Knox County Background Check

Knox County background check records are maintained by the Criminal Court Clerk, the Circuit Court Clerk, the General Sessions Court, and the Knox County Sheriff's Office, all based in Knoxville, the county seat and home to nearly 480,000 county residents.

Knox County Criminal Court Clerk

Knox County is one of the few Tennessee counties with a dedicated Criminal Court Clerk that is separate from the Circuit Court Clerk. The Knox County Criminal Court Clerk's office is located at 400 W. Main Street, Suite M-60, Knoxville, TN 37902. This office handles felony criminal cases prosecuted in Knox County Criminal Court. If you need records for a felony charge in Knox County, this is the right office to contact.

You can search Knox County court case records online through the county's official case search portal at knoxcounty.org/courts. The free online search lets you look up cases by name or case number, and view case status, charges, court dates, and dispositions. This covers both criminal and civil court records in Knox County.

For certified copies or complete case files, contact the Criminal Court Clerk's office in person or by mail. In-person visits are accepted during business hours, Monday through Friday. Bring the subject's name and any known case numbers to speed up the search. Copy fees are set by state rate schedules, with certified copies costing more than plain copies. Mail requests are also processed; include your contact information, a description of the records needed, and payment by check or money order.

All Knox County criminal court records are open to the public under T.C.A. § 10-7-503. Sealed cases and juvenile records are not accessible to the public.

Knox County Circuit Court Clerk

The Knox County Circuit Court Clerk handles civil court records and certain criminal matters that come through Circuit Court rather than Criminal Court. The Circuit Court Clerk is also located in the downtown Knoxville courthouse complex. For civil background check elements, such as civil judgments or lawsuits, this is the correct office to contact.

The online case search at knoxcounty.org/courts covers both Criminal Court and Circuit Court records in one search. For most background check purposes, starting with the online portal is the most efficient approach before deciding whether a full in-person records request is needed.

Knox County General Sessions Court

The General Sessions Court in Knox County handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, small claims, civil matters under the dollar threshold, and preliminary hearings for felony cases. This court processes a large volume of cases given Knox County's size. Records are kept at the General Sessions Court Clerk's office, also located in the downtown Knoxville courthouse area.

Misdemeanor convictions and traffic charges that never moved up to a higher court will be in General Sessions records. The online case search at knoxcounty.org/courts includes General Sessions case data as well. If you are looking for a lower-level offense, searching the online portal will quickly tell you whether a case exists and what court handled it.

Felony cases that originated in General Sessions are bound over to Knox County Criminal Court after the preliminary hearing. Check both General Sessions and Criminal Court records if you want a complete picture of a person's Knox County case history.

Knox County Sheriff's Office

The Knox County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking logs for law enforcement activity in the county. Contact the records division of the sheriff's office to request arrest records or reports. The Knox County Detention Facility may post current booking information online. Basic booking data is often available for free, while detailed reports may carry a fee.

A sheriff's office search covers only Knox County arrests. It does not include records from other Tennessee counties or federal agencies. For a complete Tennessee background check, use the TBI TORIS system. If you are also checking Knoxville Police Department records, contact the KPD records division separately since municipal arrests are in their system rather than the county sheriff's.

Statewide Background Checks for Knox County Residents

For a statewide criminal history covering all 95 Tennessee counties including Knox, use the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's TORIS system at tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov. A name-based search costs $29. Results include arrests and charges from across Tennessee that are tied to the name and date of birth entered.

The TORIS system is the standard tool used for employment, housing, and volunteer background checks in Tennessee. It is available to anyone online and gives results quickly. Name-based searches are generally accurate but can sometimes return results for people who share a name. For cases where accuracy is critical, authorized agencies can request fingerprint-based searches.

You can also contact TBI directly at 901 R.S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, TN 37216 or call 615-744-4057. The TBI background checks page details all available search types, fees, and instructions.

Public Records Access in Knox County

The Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503, entitles any citizen to inspect and copy public records held by government agencies. Knox County court records fall under this law. You can search records in person at any of the courthouse offices during business hours, or start with the free online search at knoxcounty.org/courts.

If a records request is denied, ask for a written explanation. You may appeal the decision to the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel. Knox County generally handles public records requests efficiently given its large court system and established procedures. Juvenile records and sealed cases remain restricted regardless of the open records law.

Expungement of Knox County Records

Tennessee's expungement statute, T.C.A. § 40-32-101, allows dismissed charges and certain convictions to be removed from the public record. If your Knox County case was dismissed, resulted in a not-guilty verdict, or was dropped before charges were filed, you can petition the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk at 400 W. Main Street, Suite M-60, for destruction of the record at no filing cost.

Conviction expungements are available for qualifying offenses after the sentence is completed and the required waiting period passes. Offenses involving violence, deadly weapons, or mandatory sex offender registration are not eligible. Legal Aid of East Tennessee serves Knox County and can help residents understand their expungement options and navigate the filing process.

Felony Offender Records - FOIL

The Tennessee Department of Correction provides free public access to state prison records through the Felony Offender Information Lookup at apps.tn.gov/foil-app. FOIL shows current inmate status, sentence details, booking photos, facility assignment, and earliest parole eligibility for anyone in the Tennessee state prison system. Knox County residents in the state system appear in FOIL results.

This is a statewide tool. Search by name to find anyone convicted in Tennessee, regardless of which county the case originated in. No login is required, and the search is free. Results update within about one week of a new inmate entering the system. FOIL does not cover local jail detainees, only those processed into the state prison system.

Cities in Knox County

Knox County includes Knoxville, the largest city in the county and one of Tennessee's major cities. Background check records for all Knox County residents flow through the Criminal Court Clerk and Circuit Court Clerk offices in downtown Knoxville.

Nearby Counties

Knox County borders several other East Tennessee counties. Each has its own court system and records office.

View All 95 Tennessee Counties