appeals from lower courts.
Often handles injunctions, trusts, estates, business disputes, property matters and some domestic cases. The Clerk and Master normally maintains these records.
Commonly handles misdemeanors, preliminary criminal proceedings, traffic matters, small civil claims and other limited-jurisdiction cases.
Handles delinquency, unruly, dependency, neglect and other juvenile matters. Public access depends heavily on the proceeding and applicable confidentiality rules.
Handles city ordinance violations and many local traffic matters. Search the city court shown on the citation rather than assuming the county trial portal has the case.
How to Search Tennessee Court Records by Name
County portals do not all use the same software. Some accept a first and last name, while others provide separate criminal, civil, probate or docket searches. The safest method is to start broad and verify the result using several case details.
- Open the official county clerk or court website. Avoid commercial “people search” pages that imitate a government search result.
- Select the correct division. Choose criminal, circuit civil, chancery, general sessions, probate, juvenile or municipal records as appropriate.
- Enter the first and last name. Leave uncertain dates, court divisions and status filters blank during the first search.
- Repeat the name in practical variations. Try no middle name, a middle initial, a former surname, a hyphen variation and punctuation changes.
- Search a related business or organisation. Civil cases may be easier to locate under an employer, landlord, lender, contractor, insurer, hospital, association or company name.
- Add the filing year or court type carefully. Add one filter at a time so you know which field changes the results.
- Open each plausible match. Compare the county, court, filed date, party role, case number, attorney and current status.
- Read the newest docket events. A later dismissal, judgment, sentencing order or final decree is more important than the original accusation or complaint.
Use this four-pass name-search method
Search the clearest first-and-last-name combination without uncertain filters.
Try no middle name, a middle initial, former surname, hyphen and punctuation changes.
Search a spouse, business, landlord, lender, employer or other named organisation when relevant.
Add the court, case type, filing date or status one field at a time.
Examples of How County Access Differs
These examples show why a single Tennessee search link cannot cover every trial court. Always confirm that the portal belongs to the correct county and court division.
Davidson County’s Circuit Court Clerk offers a free basic CaseSearch for General Sessions Civil, Circuit and Probate matters. The paid CaseLink service includes broader features and selected images.
Open Davidson civil case accessCriminal and traffic information uses a separate search allowing fields such as first name, last name, birth date and case number.
Search Davidson criminal casesHamilton County provides online access to cases filed in Circuit Court and General Sessions Civil Court, with search options including party name and attorney.
Search Hamilton civil casesHamilton County maintains a separate criminal case display that can search by defendant name and case information.
Search Hamilton criminal casesKnox County’s Criminal Court Clerk provides a searchable docket using a date range and a defendant name or court division.
Search Knox criminal docketsMany counties use local county websites, vendor-hosted portals or in-person and telephone access instead of the systems shown above.
Find another county clerkSearch Tennessee Supreme Court and Appellate Cases Statewide
Tennessee Public Case History is the statewide search for the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals. It does not replace county trial-court searches.
Use the complete appellate docket number when it appears on an opinion, brief, order or notice.
Search a shortened case title such as a person, company or “State of Tennessee” case style.
Search an individual associated with the appeal when the appellate number is unknown.
Search an entity that appears as an appellant, appellee, petitioner or respondent.
The system provides the status and procedural history of an appeal. It also provides direct access to motions, orders, judgments and opinions filed in Tennessee’s appellate courts after August 26, 2013. Some earlier orders may be available when transferred from the older system.
- Open Tennessee Public Case History. Choose the most precise search field available.
- Search the complete appellate case number when possible. This avoids confusion between parties with the same name.
- Use party or organisation searches when the number is unknown. Review every plausible appellate case style.
- Open the procedural history. Check filing dates, motions, orders, opinions and the current case status.
- Check the originating trial court. The appellate record may identify the county and trial court where the case began.
- Return to the local trial clerk for the original trial file. Public Case History covers the appeal, not every document maintained in the county trial-court record.
Confirm That the Tennessee Case Belongs to the Correct Person
A same-name result is only a possible match. Review several identifiers before relying on the case.
Does the county match where the arrest, lawsuit, divorce, probate estate or citation was expected?
Confirm whether the case is circuit, criminal, chancery, sessions, juvenile, probate, municipal or appellate.
Check whether the person is a plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee or another participant.
Compare the year with the underlying dispute, arrest, separation, estate or traffic event.
When displayed, compare the attorney with existing correspondence or legal paperwork.
Read the dismissal, judgment, disposition, sentence or final decree before drawing a conclusion.
