Tennessee Criminal History, Jail Booking and Court Case Lookup
Tennessee arrest information is divided among local detention centres, arresting police agencies, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, county court clerks and the Department of Correction. No single public search replaces all of those systems.
This guide explains where to find a recent booking, how the $29 TBI name-based check works, which records can be missing, how to find the correct trial-court clerk, how to interpret a criminal-history result, and what to do when a record is incomplete, belongs to another person or may qualify for expungement.
$29 for each name-based request.
Tennessee name-based criminal-history check.
Search the county jail, not TORIS.
Maintained by local court clerks.
State and county sources checked July 2026.
Choose the Tennessee record that answers your question
Search the sheriff or detention-centre roster in the county where the arrest occurred. County booking systems are the fastest source for a recent arrest.
Use the $29 TBI open-records check for reported Tennessee misdemeanor and felony arrests supported by fingerprint submissions.
Contact the clerk in the county and court where the case originated for filed charges, docket events, judgments and certified dispositions.
Use the felony offender search for current or former TDOC prison, probation and parole information available to the public.
How to find someone arrested in Tennessee today
TORIS is not a statewide live inmate roster. A new arrest normally appears first in the booking system operated by the county sheriff, metropolitan sheriff or local detention centre.
Major Tennessee county inmate searches and contacts
| Jurisdiction | Search options | Official contact | Useful details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County / Nashville | Person search, recent bookings and advanced search. | 615-862-8123 | Advanced fields include date of birth, OCA number, warrant number and CIS number. The information centre is available 24/7. |
| Knox County | 24-hour arrest list and current inmate population. | 865-281-6700 | The 24-hour list can show IDN, booking or service date, charge, bond and court information. |
| Hamilton County | Last-name search, SPN-number search or full inmate list. | 423-209-7125 | Hamilton County Jail & Detention Center is at 601 Justice Way in Chattanooga. |
| Shelby County / Memphis | Jail and inmate information through the Sheriff’s official system. | Records and Identification handles arrest and jail-release records. | Male inmates are housed at 201 Poplar Avenue; the women’s facility is at 6201 Haley Road. |
| Other Tennessee counties | Sheriff, detention-centre or county corrections website. | Call the sheriff’s jail-information or non-emergency line. | Search the county of arrest even when the person lives elsewhere. |
What Tennessee Open Records Information Services provides
TBI is the central repository for Tennessee criminal-history information. TORIS provides public name-based checks of Tennessee misdemeanor and felony arrest information based on fingerprints submitted by arresting agencies.
$29 for each person searched. The charge is nonrefundable.
Name-based Tennessee search rather than a positive fingerprint identification.
The result states whether the subject has or does not have a possible Tennessee criminal-history record.
The official portal accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover for public credit-card requests.
Juvenile information is excluded unless the juvenile was transferred to criminal court as an adult.
TBI advises that result PDFs may be easier to view on a desktop or laptop.
How to run the Tennessee name-based background check
What a Tennessee TBI result includes—and what it can miss
| Record category | Likely included? | Reason or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Reported Tennessee felony arrest with fingerprints | Generally yes | TBI maintains records submitted by Tennessee criminal-justice agencies. |
| Reported Tennessee misdemeanor arrest with fingerprints | Generally yes | The arresting agency must submit the fingerprint-supported event. |
| Disposition reported by the court | When received and processed | A record can remain incomplete when the final court outcome was not transmitted. |
| Unfingerprinted citation or arrest event | May be absent | TORIS criminal history is based on fingerprint submissions. |
| Very recent arrest | May not appear yet | Booking, fingerprint and state reporting can take time. |
| Another state’s criminal history | No | The open-records check is a Tennessee search. |
| Federal criminal case | Not a complete federal search | Search the appropriate federal court or authorised federal background-check process. |
| Ordinary juvenile record | No | Juvenile information is excluded unless transferred to adult criminal court. |
| Live county-jail location | No | Use the county sheriff or detention-centre roster. |
| Legally expunged charge | Should be removed from public access after processing | Private background sites may retain stale copies and require separate correction. |
How to read a Tennessee criminal-history result
| Field | What it identifies | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Subject name | The name associated with the possible criminal-history match. | Compare the complete legal name, middle name and suffix. |
| Date of birth | A primary demographic matching field. | A different birth date usually indicates a different person. |
| Arresting agency | The police or sheriff agency that submitted the arrest. | Request the report from that agency when the incident narrative is needed. |
| Arrest date | The date connected with the custody event. | Compare it with the known incident and court-filing dates. |
| Arrest charge | The alleged offence entered by law enforcement. | It may not match the charge later filed by the prosecutor. |
| Court or docket number | The local court case associated with the prosecution. | Use it when contacting the county court clerk. |
| Disposition | The reported outcome of the court matter. | Obtain a certified disposition when formal proof is needed. |
| Sentence | The punishment, supervision or court terms reported after judgment. | Review the certified judgment or sentencing order. |
| No disposition displayed | TBI may not have received or matched the final court outcome. | Contact the originating court clerk and request a certified disposition. |
Use this identity test before relying on a Tennessee record
No Tennessee arrest or criminal record found? Check these causes
How a Tennessee arrest becomes several separate records
How to find the Tennessee court case and final disposition
Tennessee does not provide one complete statewide public search for every General Sessions, Criminal, Circuit and municipal criminal case. Trial-level records remain with the clerk serving the court where the matter originated.
