Rutherford County Court Records

Rutherford County court records are official files that provide information on legal proceedings within the local court system. These files may exist as notes, photographs, audio or video recordings, or reports. Court officials maintain court records to ensure transparency in the court’s conduct. Also, record seekers can view these records to find crucial data about assets, individuals, or businesses. For example, credit facilities may check bankruptcy court records before granting loans.

Note: Court records may feature different data based on the case type, status, and offense type.

Are Court Records Public in Rutherford County?

Generally, most court records are publicly accessible in Rutherford County. According to Tennessee’s Public Records Act, court documents generated in county and state courts are presumed open to the public. This means interested parties can view and find the following information in the record:

• The case party’s names
• Case number
• Court number
• Case history
• Name of the presiding judge.

However, the law exempts certain data from public access. For example, court adoption records are not public information.

Other exempt court records in Rutherford County may include:

• Court documents that are exempt under the Tennessee Code Annotated Section 10-7-504, Section 10-7-503(a)(2)(A), and the Public Records Act.
• Documents that are exempt from disclosure due to a court order.
• Unpublished notes or drafts of opinions and judicial orders
• Physical or digital notes or memoranda prepared by court officials on behalf of the court
• Court documents on internal case management

Rutherford County Court Records Search

Interested public members can search Rutherford County court records online, by mail, or in person. To access online court records, requesters may use the state-level search platform. In addition, the clerks of the county courts maintain online docket information on their websites. The court clerks also allow access to court documents via mail or in-person request. You may need a written request to obtain the record via mail.

Rutherford County Court Records Search by Name

Name-based searches for Rutherford County court records are possible via online or in-person request options. To search via the former option, you must visit the Tennessee Public Case History portal or the Tennessee Archive and Library. Next, type the search information into the search box. In most cases, you only need to input the party's first or last name.

Rutherford County's clerk of courts may accept a name-based search for court documents. However, you must visit the courthouse to utilize this search option.

Note: The court clerk's office will charge fees for retrieving and producing copies of court documents. For example, court records cost $0.5 per page at the chancery court clerk's office.

Rutherford County Courts

The Rutherford County court system comprises trial courts classified as general and limited jurisdiction courts. The circuit and chancery courts are the only general jurisdiction courts in the county. In contrast, the general sessions, municipal, and juvenile courts have limited jurisdiction over court cases.

Rutherford County Circuit Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7820 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 217-7118 (Civil)
Phone: (615) 898-7812 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 217-7119 (Criminal)

Rutherford County Chancery Courts
Rutherford County Chancery Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street
Suite 5101
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7860
Fax: (615) 849-9553

Rutherford County General Sessions Courts
Rutherford County General Sessions Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 217-0069 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 898-7801 (Civil)
Phone: (615) 898-7831 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 898-7835 (Criminal)

Rutherford County General Sessions Court - Probate
County Office Building
319 North Maple Street
Suite 121
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7800
Fax: (615) 898-7830

Rutherford County Juvenile Courts
Rutherford County Juvenile Court
Juvenile Services Center
1710 South Church Street, Suite 2, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7972
Fax: (615) 217-7120

Rutherford County Municipal Courts
Eagleville Municipal Court
City Hall
108 South Main Street
P.O. Box 68
Eagleville, TN 37060
Phone: (615) 274-2922
Fax: (615) 274-2977

LaVergne City Court
5093 Murfreesboro Road
LaVergne, TN 37086
Phone: (615) 287-8360
Fax: (615) 793-6025

Murfreesboro City Court
111 West Vine Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
Phone: (615) 890-2142
Fax: (615) 849-2665

Smyrna Municipal Court
Smyrna Justice Center
400 Enon Springs Road East
Smyrna, TN 37167
Phone: (615) 355-5739 (General Sessions)
Phone: (615) 355-5732 (Traffic)
Fax: (615) 355-0853

Rutherford County District Court Records

In Rutherford County, the district court oversees criminal and civil court cases. It has exclusive rights over civil court cases that involve claims. The Rutherford County court also shares jurisdiction over certain cases, such as domestic relations cases, and family cases, such as divorce and adoption.

The circuit court clerk keeps records of cases filed at the courthouse. Thus, interested parties may request these records in writing via mail or in person at the court clerk's office. Record seekers may download and fill out the request form and send it to this address:

116 West Lytle Street
Room 102
Murfreesboro, TN 37130

In addition to the request form, you must attach the required search fee and a copy of a valid government ID.

Rutherford County Criminal Records

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations keeps Rutherford County’s criminal records. It collates these records from incident reports, traffic crash records, and other data from local agencies.

Interested parties can access Rutherford County criminal records in person, online, or by mail or request them from the TBI. To request criminal records online, you must create an account on the platform and fill out these details:

• The requester’s information
• Credit card information (the agency will charge $29 for criminal checks)
• Record subject’s name and other necessary information.

To use the mail-based request option, download and fill out the criminal record request form in English or Spanish. Next, you must attach a $29 search fee as a check or money order to:

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – TORIS Unit
901 R.S. Gass Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37216
Phone: (615) 744-4057

The TBI also accepts in-person requests during business hours.

Note: Rutherford arrest records are only accessible at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Offices. Interested persons can lookup Rutherford County arrest records by visiting the county sheriff at:

940 New Salem Highway
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Phone: (615) 898-7877
Email: records@rcsotn.org

Rutherford County Criminal Court Case Lookup

In Rutherford County, you can obtain criminal court case information at the circuit court clerk’s office. To get this information, requesters may follow these steps:

1. Fill out a request letter
2. Next, attach a valid ID.
3. Send the documents via mail or in person to the court clerk at:

116 West Lytle Street
Room 102
Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Upon receiving the request, the court clerk will send an estimation of the required search fee. Next, requesters must pay the required fees to receive the criminal court records.