How to Read a Tennessee Court Docket
Portal terminology differs by county, but most case results contain a similar group of fields. The docket is a chronological summary and may not include every document image.
| Record field | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | The identifier assigned by that court or clerk. | Use the complete number on every later inquiry or copy request. |
| Case style | The shortened title naming the principal parties. | Not every person connected with the case must appear in the style. |
| Filed date | The date the clerk opened the case. | It may differ from the date of the underlying incident. |
| Docket entry | A filing, notice, hearing, motion, order or other event. | The description is not always the complete document text. |
| Charge or claim | The allegation that started the criminal or civil matter. | Read the final outcome instead of assuming the allegation was proved. |
| Disposition | The result of a charge, claim or case. | Look for dismissal, conviction, acquittal, judgment, settlement or another precise result. |
| Judgment or final order | The court’s final or controlling written decision. | Check whether a later amended order replaced it. |
Use the site’s court records glossary when a term such as docket, disposition, decree, remand, expungement or judgment is unclear.
What to Do When a Tennessee Name Search Finds No Case
The wrong county was searched
Search the county where the case was filed, not automatically the person’s present address.
The wrong clerk or court was selected
A divorce, felony, small claim, probate case and city traffic ticket may use different offices.
The name is recorded differently
Try no middle name, a middle initial, former surname, hyphen variation or related business name.
The county offers only docket access
Some online systems show upcoming court dates but not complete historic case information.
The record is older or still on paper
Contact the clerk or Tennessee State Library and Archives when the case predates the local electronic system.
The record is restricted
Sealed, expunged, adoption, dependency, neglect and other confidential records may be unavailable publicly.
Run this recovery sequence
- Confirm the county where the case originated.
- Confirm the court type and clerk.
- Remove every optional filter.
- Search the first and last name only.
- Try middle-name, former-name and punctuation variations.
- Search a related company or organisation.
- Enter the complete case number when available.
- Check Public Case History if the matter was appealed.
- Contact the local clerk for paper or unindexed records.
- Check the federal PACER system if the matter is federal.
Know Which Tennessee Court Records May Be Restricted
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 governs public access to court records. Public records are generally available unless access is limited by statute, court rule or court order.
| Record category | Likely access | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary public civil and criminal dockets | Generally public | Use the county clerk’s portal or request access from the record custodian. |
| Appellate case filings | Generally public | Use Public Case History for available motions, orders, judgments and opinions. |
| Dependency and neglect proceedings | Closed to the public | Contact the juvenile clerk if you are a party or otherwise legally authorised. |
| Juvenile delinquent and unruly proceedings | Access can vary | These proceedings are generally open, but a court may close all or part of a matter under the juvenile rules. |
| Adoption and certain family records | Confidential or restricted | Ask the clerk about authorised-party access and any required court order. |
| Expunged or sealed record | Not publicly available | Contact the court only when you are entitled to access under law or an order. |
| Personal identifiers and financial data | Redacted | Expect Social Security numbers, account numbers and similar protected details to be removed. |
How to Request Tennessee Court Copies and Certification
Trial-court copy fees and procedures are set locally. The clerk may require a written request, advance payment, case number and exact document title. Appellate court-copy fees are published statewide.
Use the docket to identify the correct case, filing date and document before ordering.
Useful for personal reference when the receiving organisation does not require clerk authentication.
Use when a government agency, court, bank, licensing body or other recipient requires formal certification.
Trial-court copy requests
Contact the clerk holding the original case. Ask for the local public-records policy, per-page copy cost, certification charge, payment methods, processing time and delivery options. Costs can differ by county and clerk.
Appellate Court Clerk published fees
| Appellate service | Published fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Document copies | $0.50 per page | Copies supplied by the Tennessee Appellate Court Clerk’s Office. |
| Certification with seal | $5 | Certification of an appellate document with the clerk’s seal. |
| Affixing a seal | $2 | A separate published service for affixing the appellate court seal. |
Prepare this information before requesting a copy
- Complete case number
- County and court name
- Names of the parties
- Exact document title
- Filing or order date
- Plain or certified copy
- Number of copies
- Delivery preference
- Your contact information
Use the site’s court record types guide to compare a docket, pleading, order, judgment, decree and certified copy before placing an order.
Court Records, Criminal History and Offender Status Are Different
Shows filings, hearings, charges, judgments and other activity in a particular Tennessee court case.
Find the local clerkProvides a name-based Tennessee adult criminal-history search. The current non-refundable cost is $29, and fingerprints are not required.
Open TBI TORISProvides free information about people currently or formerly in Tennessee Department of Correction custody or supervision.