| Record or case stage | Likely office | What to request |
|---|---|---|
| Initial misdemeanor or felony appearance | General Sessions Court clerk | Warrant, affidavit, bond, settings and preliminary-hearing records. |
| Indicted or bound-over felony | Criminal or Circuit Court clerk | Indictment, motions, plea, judgment and sentence. |
| City ordinance or municipal citation | Municipal court clerk | Citation, complaint, plea and municipal disposition. |
| Appeal | Appellate Court Clerk | Appellate case history, motions, orders, judgment and opinion. |
| Certified disposition for TBI correction | Clerk of the originating trial court | Certified final disposition and charging document. |
Common Tennessee criminal docket terms explained
| Term | Plain-language meaning | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | The case has not reached a final disposition. | Check the next hearing and latest filing. |
| Dismissed | The listed charge was ended without a conviction on that charge. | Determine whether every count was dismissed and whether costs remain. |
| Nolle prosequi | The prosecutor announced that the charge would not be pursued. | Confirm the count, date and whether another charge remained. |
| No true bill | The grand jury did not return an indictment for the submitted charge. | Obtain the clerk’s final record for expungement preparation. |
| Not guilty | The judge or jury did not find the person guilty of the resolved charge. | Check whether another count or separate case remained. |
| Pretrial diversion | Prosecution is deferred while the person completes agreed requirements. | Confirm successful completion and dismissal. |
| Judicial diversion | The court defers judgment while the defendant completes court-ordered conditions. | Review the completion and dismissal order. |
| Convicted | A judgment of guilt was entered. | Read the judgment, offence classification and sentence. |
| Retired | The case was placed on inactive hold rather than finally dismissed. | A retired case generally must be changed to dismissed before expungement. |
| Dismissed with costs | The charge was dismissed but court costs remain associated with the case. | Resolve or seek waiver of costs before completing expungement. |
When to use Tennessee Public Case History
The Tennessee appellate Public Case History covers cases in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Court of Criminal Appeals. It is not a substitute for the originating county trial-court record.
Search by appellate case number, case style, party name or organisation.
The database includes appeals in which the record was filed after September 1, 2006.
Motions, orders, judgments and opinions filed after August 26, 2013 may be directly accessible as PDFs.
How to request a Tennessee arrest or incident report
TORIS is a criminal-history report, not the complete police narrative. Request incident, arrest, probable-cause, booking or media records from the agency that created each document.
Documents to name specifically
The primary record describing the reported event and initial police response.
The releasable document describing the asserted basis for arrest.
A later officer or investigator report. Active or protected information may be redacted.
The detention record containing identifiers and intake information.
Describe the event precisely because media may require review, redaction and additional cost.
A document relating to property collected, retained or released, subject to legal restrictions.
Information that helps the agency locate the record
How to check a Tennessee warrant without using the wrong database
Tennessee does not provide one complete statewide public list of every active county, municipal and state warrant. The correct source is usually the sheriff, police department or court clerk in the issuing jurisdiction.
How to use Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup
TDOC’s Felony Offender Information Lookup, commonly called FOIL, covers felony offenders currently or formerly in TDOC custody or under TDOC supervision.
Enter the last name and first name. The search also allows race as a narrowing field and an alias option.
The Tennessee Offender Management Information System number provides a more precise result.
A Tennessee SID can also be used when known.
Information a FOIL result may provide
How to request an archived TDOC offender file
TDOC accepts online and written requests for historical offender records that are not fully available through FOIL.
Information TDOC asks the requester to provide
Attn: Records Management
Rachel Jackson Building, 2nd Floor
320 Sixth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-0465
Do not send payment with the original request. TDOC provides notice if archive-search charges apply.
Receive Tennessee custody and release alerts
Victims, family members and other interested people can register for custody-status notifications.
Available methods can include telephone, email, text message, TTY or mobile application alerts.
The statewide service number is 1-888-868-4631.
Tennessee sex offender and other TBI registries
Search offenders, locations, aliases and registration information. The registry is updated daily from information submitted to TBI.
Use the TBI public-registry section when the search specifically concerns Tennessee’s drug-offender registry.
This is a specialised registry and does not replace a complete TBI criminal-history or court search.
tbisormgr@tbi.tn.gov
Contact the registering agency shown on the offender profile and provide reasonable proof of the error.
