Tennessee Criminal Records

Tennessee Criminal Records collect details about an individual's criminal conviction and encounters with the state's criminal justice system. A person's criminal record contains information on apprehension, suspected violations, judicial processes, rehabilitation, or penitentiary status.

The Tennessee Freedom of Information Act makes it possible for anyone to see an individual's criminal record in Tennessee. People who want to see these records can ask the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which is in charge of keeping criminal records in the state.

Tennessee Criminal Records contain the following information:

• Subject's personal information (name, date of birth, and race)
• Any aliases
• Physical characteristics (weight, height)
• Photograph
• Fingerprint
• Driver license number
• Current and old addresses
• History of arrests
• Current and previous warrants
• Incarceration status
• Sex offender status

Different states' criminal records contain varying amounts of information. However, if you browse through Tennessee Criminal Records, you may come across the following crimes:

Felonies

Like in other states, the law in Tennessee divides felony records into five classes, from A to E. Class A felonies are the most severe, and Class E felonies are the least brutal.

Here are the penalty ranges for each felony class and examples of offenses in each category.

Class A Felonies

It is the most severe type of felony, with a 15 to 60 years prison sentence and a fine of up to $50,000. Crimes that are class A felonies include:

• Terrorist acts
• Rape of a minor under 13
• Aggravated kidnapping

Class B Felonies

If you commit this felony, you could spend 8 to 30 years in prison and pay a $25,000 fine. Some examples of offenses that fall into this category are:

• Money laundering
• Carjacking
• Sex trafficking

Class C Felonies

People who commit this felony incur fines of up to $10,000 and 3 to 15 years of imprisonment. This class includes the following crimes:

• Aggravated assault
• Robbery
• Aggravated burglary

Class D Felonies

If you commit this felony, you could spend 2 to 12 years in prison and pay up to $5,000 in fines. Among Class D felonies are crimes like:

• Unauthorized spying
• Extortion
• Reckless murder

Class E Felonies

Those who commit this felony will get a $3,000 fine and could go to jail for 1 to 6 years. Some of the most prevalent records in Tennessee under this class include:

• Aggravated rioting
• A convicted criminal with a gun
• Arms theft

First-degree Murder

Penalties for this crime include the death penalty and life in prison. The offender risks life imprisonment without parole if the jury doesn't impose the death penalty.

In Tennessee, if you've been found guilty of a felony, it will stay on your record for life unless expunged. However, you must wait five years before you can file a petition to get your felony record removed.

Misdemeanor

Like most other states, Tennessee separates its misdemeanor records into classes: Class A, B, and C. It also specifies appropriate sanctions based on the seriousness of the crime.

Class A Misdemeanors

Those guilty of this misdemeanor will have to pay a $2,500 fine and could go to jail for 11 months and 29 days. Crimes that are class A misdemeanors include:

• Driving under the influence (DUI)
• Stalking
• Possession of marijuana
• Joyriding
• Domestic assault
• Breaking a court order to stay away
• Incitement to riot

Class B Misdemeanors

You could get a $500 fine and up to 6 months in jail for this misdemeanor. These are some of the crimes that fall into this category:

• Reckless driving
• Aggravated criminal trespass
• Assault with harmful contact
• Prostitution
• Indecent exposure

Class C Misdemeanors

Those who commit this type of misdemeanor will have to pay a $50 fine and could spend up to 30 days in jail. Crimes that are class C misdemeanors include:

• Petty theft
• Drinking in public
• Wildlife violations
• Using a fake identity
• Speeding
• Disorderly behavior
• Intentionally carrying a gun

In Tennessee, a record of a misdemeanor will stay on your record for life unless expunged. Defendants with eligible convictions can apply for expungement five years after serving their sentence and remaining crime-free.

Criminal Driving Violations

In Tennessee, criminal driving violation records include severe crimes, either misdemeanors or felonies. These state criminal records are significant offenses because they can cause injury, death, or property damage.

The following are the criminal driving violation records in Tennessee:

Felony Traffic Violations

Unlike misdemeanors, felony traffic offenses carry longer prison terms and higher fines. Some examples of felony traffic offenses include, but are not limited to:

• DUI
• Borrowing or stealing a car and not returning it (Class E felony)
• Failure to yield to emergency vehicles

Traffic Misdemeanors

In Tennessee, some common examples of traffic misdemeanors are:

• Motor vehicle races without insurance (Class A misdemeanor)
• Driving with a suspended, revoked, canceled, or counterfeit driver's license (Class C misdemeanors)
• Refusing to present a license or other government-issued ID (Class C misdemeanors)
• Unlicensed highway driving (Class C misdemeanor)

Class C misdemeanor in Tennessee carries a punishment of 30 days in jail and a fine of $50. Conversely, Class B misdemeanors can get you up to six months imprisonment and a $500 fine. In contrast, Class A misdemeanors entail punishments of up to $2500 and 11 months in jail.

How long do criminal driving records stay on file? In Tennessee, records of criminal driving violations will remain on your criminal history unless expunged.

Sexual Offenses

Tennessee separates sexual offense records into two main types: sexual battery and rape. Both of these crimes entail illicit sexual actions when the victim does not agree or cannot consent.

Sexual Battery

The sanctions for sexual battery vary on the victim's age and the offense. In Tennessee, sexual battery has two types: sexual battery and aggravated sexual battery.

