| Circuit Court Clerk | Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk — Civil Division |
|---|---|
| Clerk and Master (Chancery Court) | Rutherford County Chancery Court Clerk & Master |
| Clerk address | 116 W. Lytle St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (Circuit Court Clerk, Room 102). Chancery Court Clerk & Master: 116 W Lytle St, Suite 5101, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 |
| Phone | Circuit Civil (615) 898-7820; Circuit Criminal (615) 898-7812; Chancery Court Clerk & Master (615) 898-7860; General Sessions Civil (615) 217-0069; General Sessions Criminal (615) 898-7831 |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Rutherford County organizes its courts differently from Tennessee's larger urban counties. There is no separate, independently elected Criminal Court Clerk here — the Circuit Court Clerk's office keeps Circuit Civil records and, through its Circuit Criminal division, is also "the keeper of all Circuit Criminal Court Records." The Chancery Court Clerk & Master is a separate office for equity, probate, and estate matters. General Sessions Court, covering both civil and criminal dockets, has its own office again, distinct from the Circuit Court Clerk.
Unlike Shelby, Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton, Rutherford's official pages do not advertise a free online case-search tool for Circuit or General Sessions records; the Chancery Court Clerk & Master's office, by contrast, offers online dockets and e-filing. For anything not posted online, expect to call or visit the courthouse in person.
Search Rutherford County court records online
Circuit Court Clerk
Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk — Civil Division
- Cost
- Fees for copies; no public online case search advertised on the office's page
- Coverage
- Circuit Court civil lawsuits and domestic relations cases
- Records
- Civil
Clerk and Master (Chancery Court)
Rutherford County Chancery Court Clerk & Master
- Cost
- Free docket access; fees for copies
- Coverage
- Chancery Court equity cases, probate, and estate administration
- Records
- Civil, Probate
Dockets and e-filing: https://www.rcchancery.com/dockets
Other courts
Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk — Criminal Division
- Cost
- Fees for copies; no public online case search advertised on the office's page
- Coverage
- Circuit Criminal Court felony records
- Records
- Criminal
This is a division of the Circuit Court Clerk's office, not a separate elected Criminal Court Clerk as in Shelby, Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton counties.
Other courts
Rutherford County General Sessions Court
- Cost
- Fees for copies; no public online case search advertised on the office's page
- Coverage
- General Sessions civil claims, evictions, preliminary hearings, and misdemeanor cases
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Civil and criminal divisions have separate phone lines but share the same courthouse address.
What is available online
Rutherford County's Circuit Court Clerk (civil and criminal divisions) and General Sessions Court do not post a public online case-search tool on their official pages, so most lookups require a phone call or an in-person visit to the courthouse at 116 W. Lytle St. The Chancery Court Clerk & Master's office is the exception, with online dockets and e-filing available at rcchancery.com. Confirm directly with the Circuit and General Sessions offices whether any lookup tool has since been added.
Which clerk has your record
In Tennessee, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Tennessee page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts | Civil lawsuits; Divorce and other domestic relations matters; Appeals from General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal Courts | Circuit Court Clerk of the county |
| Chancery Courts | Contract and equity disputes; Probate and estate administration (in most counties); Name changes | Clerk and Master |
| Criminal Courts | Felony prosecutions; Some misdemeanor appeals from General Sessions | Criminal Court Clerk where a separate office exists; otherwise the Circuit Court Clerk |
| General Sessions Courts | Civil claims up to the county's statutory limit; Preliminary hearings in felony cases; Misdemeanor trials where a jury is waived | Varies by county — a dedicated General Sessions clerk, the Criminal Court Clerk, or the Circuit Court Clerk |
| Juvenile Courts | Delinquency; Dependency and neglect; Custody and parentage | Juvenile Court Clerk (often the same office as General Sessions or Circuit Court in that county) |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police | City court clerk for that municipality |
Request records in person or by mail
Rutherford County clerk offices
116 W. Lytle St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (Circuit Court Clerk, Room 102). Chancery Court Clerk & Master: 116 W Lytle St, Suite 5101, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Phone: Circuit Civil (615) 898-7820; Circuit Criminal (615) 898-7812; Chancery Court Clerk & Master (615) 898-7860; General Sessions Civil (615) 217-0069; General Sessions Criminal (615) 898-7831
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Circuit Court records (civil or criminal). Contact the Circuit Court Clerk's Civil Division at (615) 898-7820 or Criminal Division at (615) 898-7812, both at 116 W. Lytle St, Room 102, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Since there is no advertised online search, calling ahead with the case number or party names and approximate year will speed up an in-person or mail request.
Chancery Court records (probate, estates, equity). Search the office's online dockets at rcchancery.com/dockets, or contact the Chancery Court Clerk & Master at 116 W Lytle St, Suite 5101, (615) 898-7860.
General Sessions records. Call the Civil Division at (615) 217-0069 or the Criminal Division at (615) 898-7831. Both share the 116 W. Lytle St address.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Clerk fees are set by Tenn. Code Ann. Title 8, Chapter 21, Part 4 (the general schedule, including a per-page copy fee and a certification fee) and Part 5 for appellate clerk fees. Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-409 sets a separate, often higher, fee schedule for clerks in Tennessee's charter-government counties, which is why offices in Shelby and Davidson can charge different amounts than smaller counties. Confirm the current per-page and certification fee with the specific clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Tennessee court records are presumed open under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 (Public Access to Court Records), which sets the general presumption of access and lists the categories courts must treat as confidential.
The Tennessee guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rutherford County have a separate Criminal Court Clerk?
No. Unlike Shelby, Davidson, Knox, and Hamilton counties, Rutherford's Circuit Criminal Division is part of the Circuit Court Clerk's office rather than a separate elected office.
Can I search Rutherford County court cases online?
The Chancery Court Clerk & Master offers online dockets and e-filing. The Circuit Court Clerk (civil and criminal) and General Sessions Court do not advertise a public online case search, so most requests go by phone or in person.
Who keeps Rutherford County probate records?
The Chancery Court Clerk & Master, a separate office from the Circuit Court Clerk.
Where is the Rutherford County courthouse?
116 W. Lytle St in Murfreesboro houses the Circuit Court Clerk, General Sessions Court, and the Chancery Court Clerk & Master, though each office has its own room or suite number and phone line.
Sources
- Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk — Civil — https://rutherfordcountytn.gov/circuit-civil
- Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk — Criminal — https://rutherfordcountytn.gov/circuit-criminal
- Rutherford County Chancery Court Clerk & Master — https://rcchancery.com/
- Rutherford County General Sessions Court — https://rutherfordcountytn.gov/general-sessions
- Tennessee Courts — Circuit, Criminal, and Chancery Courts — https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/circuit-criminal-chancery-courts
- Tennessee Courts — General Sessions Courts — https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/general-sessions-courts
- Tennessee Courts — Court Clerks — https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks
- Tennessee Courts — Find a Court Clerk — https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center/find-court-clerk
- TBI TORIS — Background Checks — https://tbibackgrounds.tbi.tn.gov/Toris/
- Tennessee Courts — Opinions Search — https://www.tncourts.gov/opinionsview/all
- Tennessee Courts — Public Case History (appellate docket search) — https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/supreme-court/public-case-history
- Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 — Public Access to Court Records — https://www.tncourts.gov/rules/supreme-court/34
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-101 — Expunction of records (via Justia) — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-32/section-40-32-101/
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-401 — Clerk fee schedule (via Justia) — https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-8/chapter-21/part-4/section-8-21-401/
See also: all Tennessee counties.