Search Tennessee Booking Reports
Tennessee booking reports are public records kept by the sheriff's office in each of the state's 95 counties. These records log every person booked into a county jail, along with their name, charges, and arrest details. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also keeps statewide criminal history data through its TORIS system. You can search booking reports online, by phone, or in person at local sheriff's offices across Tennessee. Some counties post daily booking logs on their websites. Others require you to file a records request. This page covers how to find and search booking reports throughout Tennessee.
Tennessee Booking Reports Quick Facts
How to Find Tennessee Booking Reports
County sheriff's offices are the main source for booking reports in Tennessee. Each county runs its own jail. When someone is arrested, the sheriff's office creates a booking report with the person's name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, and arresting agency. These records are public. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, the custodian of a public record must make it available for inspection promptly. If that is not possible, the custodian has seven business days to respond. You do not need to be involved in the case to view a booking report in Tennessee. Any citizen can ask to see these records.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs a statewide system called TORIS (Tennessee Open Records Information Services) for criminal history searches. TORIS provides name-based criminal background searches on adults across the state. The cost is $29 per request and is non-refundable. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. Results come as a PDF that states whether the person has a Tennessee criminal history record. If a record exists, you get a copy of the criminal history. Contact TORIS at 615-744-4057 for help.
No juvenile records show up in the TORIS results. Only adult booking reports and criminal history appear in the search unless a juvenile was transferred to adult criminal court under Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-134.
Online Search Tools in Tennessee
Several free tools let you search for booking reports and inmate data online in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Correction runs the Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) system. FOIL is free to use. You can search by name, TDOC ID, or State ID Number. The search shows current and former inmates including their full name, date of birth, TDOC ID, booking photos, aliases, sentence length, and incarceration location. The Department of Correction is at 320 Sixth Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee, 37243-0465, phone (615) 741-1000.
Many county sheriff's offices in Tennessee also post booking reports on their own websites. Counties like Knox, Hamilton, Davidson, and Shelby provide online search tools where you can look up current inmates and recent bookings. Some show the last 24 to 48 hours of bookings. Others let you search the full inmate roster by name.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation CJIS division handles statewide criminal history data. The TBI is the state repository for criminal history records based on fingerprint submissions from local law enforcement across Tennessee. This data feeds into the booking reports and arrest records that counties maintain.
What Tennessee Booking Reports Contain
A booking report in Tennessee is created when law enforcement brings a person to the county jail. The report documents the arrest and intake process. Each Tennessee county may format its reports a bit differently, but the core information stays the same across the state.
Tennessee booking reports typically include the following details:
- Full name and date of birth of the person arrested
- Booking date and time
- Arresting agency and officer
- Charges filed at the time of arrest
- Bond type and bond amount
- Booking photograph
- Physical description including height, weight, race, and sex
Some counties in Tennessee also list the person's city of residence, release date, and inmate classification. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, for instance, classifies inmates as Pretrial/Non-Sentenced Felon, Pretrial/Non-Sentenced Misdemeanor, or TDOC inmates. Knox County shows court dates, division, and court event type in its booking reports. The level of detail varies, but the core booking data is consistent across Tennessee's 95 counties.
The Tennessee Open Government Guide from the Reporters Committee explains that the Tennessee Public Records Act gives citizens the right to inspect government records at all times during business hours. Booking reports fall under this law.
Tennessee Booking Report Fees
Inspecting booking reports in Tennessee is free. You can walk into any sheriff's office and ask to view records at no cost. The law does not require requests to be in writing. You can ask to see booking reports verbally during business hours. Copies cost money, though.
Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-4-604(a)(1), the Office of Open Records Counsel sets a schedule of reasonable charges for copies of public records. Black and white copies cost $0.15 per page. Color copies cost $0.50 per page. There is no charge for the first hour of labor needed to locate, retrieve, review, redact, and reproduce the records. After the first hour, the custodian may charge for labor at a rate set by the schedule. The records custodian may charge less than these rates, or more if it can document that its actual cost is higher.
For statewide criminal history checks through TORIS, the fee is $29 per search. That fee is non-refundable even if no record is found. Contact the Office of Open Records Counsel at 505 Deaderick Street, Suite 1600, Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1402 if you have questions about fees. Their phone number is (615) 401-7891, or call toll-free at 1-866-831-3750.
Requesting Booking Reports in Tennessee
You can request booking reports in person, by mail, or by phone at most Tennessee sheriff's offices. Each county must have a written public records policy in place. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(g), every governmental entity subject to the Tennessee Public Records Act must adopt a written policy that includes the process for requesting records, the process for responding, a statement of fees, and the name of the Public Records Request Coordinator. The policy cannot impose requirements that are more burdensome than what state law allows.
To file a public records request with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, you download and complete the TBI request form. You can return the form by mail, fax, or in person. Be as specific as possible about what booking reports or records you need. That helps speed up your request.
If a records custodian denies your request, they must do so in writing. You can contact the Office of Open Records Counsel for help resolving disputes about access to public records including booking reports in Tennessee.
Note: The TBI receives approximately 1,500 to 2,000 incident reports monthly from participating law enforcement agencies across Tennessee.
Historical Arrest Records in Tennessee
Older booking records and court documents may be held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The archives house collections of historical criminal records, court proceedings, and legal documents from courts across all 95 Tennessee counties. These records are open to the public. For recent booking reports, contact the county sheriff's office directly. For older records dating back several decades, the State Library and Archives in Nashville is the place to start.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also publishes crime statistics from law enforcement agencies across the state. The data shows where crimes are being committed and helps agencies focus their resources. Statistical crime data for Tennessee counties can be found on the TBI website. These statistics come from the reports submitted by local agencies.
The Tennessee Code Annotated § 10-7-503 requires that all state, county, and municipal records be open for personal inspection by any citizen of Tennessee during business hours. This includes booking reports, arrest logs, and related law enforcement records held by county sheriff's offices throughout the state.
Browse Tennessee Booking Reports by County
Each county in Tennessee has its own sheriff's office that keeps booking reports. Pick a county below to find local booking report search tools and contact information for that area.
Booking Reports in Major Tennessee Cities
Residents of major cities are booked at their county jail. Pick a city below to learn about booking reports in that area.