Get Rutherford County Civil Court Records

Civil court records contain details of court proceedings on disputes between two or more parties. In Rutherford County, civil court records are publicly accessible and under the jurisdiction of these county courts:

• The circuit court (which oversees general civil cases and administrative agency appeals)
• The chancery court (which handles civil equity and real estate-related civil cases)
• The circuit court - general sessions division (handles landlord/tenant disputes, small claims, and general civil cases)

To obtain civil court records from these custodian agencies, send a written request detailing specific data about the record. This must include the requester's and record subject’s names and other data. Sometimes, the agency may provide downloadable request forms on their website. Next, send the required documents to the courthouse locations.

Rutherford County Family Court Records

Family court records in Rutherford County may include data on domestic relations and juvenile court cases. There is no specific court responsible for keeping all family court records in Rutherford County. Instead, the county courts have varying jurisdiction over these court documents. You will find family court records under the purview of these county courts:

Record seekers can find and obtain copies of Rutherford County records by following these steps:

1. Find the courthouse holding the record
2. Next, find the available methods of requesting the record
3. Send a written request in the absence of a downloadable request form. The form must outline the record subject’s name and other specifics about the record.
4. Attach a valid ID when requesting a confidential family court record.
5. Attach the specified search fee and send it via mail or in person to the recorded custodian’s online or physical contact.

Note that family records contain sensitive and confidential information. Therefore, only people with a direct and legal interest in the records can access them. Generally, eligible requesters may include the record subject, close relatives, legal representatives, and eligible government agencies.

Rutherford Dissolution of Marriage Records

Follow these steps to obtain dissolution of marriage records in Rutherford County:

Step 1: Find the agency holding the record

Rutherford County’s dissolution of marriage records is in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Health, via the Office of Vital Records. The agency keeps divorce records from 1989 until the present. Divorce records prior to 1989 are under the purview of the Tennessee Library and Archives.

Step 2: Choose your preferred method of getting the record

The TDH allows in-person or mail requests for Rutherford County’s dissolution of marriage records. To obtain the records in-person, requesters must visit the TDH during business hours.

Step 3: Fill out the request form for mail-based requests

The TDH provides a downloadable request form for requesting divorce records via mail. Also, record seekers must attach these documents to their requests:

• A copy of government-issued ID
• A $15.00 search fee in the form of a check or money order payable to Tennessee Vital Records

In-person and mail requests for Rutherford dissolution of marriage records must be sent to this address:

Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243

Rutherford County Marriage and Divorce Records

Rutherford County’s clerk maintains and issues copies of marriage licenses to interested public members. On the other hand, you will only find copies of Rutherford County marriage certificates and divorce records at the Tennessee Vital Records Office.

Requesters must provide the record subject’s names to find copies of marriage licenses at the county clerk’s office. The county clerk accepts mail or in-person requests at this address:

Office of the Rutherford County Clerk
319 North Maple Street, Suite 121
Murfreesboro, TN 37130

In contrast, contact the state vital records office to retrieve copies of Rutherford County marriage records and divorce certificates. The vital records office accepts requests via mail or in-person at:

Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243

Rutherford Birth and Death Records

Rutherford County’s health department is the custodian of birth and death records documented in the county. It enables access to these records via mail or in-person request options. To access birth or death records, interested parties must follow these steps:

1. Fill out the birth or death certificate request form. Third-party requesters must obtain a notarized letter of authorization from the record subject.
2. Attach a $15 search fee and a valid ID
3. Send these documents in person or via mail to:

Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243

Note that these records contain confidential data accessible only to certain requesters. For example, only the record subject, parents, legal guardians, or persons authorized by the record subject can access Rutherford County birth records. On the other hand, death records are only accessible to the deceased’s close relatives or legal representatives.

Vital records are essential for protecting individuals’ rights to safety and privacy. For instance, Rutherford County birth certificates protect minors from abuse or early marriages. These records are also crucial for genealogical research.

Rutherford County Probate Court Records

Rutherford County’s probate court records are under the purview of the county clerk's office. Probate cases under its jurisdiction include estates and wills, guardianship and conservatorship, name changes, and trusts.

To access Rutherford County’s probate records, fill out the request form and send it to this address:

Rutherford County Clerk
319 North Maple Street
Room 121
Murfreesboro TN 37130

Rutherford County Property Records

The Rutherford County Assessor's Office records all properties within the county. Property records under its jurisdiction may provide information on the following:

• Property owner’s name and address
• Map book
• Dimensions
• The market value of the property and total market appraisal
• Sub-division
• Parcel number

Furthermore, it allows public members to access these records via a search website. To view property records on the site, interested parties must input one of these search terms:

• Street number
• Parcel number
• Subdivision
• Owner name
• Street number
• Account number

Rutherford County Court Records Online

Residents and non-residents can search for Rutherford County court records online using the state-level search platform. In addition, the clerks of the county courts maintain online docket information on their websites. You may also find Rutherford County court records on third-party search sites like courtrecords.us. These sites are generally easy to use and may not require creating an account to access the records. Also, they do not restrict out-of-state requesters from obtaining court records. Nevertheless, these sites may not contain updated or recent court documents. You may need to refer to government-owned sites for updated court information.