Tennessee public records are now available online. You can search for a public record on many record websites; however, records that are prior to the year 1910 may not be viewed on the Internet. Don't worry - you still have three more options: call or fax the appropriate state or county records office, email or snail mail them, or just walk in the office and inquire about the public record.
One good website to get your online search started is US Search. The website has a very organized layout that you can easily search for a person's public records by putting his first and last name and indicating "Tennessee" as the state. The search will refine all registered names, and lead you to a page containing names of people with their additional information so you can readily identify who among them is the person you're looking for. You can search by name, by address, or by phone. This site charges $0.95 for a concise public records report and $33.95 for a complete set of public records (criminal and court records, vital records, properties, lawsuits, etc.
With organized categories to help your search become easier, SearchSystems.net provides public records of varying types. They can help you get a background check, criminal record, property report and bankruptcies, and tax and liens records for a Tennessee citizen. This site also lists links if you want to conduct a search elsewhere.
Public Records Offices and Agencies can also give you quick results on Tennessee public records.
To grab a copy of the public records, it's better if you send a request to the official records office of the state rather than paying some unknown website. You can send the mail to:
Office of Open Records Counsel
505 Deaderick Street, Suite 1600
James K. Polk Building
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1402
You can contact them through their telephone number: (615) 401-7891, or fax them using this number: (615) 741-1551. You can also contact them via email. They charge 15 cents per page for black and white copies, and 30 cents per page for colored copies.
If you wish to inspect a public record in person, you can visit the following county records office:
(731) 885-1372
(615) 340-5611
(615) 384-5895
(615) 898-7892
To ensure access to records by the public, the Tennessee Open Records Act was created. It seeks to grant access to Tennessee public records while making sure that privacy is maintained. Just like other states, Tennessee strictly follows the Federal Open Records Act which prohibits access to records that may reveal personally identifying information. This act is a part of the Tennessee Code Annotated Title 10 Chapter 7 Part 5.
To lookup Tennessee public records information, contact:
Tennessee Coalition for Open GovernmentBy law, unless legally specified otherwise, any citizen of the state cannot be refused when trying to perform a Tennessee public records search in order to obtain a copy of a document or other form of information. Therefore, you are entitled to be able to view papers, letters, calendars, films, books, tapes, and other materials that have to do with official government business.
The Records Management Division of the Department of General Services is responsible for public records in Tennessee. The division serves as the main record management agency for state government as well as providing support to state agencies for maintaining, using and disposing of records.
Under the direction of the Public Records Commission [TCA 10-7-303], the RMD serves to protect the Tennessee public records. The state's public records laws define 'public record' as "all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, microfilms, electronic data processing files and output, films, sound recordings, or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any governmental agency."[TCA 10-7-301, Paragraph 6]
The law dictates whether or not a specific document may be deemed Tennessee public record or not, so it is important to check with the custodian of a particular record to find more information.
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