Sexual battery is a type of sexual offense that is a Class E felony with a jail sentence of one to six years and $5,000 fines. It is unconsented sexual contact by force, pressure, or deception. An individual can incur sexual battery if sexual interaction happens in the following circumstances:

• The offender knows the victim is defenseless or disabled.
• The offender gives expert services to a victim suffering from a physical, emotional, or condition.

On the other hand, aggravated sexual battery is a Class B felony with a prison sentence of 8 to 10 years. When any of the following happens, the sexual battery becomes a more serious crime:

• The defendant hurt the victim physically.
• The victim was under 13.
• Another person assisted or abetted the defendant.
• The defendant was carrying a weapon or made the victim think they were.

Rape

Tennessee has different types of rape crimes, which are:

Rape (Standard)

This sexual offense record is a Class B felony in Tennessee, with penalties ranging from 8 to 30 years imprisonment and $25,000 fines. It involves unconsented sexual penetration by violence, pressure, or deception.

It can also happen when the accused knows the victim is mentally challenged or physically incapable.

Aggravated Rape

Those who commit this conduct face a Class A felony with a prison sentence ranging from 15 to 60 years. Aggravated rape occurs when any of the following situations is valid:

• The defendant hurt the victim physically.
• Another person assisted or abetted the defendant.
• The defendant was carrying a weapon or made the victim think they were.

Rape of a Minor

Those who commit sexual contact with a child younger than 13 are guilty of child rape. If the victim is between 8 and 13 years old, this is a Class A felony in Tennessee. Those who do this will be Range II or III offenders.

Aggravated Rape of a Minor

Those found guilty of this offense face a Class A felony conviction with a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of release. Range III sentences also apply to this crime. The crime of aggravated rape of a child happens when the victim is under eight years old.

Anyone guilty of rape or sexual battery in Tennessee must register as a sex offender. Depending on the crime and the offender's criminal history, registration requirements could last for a certain number of years or even for the rest of their lives.

Anyone interested in learning more about the state's sex offenders can go to the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. Law enforcement keeps the registry up-to-date with new information about the state's limitations and conditions of registered sex offenders.

Tennessee, like all other states, allows for criminal record expungement. In this state, expungement is a court-ordered process that can remove the legal record of criminal cases.

However, only certain types of criminal records are eligible for expungement, and in some circumstances, applicants don't even have to pay.

Are You Eligible for Expungement in Tennessee?

If you commit a crime in Tennessee and want to remove your record, you may be eligible for expungement if:

• You had your charges dropped.
• A court issued a "no true bill".
• You were arrested and then freed without charge.
• Your trial ended in a not-guilty verdict.
• The case ended in a nolle prosequi.
• A judge denied a protection order after hearings.

Expungement Process in Tennessee

If you are qualified for expungement and want to remove your record, not every court in Tennessee operates similarly, but the steps below illustrate how most courts work.

• Submit a request to the court that handled your case first. If you have many charges, you may need separate forms.
• List the charges eligible for expungement and place the information on file with the criminal court clerk.
• If you want a copy, bring a self-addressed, imprinted envelope for each criminal offense you want to get removed.
• Request a certified copy of the expungement order and the charging document from the criminal court clerk.
• The judge will then submit your documents to the right places to get your record expunged.

Tennessee Inmate Records are files containing details about individuals held captive in the state's prisons and jails. These inmate records include personal details and administrative information about the inmate's detention, transport, and discharge.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) is in charge of keeping track of state inmate records. Interested parties can use TDOC's Felony Offender Information Locator (FOIL) to conduct a free inmate name-based search.

However, the database only contains information on convicted felony offenders in Tennessee. As a result, information about criminals found guilty of less severe offenses is not readily available. Those who wish to obtain this data must contact TDOC directly.

Those who search inmate records in Tennessee can obtain the following information:

• Inmate's personal information (name, date of birth, gender, and race)
• Any aliases
• Booking photo
• DOC ID
• Height and weight
• Placed in charge
• Sentence summary

Tennessee Arrest Records are legal files issued by law enforcement once a person is guilty of a state crime. These records are used throughout criminal proceedings since they can significantly affect the outcome of a trial.

In Tennessee, an arrest warrant allows police to detain suspects for a crime. It identifies the intended arrestee and validates the court's arresting power.

After getting arrested, the arresting officer will take the suspect into custody for booking. In this process, police identify, photograph, and fingerprint the arrestee. They will also get information about immigration, job, residency, and health.

An individual must ask the organization keeping the data to obtain these records, usually a county sheriff or a local police department. In addition to reaching the police department that made the arrest, people can get these records through TBI, which is in charge of keeping and distributing documents about crimes in the state.

A Tennessee Arrest Record can contain the following information:

• The arrestee's personal information (name, age, gender, and race)
• Mugshot
• Fingerprints
• The accusations filed
• Crime classification
• The incident's description
• Date and location of the arrest
• The arresting officer's details
• The agency that made the arrest
• Bail information
• Interrogation details

There are various purposes for obtaining criminal records in every state. However, in Tennessee, employers primarily collect criminal records to conduct a background check on a possible employee.

Anyone who wants to can ask for criminal records from the Criminal Justice Information Service Division online or by mail. Requesters must enter the first and last name of the individual they are looking for to obtain these records. This non-refundable name-based service costs $29 per individual.

A requester may file a fee waiver request for a free public criminal record check. If releasing the document serves the public interest rather than commercial interests, the record custodian will approve the waiver request more likely.