Lewis County Background Check
Lewis County background check records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk, the General Sessions Court, and the Lewis County Sheriff's Office in Hohenwald, the county seat of this small Middle Tennessee county.
Lewis County Quick Facts
Lewis County Circuit Court Clerk
The Lewis County Circuit Court Clerk is located at the Lewis County Courthouse in Hohenwald, TN 38462. This office keeps criminal and civil court records for all cases that go through Lewis County Circuit Court. Office hours run Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Because Lewis County is a small rural county, it is worth calling ahead to confirm hours and ask how to submit a records request before making the drive.
The most reliable way to request records is to visit the courthouse in person. You will need to give the clerk's staff the subject's full name. A date of birth or case number helps staff narrow the search. Once matching records are found, you can look at them at the office or pay to have copies made. Plain copies and certified copies are priced differently under state fee rules. Ask the clerk to confirm the total cost before paying.
Mail requests are also accepted. Write a letter with the subject's name, the type of record you are requesting, your contact information, and a check or money order for the estimated copy fee. The clerk will follow up if additional payment is needed. Expect some additional processing time for mail requests in smaller offices.
Lewis County court records are public records under T.C.A. § 10-7-503. You do not have to explain your reason for requesting records. Exceptions include sealed cases and records involving juveniles, which are not available to the general public.
Lewis County General Sessions Court
The General Sessions Court handles misdemeanor charges, traffic violations, civil cases under the dollar threshold, and felony preliminary hearings in Lewis County. This court is where most local criminal matters begin, so its records are a key piece of any Lewis County background check.
General Sessions records are at the courthouse in Hohenwald. In a small county like Lewis, the circuit and general sessions clerks typically work in the same office. One visit to the courthouse usually takes care of records requests from both courts. Tell the staff what type of case you are looking for and they can direct you to the right records.
Felony cases that start in General Sessions are sent to Circuit Court after the preliminary hearing. If you find a General Sessions record that shows a transfer to Circuit Court, follow up with the Circuit Court Clerk for the outcome. Checking both courts is the best way to get a full and accurate picture of someone's Lewis County case history.
Lewis County Sheriff's Office
The Lewis County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement throughout the county and keeps arrest records and incident reports for events in unincorporated areas. A records search here is limited to Lewis County arrests and incidents. Records from Lawrence, Maury, Hickman, Perry, and Wayne counties are not covered by a Lewis County sheriff's search.
The sheriff's office is in Hohenwald. Contact the records division for information on how to request arrest records or incident reports and what the current fees are. Some basic booking data may be available online or at the jail. More detailed records usually require a written request or an in-person visit. Confirm current fees with the office before submitting payment.
For a complete Tennessee criminal history that covers all 95 counties, use the TBI TORIS system. A local sheriff's office search is useful for confirming county-level arrest activity but is not a substitute for a full statewide search when you need a comprehensive background check.
Statewide Background Checks for Lewis County Residents
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation operates the TORIS system for public background checks at tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov. A name-based search costs $29 and covers all 95 Tennessee counties including Lewis County. Results include arrests and charges tied to the name and date of birth you enter.
TORIS is available to any member of the public online. You do not need a special account or authorization to run a name-based search. Results come from the TBI's statewide criminal history database. Name-based searches are generally accurate but can produce false matches when people share similar names. Fingerprint-based searches are more precise and are available to authorized agencies. For most public background check purposes, TORIS is the right tool.
Mail submissions go to TBI at 901 R.S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, TN 37216. Call 615-744-4057 for guidance. The TBI background checks page explains all search types and payment options.
Public Records Access in Lewis County
The Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503, entitles any citizen to inspect and copy public records maintained by government agencies. Lewis County court records are covered by this law. You can visit the courthouse during business hours and ask to review records without providing a reason. Agencies must respond to requests promptly.
If your request is denied, ask for a written explanation. You can appeal to the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel if you believe the denial was improper. Most routine background check requests in Lewis County are approved without issue. Juvenile records and sealed cases are the most common exceptions to full public access.
Expungement of Lewis County Records
Under T.C.A. § 40-32-101, Tennessee allows some Lewis County criminal records to be expunged. Dismissed charges, acquittals, and cases dropped before charges were filed are eligible for no-cost expungement. File the petition with the Circuit Court Clerk in Hohenwald.
Some convictions may also qualify after the sentence is complete and the required waiting period has passed. Offenses that involved violence, deadly weapons, or sex crimes requiring registration are not eligible. Once the court grants the petition, all public records of the case are permanently destroyed and the person's legal standing is restored. Legal aid organizations serving Middle Tennessee can help Lewis County residents check eligibility and file the petition.
Felony Offender Records - FOIL
The Tennessee Department of Correction operates the free Felony Offender Information Lookup at apps.tn.gov/foil-app. FOIL shows current status, facility, sentence details, booking photo, and parole eligibility for anyone in the Tennessee state prison system. Lewis County residents serving time in the state system appear in FOIL results.
FOIL covers all Tennessee state prison facilities, not just one county. The search is free, requires no account, and updates within about one week of a new inmate entering the system. If you are checking on someone with a felony conviction in Tennessee, FOIL is the quickest free tool to verify current status and location.
Cities in Lewis County
Hohenwald is the only incorporated city in Lewis County and serves as the county seat. No cities in Lewis County meet the population threshold for a dedicated background check page. All Lewis County court records are handled through the courthouse in Hohenwald.
Nearby Counties
Lewis County borders five Middle Tennessee counties, each with its own court system and records office.