How to Search Davidson County Court Records
No single website covers every Davidson County court record. The county uses more than one official search system, and each one holds a different set of cases. Civil, probate, and General Sessions-Civil cases run through CaseSearch. Criminal cases run through the Criminal Court Clerk. Chancery cases have their own search. Pick the system that matches your case type first. That one choice saves the most time.
Before you start, gather what you have. A case number gives the most exact result. If you do not have one, a full party name works in most systems. For criminal records, spell the name the way it was entered at the time of arrest.
The Circuit Court Clerk runs the main civil portals at caselink.nashville.gov. Free CaseSearch gives basic case lookup. CaseLink is a paid subscription for images and detailed filings.
The CaseLink and CaseSearch entry page shows the split between the free and paid tools.
Use the free CaseSearch first if you only need to confirm a case exists. Move to CaseLink or a direct clerk copy request when you need the actual documents.
- Pick the court that matches your case type.
- Open the matching portal at its official URL.
- Enter a party name or, better, a case number.
- Filter by office or party type to narrow results.
- Request a certified copy from the clerk if you need one for court.
The Davidson County Judicial System
Davidson County is in Tennessee's Twentieth Judicial District. Its trial courts of general jurisdiction are the Circuit, Chancery, Criminal, and Probate courts. Below them sit courts of limited jurisdiction: General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal. Tennessee does not use a single "district court" at the trial level. The primary civil trial court here is the Circuit Court, which has eight divisions.
Appeals split by case type. Civil appeals go to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Criminal appeals go to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court is the court of last resort. The Tennessee Courts site explains this trial court structure in plain terms.
This page from the state courts shows where Circuit, Chancery, and Criminal courts fit statewide.
Knowing the level of court tells you which clerk holds the file. That is the key to a fast Davidson County Court records search.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court (8 divisions) | General civil trial court | Torts, contracts, workers' comp, domestic relations, estate administration |
| Chancery Court | Equity | Injunctions, tax, property, business, administrative |
| Criminal Court | State trial criminal | Indicted felonies and serious criminal cases |
| Probate / Seventh Circuit | Estates | Wills, conservatorships, guardianships, name changes |
| General Sessions | Limited | Civil up to $25,000, landlord-tenant, misdemeanors, traffic |
Davidson County Courthouses
Court work in Davidson County is split across a few downtown buildings. Knowing which one you need keeps a wasted trip off your day. Civil, probate, and chancery records live at the Historic Metropolitan Courthouse at 1 Public Square. Criminal and General Sessions business runs out of the Justice A.A. Birch Building at 408 2nd Avenue North. Marriage licenses are not at either courthouse. They come from the County Clerk at the Howard Office Building.
Historic Metropolitan Courthouse
1 Public Square, Suite 302
Nashville, TN 37201
615-862-5181
Justice A.A. Birch Building
408 2nd Avenue North, Suite 2120
Nashville, TN 37201
615-862-5601
Howard Office Building
700 President Ronald Reagan Way, Suite 101
Nashville, TN 37210
615-862-6050
Types of Court Records Available in Davidson County
Davidson County court records cover a wide range of case types. Each type is filed with a specific court and held by a specific clerk. Civil and family cases are filed mostly in Circuit Court. Equity and business disputes go to Chancery. Criminal cases run through the Criminal Court and General Sessions. Probate and estate matters belong to the Probate Division. Traffic and Metro ordinance cases land in General Sessions and the Traffic Violation Bureau.
Most of these records are public. Some are sealed, confidential by statute, or redacted to hide sensitive details.
- Criminal records - charges, dispositions, and dockets from General Sessions and the Criminal Court.
- Civil records - contract, tort, and property disputes in Circuit and Chancery.
- Family and divorce records - domestic relations cases filed in Circuit Court.
- Probate records - wills, estates, and conservatorships in the Probate Division.
- Traffic records - citations and Metro ordinance cases in General Sessions.
What Davidson County Court Records Show
A court record is built from the documents and docket entries in a case file. The fields are fairly consistent across courts, even when the portal looks different. Most records list the case number, the court and division, the filing date, and the parties. Criminal and civil records then branch into charges or causes, hearings, and the final outcome. The table below shows the core fields you will see in a Davidson County court record.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique number assigned to the case by the clerk. |
| Filing Date | The date the case opened with the court. |
| Parties | Plaintiff or petitioner and defendant or respondent, plus counsel. |
| Charges / Cause | The criminal charges cited or the civil claim raised. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge or the whole case, if concluded. |
| Judgment / Sentence | The court's final order, award, or sentence. |
Note: Some criminal results lack a date of birth, so confirm identity with the clerk before you rely on a match for any official use.
Davidson County Criminal Case and Docket Search
Criminal records run on a separate track from civil cases. The Criminal Court Clerk keeps General Sessions criminal and State Trial Criminal Court records. The public search at sci.ccc.nashville.gov lets you search by person, case number, or complaint number. It pulls public information from filed documents and docket entries.
Data is split into two sets. CJIS data covers General Sessions dispositions from January 11, 2000 and State Trial Court dispositions from July 11, 2000. Legacy data covers records posted from 1980 to those dates. For anything before 1980, you contact the office.
The Criminal Court Clerk public case search shows the search type dropdown and tips.
