| Circuit Court Clerk | Sullivan County Circuit Court Clerk (Circuit, Law, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts) |
|---|---|
| Clerk and Master (Chancery Court) | Sullivan County Chancery Court Clerk and Master |
| Clerk address | Sullivan County Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass, Blountville, TN 37617 (Circuit Court Clerk; Clerk and Master, Room 201). Bristol: 801 Anderson Street, Bristol, TN 37620. Kingsport: General Sessions and Juvenile at 200 Shelby Street; Clerk and Master at 225 West Center Street, Room 104, Kingsport, TN 37660 |
| Phone | Circuit Court Clerk (423) 279-2752; Clerk and Master (423) 323-6483; Bristol General Sessions (423) 989-4352; Kingsport General Sessions (423) 224-1711 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except designated holidays |
| 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 |
Sullivan County, in the far northeast corner of Tennessee, is unusual in that its courts sit in three places at once. The county seat is Blountville, but the two largest cities — Kingsport and Bristol — each have their own Law, General Sessions, and Juvenile Court divisions, and both clerks keep branch offices in each city. The county forms the 2nd Judicial District by itself. Two offices hold the trial-court records: the elected Circuit Court Clerk, who maintains the Circuit, Law (civil), General Sessions, and Juvenile Court systems, and the appointed Chancery Court Clerk and Master, who keeps Chancery and probate files and collects delinquent property taxes.
The Circuit Court Clerk's main office is at the Sullivan County Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass in Blountville, with General Sessions and Juvenile offices at the Bristol Justice Center (801 Anderson Street) and the Kingsport Justice Center (200 Shelby Street). The Clerk and Master's main office is Room 201 of the same Justice Center address in Blountville, with branch offices at 801 Anderson Street in Bristol and 225 West Center Street in Kingsport. Before you visit, confirm which location holds the file; a Kingsport General Sessions case will be in Kingsport, not Blountville.
Both clerks participate in the TNCrtInfo online records network. The Clerk and Master's website links to it as "Online Court Records Look-up," and the county-specific Sullivan County Online Court Records System lets you search Circuit, General Sessions, and Chancery cases by name or case number at no charge.
Search Sullivan County court records online
Circuit Court Clerk
Sullivan County Circuit Court Clerk (Circuit, Law, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts)
- Cost
- Free online case index; copies and certifications at the clerk's per-page rate (state schedule is $0.50 per page and $5.00 per certification) — confirm with the office
- Coverage
- Circuit Court criminal and civil (Law Court) cases, General Sessions civil and criminal cases including traffic, and Juvenile Court matters, with dockets in Blountville, Bristol, and Kingsport
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Traffic
Main office at the Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass, P.O. Box 585, Blountville, TN 37617; (423) 279-2752, fax (423) 323-3741. Bristol Justice Center, 801 Anderson Street — Law (423) 652-1030, Sessions (423) 989-4352, Juvenile (423) 764-2163. Kingsport — Law Court at City Hall (423) 224-1724; General Sessions (423) 224-1711 and Juvenile (423) 224-1730 at the Kingsport Justice Center, 200 Shelby Street. The office also processes Grand Jury work, exhibits, and appeal records.
Clerk and Master (Chancery Court)
Sullivan County Chancery Court Clerk and Master
- Cost
- Copies per the clerk's public records policy and filing-fee sheet posted on the site; court costs payable online
- Coverage
- Chancery Court equity and domestic cases, probate and estate administration, delinquent property tax suits and tax sales, and court-ordered auctions
- Records
- Civil, Probate, Family
Blountville office at 140 Blountville By-Pass, Room 201, P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617, (423) 323-6483. Kingsport office at 225 West Center St., Room 104, (423) 224-1726. Bristol office at 801 Anderson St., Room 239, (423) 989-4363. Publishes a public records policy, 2026 filing-fee schedule, local rules, and forms. Also reachable through the county's page at sullivancountytn.gov/chancery-court/.
Other courts
Sullivan County Online Court Records System (TNCrtInfo)
- Cost
- Free basic case and party search; optional paid subscription login for expanded access
- Coverage
- Case index for Sullivan County Circuit Court, General Sessions, and Clerk and Master cases, searchable by court type, case type, party name, or case number
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
The Clerk and Master's site links to the TNCrtInfo network as "Online Court Records Look-up"; this is the Sullivan County entry point. Shows case data and docket entries, not scanned filings.
