Obion County Background Check

Obion County background check records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk, the General Sessions Court Clerk, and the Obion County Sheriff's Office in Union City. Records are available in person, by mail, or through the state's free online case search.

Obion County Circuit Court Clerk

The Circuit Court Clerk's office in Obion County is at the Obion County Courthouse, 2 Bill Burnett Circle, Union City, TN 38261. Phone: 731-885-3527. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Circuit Court Clerk maintains records for felony criminal cases, civil cases, and appeals from General Sessions Court.

To request copies of Obion County court records, visit the office in person or submit a written request by mail. Include the full name of the subject, a case number if known, and the approximate date range of the case. Standard copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies carry an additional fee per document. Mail requests should include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order made out to the Obion County Circuit Court Clerk.

The Circuit Court in Obion County is part of the 27th Judicial District, which includes Obion and Lake counties. This district uses a shared circuit judge who rotates between the two counties on a set schedule. If you need to find out when court is in session in Obion County, call the Circuit Court Clerk's office for the current court calendar.

Obion County General Sessions Court

The General Sessions Court handles misdemeanor cases, felony preliminary hearings, traffic violations, and civil matters up to $25,000. The General Sessions Court Clerk is also located at the Obion County Courthouse in Union City. Phone: 731-885-3527. General Sessions records are part of the public criminal record in Obion County.

Misdemeanor charges, traffic cases, and dismissed charges from Obion County General Sessions Court appear in the TBI's TORIS statewide search when properly reported. They also appear in the free Tennessee courts case search online. For a thorough background check on anyone who has lived in the Obion County area, reviewing General Sessions records alongside Circuit Court records gives you the most complete picture.

Obion County General Sessions Court also handles civil protection orders and juvenile matters. Juvenile records are restricted under Tennessee law and are not part of the public background check record. Only adult court records are accessible through standard public records channels.

Obion County Sheriff's Office

The Obion County Sheriff's Office is at 115 S. First Street, Union City, TN 38261. Phone: 731-885-0398. The Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement for the unincorporated parts of Obion County and operates the county jail. Arrest records and booking records from the Obion County Sheriff's Office are separate from court records.

An arrest record shows that a person was taken into custody and the charges at the time. Arrest records alone do not show whether a person was convicted. For a complete background check in Obion County, you need both the arrest records from the Sheriff's Office and the court outcome records from the Circuit Court Clerk and General Sessions Court Clerk.

The Union City Police Department serves the city of Union City and maintains its own arrest records. Union City Police Department is at 300 S. First Street, Union City, TN 38261. Phone: 731-885-1515. For arrests that took place within the city limits of Union City, contact the city police department. For arrests in unincorporated Obion County, contact the Sheriff's Office.

Statewide Background Checks - TBI TORIS

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs the TORIS system at tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov. A name-based search costs $29. The search covers arrest and charge records from all 95 Tennessee counties, including Obion County. TORIS is faster and more complete than contacting individual county clerks for most background check purposes.

Because Obion County sits along the Kentucky border, residents may also have records in Kentucky. TORIS covers Tennessee only. If you need to check for records in Kentucky or other states, you will need to contact those states' record systems separately. The Kentucky State Police provides a background check service for Kentucky criminal records.

For fingerprint-based checks, the nearest IdentoGO locations to Union City are in Jackson or Memphis. Fingerprint searches provide a stronger identity match than name-based searches, especially for common names. More information is on the TBI background checks page.

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

The Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-503, gives any Tennessee citizen the right to inspect public records during regular business hours. Obion County courts and county offices are required to respond to public records requests. Most court records are open to the public. Exceptions include juvenile records, sealed cases, and records restricted by court order or state law.

To request records in Obion County, contact the office that holds the records you need. For court records, contact the Circuit Court Clerk or General Sessions Court Clerk at the courthouse in Union City. For Sheriff's Office records, contact that office directly. Written requests are preferred. State your name, contact information, the type of record, the subject's full name, and a date range if possible.

Obion County does not charge to inspect records in person. Copy fees apply if you want copies to take home. The $0.50 per page standard applies throughout Tennessee. Response times vary by office. Calling ahead to confirm hours and current processing times is a good idea before making a trip to the courthouse.

Expungement - T.C.A. § 40-32-101

Tennessee's expungement statute, T.C.A. § 40-32-101, allows courts to destroy certain criminal records. In Obion County, cases that were dismissed, resulted in no true bill from a grand jury, or ended with release without charge can be expunged at no cost to the petitioner. The petition is filed with the court that handled the original case.

Conviction expungements are available for some offenses. Crimes involving violence, deadly weapons, or sex offenses requiring registration do not qualify. Petitioners must also have completed all sentence requirements, including fines and probation, before applying. If the Obion County court grants the petition, all public records of the case are destroyed and the person is legally restored to their pre-arrest status.

West Tennessee Legal Services serves Obion County and can help low-income residents with expungement petitions. Contact them at 731-423-0616 or visit their office in Jackson. A private attorney from the Obion County area can also assist with more complex cases.

Felony Offender Records - FOIL

The Tennessee Department of Correction runs the free Felony Offender Information Lookup at apps.tn.gov/foil-app. FOIL shows current custody status, facility location, booking photo, sentence details, and earliest release dates for felony offenders in the Tennessee state prison system. Obion County residents who are in state custody appear in FOIL results.

FOIL does not cover the Obion County Jail. For local jail information, contact the Obion County Sheriff's Office. FOIL updates within one week of an offender entering the state system. The search is free and open to the public with no registration required.

Cities in Obion County

Obion County has no cities with a population over 100,000. Union City is the county seat. Background check records for all Obion County residents go through the county court system in Union City.

Nearby Counties

Obion County borders several Tennessee counties. Each has its own courts and records offices.

View All 95 Tennessee Counties