Expunged charges are removed from this search. Tennessee law makes it a crime to publish records after expunction under T.C.A. 40-32-101.
Public Access Laws for Davidson County Court Records
Tennessee starts from a presumption of access. State, county, and city records are open to Tennessee citizens during business hours, unless a statute, court rule, or federal law makes a record confidential. Court records carry an extra layer of rules through the Supreme Court. County clerks adopt their own written public records policies under the state act.
Key Statutes:
Tennessee Code § 10-7-503 - the Public Records Act gives Tennessee citizens the right to inspect open public records.
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 - sets public access to court records unless a record is excepted, sealed, or protected.
Tennessee Code § 40-32-101 - governs the destruction and release of eligible criminal records after expunction.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every file is open. Some records are sealed by law or by court order. Chancery says any file marked sealed by law or by order of the court is closed to public inspection. Adoption records require a court order to view. Order-of-protection and sealed searches in CaseLink return "No Records Accessible," which does not always mean no case exists. Juvenile records are tightly restricted. Expunged criminal charges are removed from public display.
To open a sealed record, a party or attorney of record can ask the court. Most people need a court order or eligible legal standing. The clerk cannot waive a seal on request.
Specialty Courts in Davidson County
Davidson County runs several problem-solving courts. The General Sessions Recovery Court handles substance use cases, with judicial oversight aimed at reducing repeat offenses. It uses an eReferral for screening. The Mental Health Court works with defendants who have mental health needs and coordinates treatment after a case is resolved. A Veterans Treatment Court also meets in the General Sessions criminal docket rotation.
The Sheriff's Office runs the Behavioral Care Center, a 60-bed treatment facility used as a jail alternative for people with qualifying mental health or substance use needs. It is not a traditional jail.
This screenshot shows the General Sessions Court homepage, which lists these programs and current notices.
Each program has its own intake and docket, so check with the program office for the current schedule.
Davidson County Sheriff and Jail
The Davidson County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail facilities and the public inmate search. Sheriff Daron Hall leads the office. The active inmate search lets you look up people in custody by name. Recent bookings show arrests from the last 48 hours. The Offender Information Center answers questions 24 hours a day at 615-862-8123.
For full roster details, see the Davidson County inmate records page. For active warrant proxies, see warrant records, and for release status, see released inmates.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
These three record types confuse people because they sit in different offices. Marriage licenses come from the Davidson County Clerk. Divorce cases are filed in Circuit Court. Probate and estate matters run through the Probate Division. The Chancery public records search covers equity and business cases, with most records online from 1997 forward.
For details, see marriage and divorce records and probate records. This screenshot shows the Chancery public records search.
A few probate terms come up again and again. The list below defines the ones people ask about most.
- Testator
- The person who made the will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to settle the estate.
- Conservator
- A person the court appoints to manage the affairs of an adult with a disability.
Davidson County Court Records Fees
Most copy fees are set by statute and are the same across the main clerk offices. The amounts below were listed on the official clerk pages at the time of research. Always confirm the current charge before you send payment. A certified copy carries the per-page rate plus a flat certification fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page (Circuit) | $0.50 |
| Certified copy | $5 certification + $0.50/page |
| Congressional certification | $10 certification + $0.50/page |
| CaseLink subscription | $25/month |
How to Interpret Davidson County Court Records
Court files use shorthand. A "disposition" is the outcome of a charge or case. "Nolle prosequi" means the prosecutor dropped the charge. "Dismissed with prejudice" means it cannot be refiled. A charge is only an accusation. A conviction is a finding of guilt. Reading those terms correctly keeps you from drawing the wrong conclusion from a record. When a code or status is unclear, the clerk can explain what it means, though staff cannot give legal advice.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online records lag behind the paper file. A new filing, a bond change, or a disposition may take time to post. Bond amounts can be changed by the court at any time. The Sheriff's Office warns that its inmate data is a public service and should not be the sole basis for legal action.
Note: Confirm key details with the clerk or office that holds the original record before you rely on an online result for court, employment, or any official use.
History of Davidson County Courts
Davidson County is one of Tennessee's oldest counties, and Nashville is both the county seat and the state capital. General Sessions Courts were organized in 1937 to replace the old justice of the peace courts. A 1971 reform folded Metro ordinance and traffic cases into the court. A separate Probate Court opened in 1963, then became the Seventh Circuit Court in 1998 while keeping probate jurisdiction. The Justice A.A. Birch Building, dedicated in 2006, honors the first African American Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Davidson County civil court records?
Use the Circuit Court Clerk's CaseSearch for Circuit, Probate, and General Sessions-Civil cases. The free version lets you look up a case by party name and filter by office. For document images and detailed filings, CaseLink is a paid subscription at $25 per month. If a record is old or not online, contact the clerk with the case number, party names, and filing year.
How do I find someone in the Davidson County jail?
Use the Sheriff's active inmate search by first and last name. The Advanced Search adds date of birth, OCA, warrant, and CIS number fields. Recent Bookings lists arrests from the last 48 hours. You can also call the Offender Information Center at 615-862-8123 any time, day or night.
Where do I get a marriage license?
Marriage licenses are issued only at the County Clerk's main office in the Howard Office Building on President Ronald Reagan Way. Both people must appear, complete the online application first, bring photo ID and Social Security proof, and pay by cash or card.
More on the Davidson County Court Records FAQ page.