Davidson County Tax Records: Search, Pay, and Appeal

Davidson County tax records are public and free. You can pull any parcel’s appraised value, assessed value, current bill, and full payment history through the Metropolitan Trustee’s online portal, through the Nashville Parcel Viewer map, or in person at the Trustee’s office in Nashville. Tennessee’s Public Records Act keeps county records open for inspection during business hours.¹

What a Davidson County Tax Record Shows

Every property tax record ties a single parcel to a set of numbers and a history. You’ll see the appraised value of the land and any structures, set by the Davidson County Assessor of Property. You’ll see the assessed value, which is a percentage of the appraised figure and is what the bill is actually calculated against. Tennessee law sets the ratio by property type: 25 percent for residential and farm property, 40 percent for commercial and industrial, and 55 percent for public utility property.²

The record also carries the legal description, the tax district, the tax rate applied, the current bill, and the payment history for prior years, including any interest that accrued when a payment ran late. Davidson County charges 1.5 percent monthly interest on unpaid balances starting March 1, which is 18 percent annually.³ If the record shows interest, it’s showing you a late month.

How to Search the Records Online

The Trustee’s online lookup accepts a property address, the owner’s first and last name, a bill number, or an account number.⁴ If you have it, use the Parcel ID (sometimes called the Map and Parcel number). It’s unique to each piece of land, so you won’t trip over properties with similar street addresses.

Pick a result and the system opens the most recent bill. You can toggle between tax years to see payment history, and there’s a print function if you need a copy for a mortgage company or your own files.

Using the Nashville Parcel Viewer

When you don’t have a clean address, or you want to look at a property on a map, use the Nashville Parcel Viewer. It’s a GIS tool that lets you click any parcel to open its details.⁵ You can search by Parcel ID, address, intersection, owner name, or street name, and filter by zip code, acreage, sale date, sale price, or zoning classification. “View Details” opens ownership history, assessment history, zoning history, and permit information. Buyers running their own diligence on a property before an offer tend to live here.

How to Read the Tax Bill in the Record

The number on the bill is the assessed value multiplied by the tax rate for the property’s location. For a home appraised at $400,000, the assessed value is $100,000, which is 25 percent of $400,000.²

Davidson County uses two rates. Properties inside the Urban Services District pay $2.814 per $100 of assessed value. Properties in the General Services District pay $2.782 per $100.⁶ Running the earlier example through the Urban Services rate, a $100,000 assessed value produces an annual bill of roughly $2,814. If the record shows something very different from what your own math predicts, that’s usually the first signal to check the property classification or the appraised value.

Payment Deadline and What Lateness Does to the Record

Tax statements go out in October. The last day to pay without penalty is the final day of February.⁷ For tax year 2025, that was February 28, 2026.⁸

After March 1, the 1.5 percent monthly interest begins. State law bars Metro officials from waiving, forgiving, or reducing that interest for any reason.⁸ A long enough delinquency can land the owner as a defendant in a tax lawsuit, with attorney fees and court costs added, and eventually a tax auction. If a record shows a prior-year balance still open, those are the stakes behind it.

Paying the Bill From the Record

Davidson County accepts several payment methods:

Online through the Trustee’s portal by credit card, debit card, or e-check. Credit and debit carry a 2.55 percent processing fee with a $2.00 minimum. E-check is $1.00. The fees go to the third-party processor, not Metro.³
In person at First Horizon Bank locations, October through February, on the Trustee’s behalf.⁷
By mail, with a check payable to “Metropolitan Trustee,” sent to P.O. Box 196358, Nashville, TN 37219-6358.⁷
In person at the Trustee’s office in the Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Reagan Way, Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37210.⁷

On a large bill, the 2.55 percent card fee adds up. A $5,000 payment runs $127.50 in processing. For most homeowners, the $1.00 e-check is the cheapest online option.

Appealing a Value That Looks Wrong on the Record

If the record shows an appraised value you think is too high, or the wrong property classification, you can appeal. Start informally by calling the Assessor of Property’s office. A lot of errors get fixed at that stage.

If that doesn’t resolve it, file a formal appeal with the independent Metropolitan Board of Equalization. The MBOE begins meeting on the first business day of June each year, and the Assessor publishes hearing dates in a local newspaper at least ten days in advance.⁹ To schedule, call the Assessor’s Call Center at 615-862-6059.

Bring evidence for the value you’re claiming:

Recent sales of comparable properties, ideally within 20 percent of your home’s square footage.
A professional appraisal if you have one. The board treats it as one opinion of value, not the final word.
Estimates for repairs beyond routine maintenance.
Photographs of damage, outdated features, or other conditions that reduce value.
Income and expense statements for commercial property appeals.

You can appear yourself, or a family member, attorney, or tax representative can appear for you with written authorization.⁹

If the MBOE’s decision doesn’t resolve it, you can appeal to the Tennessee State Board of Equalization. That appeal is due by August 1 of the tax year or within 45 days of the date the local board mailed its decision, whichever is later.¹⁰

Reaching the Trustee for What the Portal Can’t Answer

The Metropolitan Trustee’s office handles payments, billing questions, and record requests. In person, it’s at the Howard Office Building, 700 President Ronald Reagan Way, Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37210.⁷ Staff can walk through line items, confirm payment status, and answer things the portal doesn’t explain cleanly.

Bulk data requests, the kind title firms and mortgage companies make for multiple parcels, go through Metro’s Public Records Request portal rather than the Trustee’s front desk.¹¹ For a quick phone question, keep the Parcel ID in front of you. It’s the fastest way for staff to pull up the right account.

1
Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-503 – Records Open to Public Inspection
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-801 – Classification and Rate of Assessment
3
Nashville.gov. Property Tax Questions and Answers
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Nashville.gov. Pay Your Property Taxes Online
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Nashville.gov. Parcel Viewer
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Nashville.gov. Calculate Property Taxes
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Nashville.gov. Office of the Metropolitan Trustee
8
Nashville.gov. Not All Properties Are Payable at the Trustee’s Office After March 1
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Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County Assessor of Property. File a Formal Appeal to the Independent Metropolitan Board of Equalization
10
Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-1412 – Appeal of County or Other Local Board of Equalization Actions
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Nashville.gov. Real Property Tax