Memphis Arrest Records

Memphis arrest records are documents created by the Memphis Police Department, which has jurisdiction within the city and is responsible for making arrests. These records document the arrest officially, including booking details. If these arrests result in criminal prosecution of the individuals involved, they are included as part of the Tennessee Court Records. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA), Memphis, Shelby County arrest records are public records. When the Memphis Police Department arrests individuals in the city, they are detained at Shelby County facilities, which are managed by the Sheriff. Male persons are detained at the Main Jail, while female persons are detained at the East Jail facility.

Are Arrest Records Public in Memphis?

Memphis arrest records are public records, as Memphis is a city in Tennessee and is subject to the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA) (Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503 et seq.), which mandates that arrest records in the state are public records. However, the TPRA also provides an exception for certain records from public access. Exempted records include:

• Active law enforcement investigations
• Sealed or expunged criminal records
• Medical and mental health files
• Juvenile records
• Victim information from criminal or sexually related cases

Interested persons can find out more about arrest records from the Memphis Police Department at:

Memphis Police Department
Public Safety Building
170 N. Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 636-3700

Memphis Arrest Statistics

Memphis arrest statistics, as reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crime Data Explorer, indicate that the Memphis Police Department made 14,800 arrests in 2023. These arrests were made in twenty-six offense categories, with the top four being:

• Simple assault - 3,444 arrests
• Larceny - 2,253 arrests
• Aggravated assault - 1,591
• Drug Possession - 938

The categories with the least arrest were:

• Arson - 19 arrests
• Human trafficking - 5 arrests
• Non-violent family offenses - 2 arrests

Find Memphis Arrest Records

The Shelby County Correctional Division (SCCD) maintains records of all inmates detained in the local facilities in Memphis. These records of inmates are available online on the Tennessee Department of Corrections' website. Alternatively, interested parties can visit the Main jail or the East Jail for male and female inmate records at:

Main Jail (Shelby County Jail – Criminal Justice Center)
Shelby County Jail – Main Facility
201 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 222-4700

East Jail (Jail East – Women's Facility)
Shelby County Jail East Facility
6201 Haley Road
Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: (901) 222-6600

Individuals seeking information about inmates under federal jurisdiction, such as those detained at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, can use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator to locate them.

Memphis Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Memphis arrest records are documents created when someone is arrested, regardless of whether the arrest results in charges, a trial, or a conviction. Arrest records do not indicate guilt but rather document the arrest. Contents of arrest records include:

• Names and physical description of the arrestee
• Charges and alleged offenses
• Information on the date, time, and location of the arrest
• Arresting agency

Memphis's criminal records document the entire interaction of an individual with the criminal justice system after their arrest. Criminal records reveal the legal outcomes, including whether individuals are found guilty or plead guilty, as well as information on sentencing and other relevant details. Criminal records include:

• Records of all formal charges filed
• Plea by the arrestee, such as guilty, not guilty, or no contest
• Information on the verdict, sentencing details, and parole status
• Charge Status, such as dismissed, reduced, or diverted

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Memphis, along with Shelby County and Tennessee, arrest records remain on record permanently unless they are expunged. However, individuals who have been arrested and have a record of these arrests may be eligible to have the records expunged. Note that expungement of records is not automatic, but affected persons must apply for expungement from the courts where their cases were heard. Eligibility considerations include:

• Persons who were acquitted as the charges were dismissed, retired, or were found not guilty.
• Individuals who complete a diversion program may qualify for expungement upon successful completion.
• Persons arrested for certain non-violent and low-level felonies qualify five years after completing the sentence and probation

Persons convicted of felonies do not qualify for expungement unless the expungement is allowed by the state.

Memphis Arrest Warrants

Memphis arrest warrants authorize law enforcement officers to arrest a person suspected of committing a crime. They are legal documents a judge or magistrate issues, and they serve as an official court order based on probable cause presented and accepted in court before the warrant is issued. Arrest warrants in Memphis are typically issued by the General Sessions Criminal Court of Shelby County and contain the name of the arrestee, the alleged offense, the date and time of arrest, the signature of the judge and magistrate, and a probable cause affidavit summarizing the allegations. Once issued, law enforcement may arrest the individual named on the warrant at any time.

Do Memphis Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Memphis, arrest warrants do not expire. Once they are issued, they remain active indefinitely until they are executed, withdrawn by a judge, or quashed through a legal process. There are no statutes of limitations that limit the effectiveness of a warrant once it is issued, and it remains a live legal order regardless of the elapsed time after it was issued. Leaving the state or the county does not cancel a warrant, as it remains active through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

A warrant can be challenged in court and successfully quashed due to clerical errors or if it is declared an invalid service on the individual. Also, changes in the law, such as marijuana decriminalization, can lead to the dismissal of charges. However, the warrant still needs to be legally recalled.

Expunge Memphis Arrest Records

Persons who can apply to expunge their records in Memphis include those arrested but not convicted, as well as those convicted of an eligible offense who have completed their sentence, waited the required time, and have no other convictions on record.

To expunge a record in Memphis, applicants are to:

• Visit the Clerk of Court in the city to get the case number and disposition
• Verify eligibility at the Clerk's Office
• Fill out the Petition Expungement Form available from the Shelby County website
• File the petition at the court that heard the case, along with all the required documents, such as disposition records and payments.
• Pay the required fees, which may be waived for dismissed cases or range from $100 to $350 for eligible convictions.
• Wait for a review of the application.

If the application is approved, the authorities remove the record from law enforcement databases and the courts within 60 days.