Davidson County Background Check
Davidson County background check records are maintained by the Criminal Court Clerk, the Circuit Court Clerk, the Metro Nashville Police Department, and the General Sessions Court. Davidson County is home to Nashville, the state capital, and processes more background check requests than any other county in Tennessee. You can search Davidson County criminal records online for free, request them by mail, or visit the courthouse in person. All searches are available to the public under the Tennessee Public Records Act.
Davidson County Quick Facts
Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk
Howard Gentry serves as the Criminal Court Clerk of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. The office is at 408 2nd Avenue North, Suite 2120, Nashville, TN 37201. The main phone number is 615-862-5601. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Criminal Court Clerk handles records for the criminal courts of Davidson County and provides background check access to the public in several ways.
To request a Davidson County background check by mail, send your request with payment by cashier's check or money order, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, to the Criminal Court Clerk's Office at 408 2nd Avenue North, Suite 2120, Nashville, TN 37203. You can also call 615-862-5601 to pay with a credit or debit card by phone. Standard copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an additional $5.00 per document.
The Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk website at ccc.nashville.gov lists background check request details, fees, and online access options for the public.
Anyone can view all public Davidson County criminal records at no charge at the Criminal Court Clerk's office during regular business hours. Public access terminals are available for self-service searches while on site.
Davidson County Free Online Case Search
The Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk provides a free public case search at sci.ccc.nashville.gov. This system lets you search by a person's name, a case number, or a citation number. Results show case information including charges, court dates, and dispositions. There is no cost to search.
The online system covers records from the Criminal Court and General Sessions Court in Davidson County. It is available any time and does not require an account. For older records or certified copies, you will need to contact the Criminal Court Clerk's office directly or visit in person. The free search is a useful first step for anyone looking up criminal history in Davidson County.
Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk
The Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining court records and serving the judiciary, legal professionals, and the community. The office fills requests for copies of court records from the Circuit, Probate, General Sessions-Civil Division, and Traffic Courts. All records requests are handled in accordance with the Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503.
The Circuit Court Clerk's office provides a public record request form online. Requests should include your name and contact information, as well as details about the record you want. Useful information to include: a case number, the first and last name of the plaintiff or defendant, attorney names, the document type, a date range, and whether the case is open or closed. The office is at the Davidson County Historic Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville, TN 37201. The mailing address is P.O. Box 196303, Nashville, TN 37219-6303. Phone: 615-862-5181. Fax: 615-862-5191.
Metro Nashville Police Records
Individuals who need Davidson County-only criminal records can submit a background check request to the Metro Nashville Police Department's Central Records Division. The agency charges $13 for each request. A record from the police department will show only Davidson County arrests and criminal charges. This is a local check, not a statewide search.
Visit nashville.gov/departments/police for information on how to submit a records request to the Metro Nashville Police Department's Central Records Division. The police department maintains arrest records and incident reports for all investigations within Davidson County.
Note: For a statewide Tennessee criminal history check, use the TBI's TORIS system rather than the police department's local records service.
Davidson County General Sessions Court
The Metropolitan General Sessions Court of Nashville-Davidson County is a limited-jurisdiction court that hears civil cases, misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, traffic violations, environmental cases, and metropolitan ordinance violations. One General Sessions division operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is located at the Hamilton County Jail as a service to law enforcement. The other is in the Courts Building.
The General Sessions Court Clerk maintains records for all proceedings and provides public access to case information. You can find court date and case status information online at gscourt.nashville.gov. General Sessions criminal records are part of the public Davidson County background check record and are searchable through the free online case search at sci.ccc.nashville.gov.
Statewide Background Checks for Davidson County Residents
For a statewide Tennessee background check that goes beyond Davidson County, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs the TORIS system at tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov. A name-based search costs $29 per request. Results cover arrests and charges from all 95 counties in Tennessee, including Davidson County. The TORIS search does not include records from other states or the FBI.
Fingerprint-based checks through IdentoGO provide stronger identity matching than name-based searches. These are available through the TBI for authorized agencies that hold an ORI number. For most public requests, the TORIS name search is the standard option. You can also mail a request to the TBI at 901 R.S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, TN 37216, or call 615-744-4057 for help.
The TBI background checks page explains the full range of search options and what each type of search covers.
Public Records Access in Davidson County
Davidson County courts and government agencies operate under the Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503. This law gives any Tennessee citizen the right to inspect government records during business hours. Courts have held that a "presumption of openness" applies to public documents in the state. Most court records in Davidson County are accessible to anyone who asks.
The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County also provides a central portal for public records requests through the Law Department. Visit nashville.gov to submit a records request to any Metro Nashville department. The Juvenile Court in Davidson County maintains records with specific access restrictions for proceedings involving minors, as these are handled differently from adult court records.
Expungement of Davidson County Records
Tennessee law allows petitions to expunge certain criminal records under T.C.A. § 40-32-101. If a charge in Davidson County was dismissed, a grand jury returned no true bill, or a person was released without being charged, they can petition the court to have those records destroyed. There is no cost for that type of petition in Davidson County.
Conviction expungements are also available in some cases. The offense cannot involve physical force, use of a deadly weapon, or a sex crime requiring registration. Once a Davidson County court grants expungement, all public records of the case are destroyed and the person is legally restored to the status they held before the arrest. Petitions are filed with the Criminal Court Clerk at 408 2nd Avenue North, Nashville.
Davidson County Felony Offender Records
The Tennessee Department of Correction runs the free Felony Offender Information Lookup at apps.tn.gov/foil-app. This tool shows current status, facility location, booking photo, earliest parole eligibility, and active sentence for felony offenders in the state system. Davidson County residents in the state prison system appear in FOIL results.
FOIL is a statewide tool and not specific to Davidson County, but it covers anyone who has been processed through the Tennessee Department of Correction. Results are updated within one week of an inmate entering the system. The search is free and open to the public.
Cities in Davidson County
Nashville is the primary city in Davidson County. All Davidson County court records, including background check records, are maintained through the Nashville Metro Government court system.
Nearby Counties
Davidson County borders several other Tennessee counties. Each has its own court system and records. Select a county below to find background check resources in that area.