Moore County Background Check

Moore County background check records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk, General Sessions Court, and the Moore County Sheriff's Office in Lynchburg, the county seat.

Moore County Circuit Court Clerk

The Moore County Circuit Court Clerk maintains criminal court records for the county. Moore County is the smallest county in Tennessee by population, with roughly 6,400 residents. The clerk's office is at the Moore County Courthouse in Lynchburg and is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

To request background check records, visit the clerk's office in person or send a written request by mail. Include the full legal name of the person you are looking up. A date of birth helps narrow results. Case numbers are useful when you already have a specific case in mind. Tennessee law sets the copy fees. Certified copies cost more than plain photocopies. Call the clerk to confirm current fees before you mail payment to Lynchburg.

Public access terminals at the courthouse allow free case lookups during business hours. Moore County court cases are also searchable online at no cost through the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts at tncourts.gov. The portal shows case status, charges, and court dates. Because Moore County has a small population, its case volume is lower than most Tennessee counties, so records searches tend to be quick. For older records not in the online system, contact the clerk directly.

Moore County General Sessions Court

The Moore County General Sessions Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, civil disputes under the jurisdictional dollar limit, and felony preliminary hearings. All General Sessions records are public and part of any complete Moore County background check.

The General Sessions clerk's office is at the courthouse in Lynchburg. Given the small population, the volume of cases in Moore County is modest. Visit in person or call to ask about the records request process. Provide a full name and date of birth. Misdemeanor convictions that did not go to Circuit Court appear only in General Sessions records, so checking both courts gives a complete picture.

Moore County Sheriff's Office

The Moore County Sheriff's Office keeps arrest records, booking information, and incident reports for the county. Records from the Sheriff's Office cover Moore County arrests only. They do not include charges from Lincoln, Bedford, Coffee, or Franklin County courts. For a full Tennessee criminal history, use TBI TORIS.

The Sheriff's Office in Lynchburg handles public records requests during business hours. Moore County's small size means the Sheriff's Office has limited staff, but requests for basic records are generally straightforward. Call before you visit to ask about fees and how long requests typically take to process. An online jail roster may or may not be available depending on the county's current web presence.

Moore County sits in Middle Tennessee surrounded by larger counties in every direction. People who live in Moore County often work or have family ties in the surrounding area, which means criminal records could appear in nearby county courts as well. A TBI statewide search covers all of these at once for a flat $29 fee.

Statewide Background Checks - TBI TORIS

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs the TORIS statewide name-based criminal history search at tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov. The fee is $29 per search. TORIS covers all 95 Tennessee counties, including Moore. For a county this small, the TORIS search is often the better starting point since Moore County residents may have records spread across surrounding counties like Lincoln, Bedford, or Coffee.

TORIS is a name-based search and does not pull records from other states or the FBI system. For a broader check, a fingerprint-based search through IdentoGO accesses the FBI database. Fingerprint checks reduce false matches when names are common and are required for certain licensed professions and regulated positions. Most standard background checks use TORIS for the Tennessee component.

You can mail a request to TBI at 901 R.S. Gass Blvd., Nashville, TN 37216, or call 615-744-4057. Full details are on the TBI background checks page.

Public Records Access - T.C.A. § 10-7-503

Moore County courts and agencies operate under the Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503. Tennessee citizens have the right to inspect public government records during business hours at no charge. Most court records are public. You do not need to state a reason for your request or show any connection to the case.

Exceptions include juvenile records, active investigation files, and cases sealed by court order. If your request is denied, the agency must provide a written reason. You can appeal a denial to the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel. Routine background check requests in Moore County are generally handled without problems, often faster than in larger counties due to the lower case volume.

Expungement - T.C.A. § 40-32-101

Tennessee permits expungement of qualifying criminal records under T.C.A. § 40-32-101. If a Moore County charge was dismissed, not indicted by a grand jury, or the person was released without charge, those records can be destroyed at no cost. The petition goes to the Circuit Court Clerk in Lynchburg.

Conviction expungements are allowed for certain offenses. Crimes involving physical force, a deadly weapon, or a sex offense requiring registration are not eligible. A waiting period applies based on offense class. An attorney can help with eligibility and the petition, though you can file it on your own. The small size of Moore County courts means the process can move fairly quickly once the petition is filed.

Felony Offender Records - FOIL

The Tennessee Department of Correction's free Felony Offender Information Lookup is at apps.tn.gov/foil-app. FOIL is open to the public and shows current custody status, booking photos, facility, sentence details, and release information for felony offenders in the state system. Moore County residents who are in or have been through the state prison system will show up in FOIL. Updates post within one week of any status change.

Cities in Moore County

Lynchburg is the county seat and only incorporated town in Moore County. No cities in Moore County meet the population threshold for a dedicated search page. All Moore County background check records are handled through the courthouse in Lynchburg.

Nearby Counties

Moore County borders four other Tennessee counties, each with its own court system and records.

View All 95 Tennessee Counties