What is available online
Sullivan County's Circuit Court Clerk and Clerk and Master both participate in the TNCrtInfo network, so the Sullivan County Online Court Records System at sullivan.tncrtinfo.com indexes Circuit, General Sessions, and Chancery cases from all three court locations. The free search returns case numbers, parties, filing dates, and docket entries; a paid subscription login adds detail. Filed documents are not online and must be requested from the clerk that holds the file. The Circuit Court Clerk posts Law Court docket-sounding schedules for Blountville, Bristol, and Kingsport on the county site, and the Clerk and Master posts delinquent tax sale lists and court-ordered auction notices. Court costs for both clerks can be paid online through the CourtFeePay vendor. Juvenile records are confidential and excluded from the public index.
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
Sullivan County clerk offices
Sullivan County Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass, Blountville, TN 37617 (Circuit Court Clerk; Clerk and Master, Room 201). Bristol: 801 Anderson Street, Bristol, TN 37620. Kingsport: General Sessions and Juvenile at 200 Shelby Street; Clerk and Master at 225 West Center Street, Room 104, Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: Circuit Court Clerk (423) 279-2752; Clerk and Master (423) 323-6483; Bristol General Sessions (423) 989-4352; Kingsport General Sessions (423) 224-1711
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except designated holidays
Online. Search sullivan.tncrtinfo.com by party name or case number; choose the court type (Circuit, General Sessions, or Clerk and Master) to narrow results. Note the case number and the court location shown in the record.
In person. Circuit Court, Law Court, and Blountville General Sessions files are at the Sullivan County Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass, Blountville, TN 37617, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bristol General Sessions and Juvenile files are at the Bristol Justice Center, 801 Anderson Street; Kingsport General Sessions and Juvenile files are at the Kingsport Justice Center, 200 Shelby Street. Chancery and probate files are with the Clerk and Master in Room 201 of the Blountville Justice Center or at the Kingsport (225 West Center St., Room 104) and Bristol (801 Anderson St., Room 239) offices. Tennessee's general fee schedule sets copies at $0.50 per page and certification at $5.00; confirm the current amount with the clerk.
By mail. Circuit Court Clerk requests go to P.O. Box 585, Blountville, TN 37617; Clerk and Master requests go to P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617. Include the case number or party names and year, the court location if known, the documents needed, whether you want certified copies, a phone number, and payment or a request for a fee quote. The Clerk and Master's public records policy, posted on its site, explains how records requests are handled.
County Clerk is not the court. The Sullivan County Clerk (sullivancountyclerktn.com) handles vehicle tags, marriage licenses, and commission records — not court files.
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
Which Sullivan County office has my court record — Blountville, Bristol, or Kingsport?
Circuit Court and Law Court files are kept at the Justice Center in Blountville, but General Sessions and Juvenile cases are filed in the city where they arose, so Bristol and Kingsport cases are at those cities' Justice Centers. The online search shows the court location for each case.
Can I search Sullivan County court cases online?
Yes. The Sullivan County Online Court Records System at sullivan.tncrtinfo.com indexes Circuit, General Sessions, and Chancery (Clerk and Master) cases for free, with an optional paid subscription for expanded access. Documents are not online.
Who keeps probate records in Sullivan County?
The Chancery Court Clerk and Master, with offices in Blountville (Room 201, Justice Center), Kingsport (225 West Center St.), and Bristol (801 Anderson St.). Call (423) 323-6483 for the Blountville office.
Does Sullivan County have a separate Criminal Court Clerk?
No. Criminal cases in the 2nd Judicial District are heard in Circuit Court and kept by the Circuit Court Clerk at the Justice Center in Blountville, (423) 279-2752.
Sources
- Circuit Court | Sullivan County TN — https://sullivancountytn.gov/circuit-court/
- Chancery Court | Sullivan County TN — https://sullivancountytn.gov/chancery-court/
- Sullivan Chancery Court — Clerk and Master website — https://sullivantnchancery.com/
- Sullivan Chancery Court — Contact Us (office locations) — https://sullivantnchancery.com/location/
- Sullivan County Online Court Records System — https://sullivan.tncrtinfo.com/
- 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.