Open Tennessee FOILRead the site’s FCRA and consumer-reporting notice before using public-record information for employment, housing, credit, insurance or licensing decisions.
How to Find Older Tennessee Court Records
Older court files may not appear in a county’s current electronic system. The record may remain with the local clerk, county archive or Tennessee State Library and Archives.
- Contact the current clerk first. Ask whether the record is indexed electronically, stored on microfilm, archived off-site or transferred elsewhere.
- Provide a narrow date range. Include the approximate year, county, court type, party names and known case number.
- Ask whether an older index must be searched manually. Some historic records require staff research rather than an online name search.
- Contact Tennessee State Library and Archives. Its court-record collections are open to the public and can help with older state and county materials held by the archive.
- Confirm whether copies or certification are available. An archival research copy may not serve the same purpose as a certified copy from the current court clerk.
Tennessee Appellate Clerk Offices
The Appellate Court Clerk serves the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals through offices in Nashville, Knoxville and Jackson.
Supreme Court Building
401 7th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: 615-741-2681
Supreme Court Building
505 Main Street, Suite 200
Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: 865-594-6700
The Jackson shipping location is scheduled to change after September 4, 2026. Verify the current address before mailing or delivering records.
Phone: 731-423-5840
Frequently Asked Questions About Tennessee Court Records
Is there one statewide Tennessee trial-court search by name?
No. Tennessee trial-court records are generally maintained by local clerks, and online systems vary by county and court type. Use the Tennessee court-clerk directory to locate the proper office.
Can I search Tennessee appellate cases by a person’s name?
Yes. Tennessee Public Case History can search Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals cases by party name, case style, business or organisation, and case number.
Which county should I search?
Search the county where the case originated or was filed. This may be the county of the arrest, lawsuit, divorce filing, probate estate, eviction or citation rather than the person’s current residence.
Where do I search Tennessee divorce records?
Divorce records may be maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk or Clerk and Master, depending on the county and court where the divorce was filed. Use the clerk directory and contact the filing county.
Where do I search Tennessee probate records?
Probate jurisdiction varies. In many counties, the Clerk and Master maintains probate records through Chancery Court. Some counties use another clerk or specialised Probate Court.
Are Tennessee juvenile court records public?
Access depends on the case. Dependency and neglect proceedings are closed to the public. Delinquent and unruly proceedings are generally open, but the juvenile court can close all or part of a proceeding when the rule’s requirements are met.
How do I find a Tennessee criminal court case?
Identify the county and determine whether the case is in Criminal Court, Circuit Court, General Sessions Court or Municipal Court. Then use the proper local clerk’s case or docket search.
What is the difference between TORIS and a court search?
TORIS is a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation name-based adult criminal-history search costing $29. A court search displays activity in one court or county case and is not the same as a statewide criminal-history report.
What does Tennessee FOIL show?
FOIL provides free information about felony offenders currently or formerly in Tennessee Department of Correction custody or supervision, including status, location, sentence and related information when available.
How do I get a certified Tennessee court record?
Request certification from the clerk holding the original file. Provide the case number, exact document title and filing date. Trial-court fees vary locally; appellate certification and copy fees are published by the Appellate Court Clerk.
Use Tennessee Court Information Carefully
A court search can display accusations, open cases, dismissed charges, duplicate names and incomplete online documents. It is not a complete or fingerprint-verified background report.
- Do not assume a criminal charge resulted in conviction.
- Do not assume a lawsuit was decided against the defendant.
- Do not identify a person from a same-name result alone.
- Do not assume one county search covers the entire state.
- Do not treat an online docket as a certified court document.
- Do not use this website as a consumer-reporting or eligibility-screening service.
How This Tennessee Court-Records Guide Was Verified
- Tennessee Courts — Court Clerk Directory
- Tennessee Public Case History
- Tennessee Courts — Public Case History Guidance
- Tennessee Circuit, Criminal and Chancery Courts
- Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34
- Tennessee Juvenile Rule 114
- Appellate Court Clerk Fee Schedule
- Tennessee TBI TORIS
- Tennessee Felony Offender Information
- Tennessee State Library and Archives — Court Records
Read the site’s source verification and manual checking policy for information about how court portals, clerk instructions, fees and access restrictions are reviewed.
Tennessee’s county-first trial-court structure, statewide appellate search, court-clerk directory, public-access rules, juvenile confidentiality, appellate document coverage, appellate copy fees, TBI criminal-history cost, offender search and historical-record route were checked against current official sources.
Court portals, office contacts, fees and public-access procedures can change. The current court, clerk or Tennessee government source controls when it differs from this guide.