Tennessee Public Records Searches online by County
Below is a list of all official Tennessee county websites with links to public records they offer online. These public records include Tennessee property searches online, Tennessee recorded deeds online, Tennessee taxes, Tennessee GIS and mapping online, Tennessee court case searches, and a couple of counties have other historical records online (scroll to the bottom of the page to see these links).
The table columns include:
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Tennessee county websites
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land and property records searches at Assessor
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recorded documents like deeds, marriages at Reg of Deeds
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property tax and possibly other tax searches at Taxes
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GIS and interactive maps at GIS
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Court includes Circuit Court, Probate Court, General Sessions, and Clerk and Master–counties vary by which courts they have; Statewide Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals cases can be searched here.
Explanation of courts: Tennessee’s 95 counties are divided into 31 judicial districts. Within each district are Circuit Courts and Chancery Courts, as provided by the state constitution. Some districts also have legislatively established Criminal Courts and Probate Courts.
CIRCUIT COURTS
Circuit Courts are courts of general jurisdiction in Tennessee. Circuit court judges hear civil and criminal cases and appeals of decisions from Juvenile, Municipal, and General Sessions Courts. The jurisdiction of circuit courts often overlaps that of the chancery courts. Criminal cases are tried in circuit court except in districts with separate criminal courts established by the General Assembly.
CHANCERY COURTS (has a Clerk and Master–see Master in table below)
Chancery Courts are courts of equity that are based on the English system in which the chancellor acted as the “King’s conscience.” A chancellor, the judge who presides over chancery courts, may modify the application of strict legal rules and adapt relief to the circumstances of individual cases. Chancery Courts handle a variety of issues including lawsuits, contract disputes, application for injunctions and name changes. A number of matters, such as divorces, adoptions, and workers’ compensation, can be heard in either chancery or circuit court. Chancery Courts handle probate matters when there is no separate probate court.
GENERAL SESSIONS COURTS (see General in table below) jurisdiction varies from county to county based on state laws and private acts. Every county is served by this court of limited jurisdiction, which hears both civil and criminal cases. Civil jurisdiction has specific monetary limits and criminal jurisdiction is limited to certain hearings and when some rights are waived.
CRIMINAL COURTS
Criminal Courts were established by the legislature to relieve circuit courts in areas with heavy caseloads. In addition to having jurisdiction over criminal cases, criminal court judges hear misdemeanor appeals from lower courts. In districts without criminal courts, criminal cases are handled at the trial level by circuit court judges.
PROBATE COURTS
Probate Courts were created by the legislature and given jurisdiction over probate of wills and administration of estates. Probate judges also handle conservatorships and guardianships.
A -w after a listing, this means there’s no online data, it’s just a website.
A -$ after a listing means the site might have fees or be by subscription only.
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