How to correct a wrong or incomplete Tennessee criminal record
| Problem | Office to contact | Proof to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| The TORIS result belongs to someone else | TBI Tennessee Open Records Information Services | Government ID, fingerprints, disputed report and subject identifiers. |
| Incorrect arrest charge or incident detail | Arresting police or sheriff agency | Incident number, agency report and official documents showing the error. |
| Final disposition is missing | Originating court clerk, then TBI | Certified final disposition and charging document. |
| Court docket entry is wrong | Clerk of the court that filed the entry | Docket number and signed judicial order correcting the record. |
| TDOC status or sentence information is wrong | TDOC records or facility records staff | TOMIS number, judgment, sentence and release or supervision documents. |
| Private background website shows an expunged charge | Private background company | Certified expungement order and identity documentation. |
Disputing a name-based TBI match
How Tennessee criminal-record expungement works
Expungement is a court-ordered process that removes eligible charges from the criminal record. It is not automatic, even when the charge was dismissed.
Cases that may qualify for free expungement
General filing steps
Eligible conviction expungement
Certain misdemeanours and Class E felonies may qualify under current Tennessee law.
Tennessee Courts currently lists a $180 expungement fee plus applicable court costs for eligible conviction expungements.
Request the conviction-expungement packet from the district attorney’s office in the county where the case originated.
What should you do with the record you found?
Confirm the jail and booking ID before visiting, sending money or arranging bond.
Use TORIS and verify the person’s date of birth before paying the nonrefundable fee.
Contact the originating court clerk and obtain the dismissal, judgment or certified disposition.
Confirm through the issuing court or law-enforcement agency and never confront the person.
Use fingerprint comparison and correct the source agency rather than repeating name searches.
Collect the docket, charging document and final disposition before assessing eligibility.
Tennessee arrest and criminal-record contacts
| Office | Contact | Best reason to contact |
|---|---|---|
| TBI Headquarters | 615-744-4000 | General TBI routing, registries and bureau information. |
| Tennessee Open Records Information Services | 615-744-4057 | TORIS background checks, result questions and identity disputes. |
| Tennessee Courts Administrative Office |
615-741-2687 800-448-7970 |
Court-system information and locating the appropriate clerk. |
| Tennessee Department of Correction | 615-741-1000 | State correctional facilities, FOIL and TDOC routing. |
| TDOC Archived Records | 615-253-8079 | Historical offender-record and archive-search questions. |
| TN SAVIN / VINE | 1-888-868-4631 | Custody-status and release notifications. |
| TBI Sex Offender Registry | 1-888-837-4170 | Registry information, questions and correction routing. |
| TBI Tips | 1-800-TBI-FIND | Tips about wanted persons or possible criminal activity. |
Nashville, TN 37216
320 Sixth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-0465
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Headquarters
TBI Headquarters is located at 901 R.S. Gass Boulevard in Nashville. Criminal-history requests are normally completed through TORIS, so call before travelling with forms or payment.
How this Tennessee criminal-record guide was researched
TORIS price, name-based scope, fingerprint-submission limitation, juvenile exclusion, contact information and public registries.
Local clerk routing, appellate Public Case History, public court access and expungement eligibility and steps.
FOIL offender information, archived-record requests, victim notification and current county custody-search examples.
Tennessee arrest and criminal-record questions answered
How do I search Tennessee arrest records statewide?
Use TBI TORIS for a statewide name-based criminal-history check. For a very recent arrest or current custody, begin with the sheriff or detention-centre roster in the county where the arrest occurred.
How much does a TBI TORIS check cost?
The current fee is $29 for each name-based Tennessee criminal-history request. The charge is nonrefundable.
Does TORIS include aliases?
TBI states that aliases are not included in the name-based report. Search and verify prior surnames, maiden names and alternate legal names separately when necessary.
Where can I find Tennessee recent bookings?
Use the county jail system. Davidson provides active-inmate and recent-booking searches, Knox provides a 24-hour arrest list, and Hamilton permits searches by last name or SPN.
Does a TBI check prove that the person was convicted?
No. TBI criminal-history information can include arrests and prosecution information. Check the originating court for the final disposition.
How do I find a Tennessee criminal court case?
Use the Tennessee Courts clerk directory to locate the clerk in the county where the case originated. Trial-level records are not all contained in one statewide public search.
What is TDOC FOIL used for?
FOIL provides publicly available information about felony offenders currently or formerly in TDOC custody or supervision, including prison, probation, parole and inactive records.
How do I correct a wrong-person TBI result?
Contact TORIS at 615-744-4057 and request identity-dispute instructions. Tennessee guidance allows a fingerprint comparison for an additional $24.
Can dismissed Tennessee charges be expunged?
Many dismissed, nolle prosequi, no-true-bill, not-guilty and arrest-without-charge matters may qualify for free expungement, but the request must still be filed in the originating court.
Can an eligible Tennessee conviction be expunged?
Certain misdemeanours and Class E felonies may qualify. Tennessee Courts currently lists a $180 expungement fee plus court costs for eligible conviction expungements. Confirm eligibility and current fees with the district attorney and court clerk.