Henderson County Court Records

Henderson County court records refer to a collection of documentary materials related to cases heard by the local courts. These records may be produced by the courts or collated from case parties or other government departments. Specific examples include subpoenas, petitions, motions, orders, judgments, dockets, answers, writs, and exhibits.

Preserving court records in Tennessee reinforces the judiciary's commitment to open access, ensuring the public can review judicial actions, find case outcomes, and learn about the law. By facilitating access to Henderson County and other Tennessee court records, courts also guarantee the safekeeping of legal precedents, which can be used to argue or decide future cases.

Are Court Records Public in Henderson County?

Yes. The right to review Henderson County court records is granted to the public under the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA) and Supreme Court Rule 34. These regulations allow anyone to inspect or copy a Henderson court record, provided no law, court rule, or court order restricts access.

The following are examples of Henderson court records excluded from the public's access:

• Unpublished drafts of judicial orders and opinions
• Medical and similar files
• Juvenile records
• Protection orders
• Adoption documents
• Identities of protected witnesses and victims
• Sealed court records

Henderson County Court Records Search

Searching for Henderson County court records often involves querying records custodians (i.e., clerks of courts) through recommended channels, such as in person, online, or via fax/email. Individuals can also look up these records on websites operated by private businesses (or vendors). The following sections expound on these record request options.

Henderson County Courts

Henderson County's court system includes Circuit, Chancery, General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal courts, each one maintaining authority over specific legal matters. The court addresses and contact information are listed below:

Henderson County Circuit, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts
170 Justice Center Drive
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-2031
Circuit Fax: (731) 967-9441
General Sessions/Juvenile Fax: (731) 967-1347

Henderson County Chancery Court
17 Monroe Avenue
Suite 2
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-2801

Municipal Courts in Henderson County

City of Lexington Municipal Court
17 Monroe Avenue
2nd Floor
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-5331

City of Scotts Hill Municipal Court
85 State Route 114 South
Scotts Hill, TN38374
Phone: (731) 549- 3175

Henderson County Criminal and Civil Records

Criminal court records in Henderson County originate from criminal prosecutions initiated by the state to bring an alleged offender to justice, while civil court records stem from noncriminal disputes heard in a court of law. To obtain these records, a person can stop by the courthouse where a criminal or civil case was filed. Each requester will need to provide (at the minimum) a case party's name or case number. They will also need to pay any costs assessed by the judicial system for looking up or retrieving court case records.

Besides an in-person request, inquirers may send correspondence or contact the applicable court clerk's office to discover specific record request procedures and fees.

It is worth mentioning that criminal court records do not reveal the complete picture of a person's criminal background. While these records are sufficient to verify a person's culpability for a charged offense, they do not represent all offender records. Some Henderson County criminal records, like the Henderson arrest records, are retained by local law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, others may be held by district attorney (DA) offices, correctional facilities, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

Henderson County Marriage Records

The County Clerk is charged with issuing marriage licenses and keeping marriage records in Henderson County. To request Henderson County marriage records from this office, a person can submit at least the name of one party to the marriage, the marriage date (or an approximate range), and their contact information. The County Clerk's office is located at the following address:

17 Monroe Street
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-2856

Alternatively, individuals can submit a marriage certificate application to the Tennessee Office of Vital Records (a Tennessee Department of Health division) or the Henderson County Health Department, which also serve as custodians for the different Henderson County vital records. However, these agencies only have marriage records for the past 50 years:

Henderson County Health Department
90 Rush Street
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-8148

Each Henderson County marriage certificate ordered from the state or local health department costs $15, and the requester will need to prove (with a valid ID) that they are eligible under Tennessee law to receive a certified copy of a marriage certificate.

The Tennessee Office of Vital Records also offers a marriage verification service. Members of the public are charged $15 per name and year searched.

Earlier Henderson County marriage records are available at the State of Tennessee Library and Archives or the County Clerk's office.

Henderson County Divorce Records

A party may contact or visit the Circuit Clerk's office to obtain divorce records in Henderson County. Each requester will need to provide basic information about the divorce case, such as the names of parties or a case number. While record inspections are often free, a fee may apply to obtain copies of divorce case records from the Circuit Clerk's office.

Alternatively, individuals can request a certified copy of a divorce or annulment certificate or verify a divorce or annulment through the state or local health department. The fee is $15 per certified copy or $15 per name and year searched when verifying marriage dissolution facts.

However, it should be noted that the health departments only maintain divorce records for the past 50 years. For earlier records, one may contact the Tennessee Library and Archives or the clerk of the court where the divorce was granted.

Henderson County Birth Records

Eligible individuals (registrants, parents/legal guardians, spouses, children) can request Henderson County birth records from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records or the Henderson County Health Department. The relevant application forms are available on the state health department's website. The health departments can disseminate birth records for the past 100 years, with earlier records available to any interested party at the Tennessee Library and Archives. Each certified copy of a Henderson County birth certificate ordered from the health department costs $15.

Birth records are essential for identity verification, determining fertility and birth rates, and identifying public health problems.

Henderson County Death Records

Death records are useful for settling estates, claiming pensions, conducting genealogical research, and determining mortality rates within a particular region.

An application can be submitted to the Tennessee Office of Vital Records and the Henderson County Health Department to obtain certified copies of Henderson County death records or verify death facts. These offices accept in-person and mail requests for certified copies, but only death records from the past 50 years are available. The state health department also contracts with a third-party vendor that processes online orders for these records. The fee for each certified copy of a death record is $15, while verification requests cost $15 per name and year searched.

Earlier death records can be ordered from the Tennessee Library and Archives.

Henderson County Probate Court Records

Henderson County probate cases, which pertain to the administration of decedents' estates, are heard in the local Chancery Court. The court also hears trust, guardianship, and conservatorship cases. As such, anyone seeking Henderson County probate court records can visit the chancery courthouse during regular office hours or call the court at (731) 968-2801 for record inquiries. It should be noted that fees apply to copy or certify case documents.

Henderson County Property Records

Property records refer to all documentation relating to a piece of property (building or land) located in a particular region. These records include information about a property's chain of ownership, features, sales transactions, taxation, etc.

In Henderson County, the Register of Deeds archives all property documents filed into the Henderson County public records. As a result, individuals can begin with this office when looking into Henderson property records, such as powers of attorney, deeds, releases, liens, plats, and amendments.

Below is the Henderson County Register of Deeds office information:

17 Monroe Street
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: (731) 968-2941

Additionally, individuals can obtain property values and other pertinent property information from the Henderson County Property Assessor's office or by accessing the Tennessee Property Assessment Data website. Users can search the website with a property address, parcel ID, or owner name and are not charged for access.

Henderson County Court Records Online

Henderson court records are not only available from government sources; they can also be accessed on third-party aggregator websites offering public record search services.

Accessing a third-party site, like Tennesseecourtrecords.us, is relatively straightforward: users usually only need a person's first and last name to begin a search. These sites are also known for their broader search capabilities when compared to government repositories, allowing users to conduct nationwide searches from the comfort of their homes or offices.

However, because these sites are not operated by government departments, users run the risk of accessing outdated or incomplete records.