To look up court cases in Tennessee, you use one of three systems depending on which court handled the matter: the state’s free Public Case History tool for appellate cases, the individual county clerk’s website for trial court cases, and PACER for federal cases. Tennessee has no single statewide database that covers everything, so knowing where the case was filed is the first real step.
What to Gather Before You Search
The full legal name of at least one party is the most useful piece of information you can bring to any search. Common surnames pull dozens of hits, so pin down whatever else you can: the county where the case was filed, the approximate year, and the type of court.
If you have any paperwork from the case, look at the top of the first page for a case number. That alphanumeric code usually includes the filing year and works as a unique identifier in any search system. With it, you skip the guesswork.
Knowing the court level also helps. General Sessions courts handle civil disputes up to $25,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases.1Justia. Tennessee Code 16-15-501 – General Jurisdiction Circuit and Chancery courts take larger civil lawsuits, felony cases, and equity matters like property disputes. If the case involved federal law or a federal agency, it was likely filed in one of Tennessee’s three U.S. District Courts.
Appellate Cases Through Public Case History
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts runs a free online tool called Public Case History that covers the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Court of Criminal Appeals.2Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Public Case History It runs on the Appellate Court Clerk’s case management software, C-Track, and you can search by party name or case number.
Once you open a case, you get the full docket: every motion, order, and opinion filed during the appeal. Many entries include downloadable PDFs of written opinions. One important limit: this tool tracks the appellate side only. It won’t show you the original complaint or anything filed at the trial court level. For those, you have to go to the county where the case started.
Trial Court Cases by County
There is no statewide trial court search in Tennessee. Each of the 95 counties runs its own system, so you have to go straight to the right county. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, state, county, and municipal records are open to any Tennessee citizen for inspection during business hours unless a specific law says otherwise.3Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-503 – Records Open to Public Inspection
To search online, go to the website for that county’s Circuit Court Clerk, or the Clerk and Master for Chancery matters. Most clerk websites have a case search or public records tab. You pick the court division (criminal, circuit, chancery) and enter a name or case number. Some counties use third-party software, and a few ask you to create a free account first.
Online coverage varies a lot. Larger counties like Davidson, Shelby, and Knox tend to have well-developed digital systems going back years. Smaller rural counties may have limited online access or none at all, which means you’ll need to call or visit the clerk’s office. If nothing turns up online, the clerk can confirm whether the file exists and tell you how to see it.
Older Cases May No Longer Exist
Not everything is kept forever. Pleadings, court orders, and judicial opinions are permanent records in Tennessee. But discovery documents like interrogatories and depositions are typically kept only three years after the case ends. Trial exhibits are held ten years after final judgment. Alimony and child support records last 25 years after the last entry. Once those windows close, clerks may destroy the documents, so a very old case may no longer have a full file.
Federal Cases Through PACER
Cases involving federal law, constitutional questions, or parties from different states go through the federal courts. Tennessee is divided into three U.S. District Courts covering the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts. All federal case records live in PACER, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records system.4PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing: How Fees Work
Create an account at pacer.uscourts.gov before you search. Once you’re in, select the Tennessee district you want and search by party name, case number, or date range. The docket report lists every filing, and most documents can be downloaded as PDFs.
PACER charges $0.10 per page viewed, capped at $3.00 per individual document.4PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Pricing: How Fees Work If your total charges stay at $30 or less in a quarter, the fees are waived for that period.5PACER: Federal Court Records. Frequently Asked Questions A casual researcher looking up a case or two usually pays nothing.
Looking Up a Person’s Criminal History Instead of a Case
If you don’t have a specific case in mind and want a person’s overall Tennessee criminal record, that’s a different tool. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation offers name-based criminal history reports through its online portal, TORIS (Tennessee Open Records Information Services).6Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Background Checks
The report covers Tennessee adult criminal records only and costs $29 per request, nonrefundable whether or not any records are found.7Tennessee Open Records Information Services. Toris No fingerprints are needed. You submit the request online and get results by email. This is a compiled criminal history across courts and counties, not a search of any single case file.
When a Case Is Sealed or Confidential
Not every Tennessee case is open, and if a search turns up nothing you expected to find, restriction is one reason.
Juvenile court files are confidential by default. Only judges, court staff, the parties and their attorneys, and agencies with custody of the child can inspect them without a court order. Anyone else needs court permission and must show a legitimate interest.8Justia. Tennessee Code 37-1-153 – Court Files and Records Intentionally disclosing juvenile court files publicly is a criminal contempt offense.
There’s an exception for serious offenses. If the juvenile was 14 or older and the alleged act would be murder, rape, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, or terrorism if committed by an adult, the petition and court orders in that case are open to public inspection.8Justia. Tennessee Code 37-1-153 – Court Files and Records Medical reports and psychological evaluations in the same file stay confidential.
Other categories are also closed. Medical records of patients at state, county, and municipal facilities are confidential, along with TBI investigative files and criminal investigation records from several state agencies.9Justia. Tennessee Code 10-7-504 – Confidential Records – Exceptions Some investigative files open up once the investigation closes and all criminal proceedings end, but records identifying confidential informants or undercover officers stay sealed for good.
Beyond those statutory exceptions, Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 lets a court seal individual documents or entire case files by protective order.10Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Rule 34: Public Access to Court Records If your search comes up empty, the case may exist but be sealed. The clerk’s office can usually confirm whether a case number exists even when the contents are restricted.
Getting Certified Copies
When you need a certified copy for official use, or when the county’s records aren’t online, contact the clerk’s office directly. You can visit the courthouse during business hours to view the paper file and order copies. The appellate courts charge $0.50 per page and $5.00 for certification with the court’s seal.11Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts. Fee Schedule County fees follow a similar structure, with the $5.00 certification fee set by statute.12Justia. Tennessee Code 8-21-401 – Schedule of Fees
You can also request copies by mail. Write to the clerk’s office with the case number (or enough identifying information to locate the file), a description of the specific documents you want, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Include a check or money order for the estimated fees. Turnaround varies, but most offices handle requests within five to ten business days.