Davidson County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Davidson County was formed in 1783 after the American Revolution and named in honor of a soldier who died during the Revolution, General William Lee Davidson. Its population of over 709,700 people makes it the second most populous county in Tennessee. It has a land area of 504 square miles and 22 square miles of water bodies. Nashville, the state capital, is its largest city and county seat. However, since 1963, Davidson County and Nashville have had a consolidated government called the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County or simply “Metro Nashville.” The court system in Davidson County is made up of six types of courts, namely: Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts, Criminal Courts, General Sessions Courts, Juvenile Courts, and Municipal Courts.

The Davidson County Circuit Court in Nashville is a court of general jurisdiction handling civil cases and domestic relations matters in the county. Its Probate Division handles probate matters, including admission of wills, estates and trusts, and appointment of guardianships. The Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville hears civil cases of an equitable nature without financial claims. The Davidson County Criminal Court hears criminal cases, such as misdemeanors, felonies, and offenses arising from the same conditions as felonies. The Davidson County General Sessions Court in Nashville runs three Divisions. The Civil Division hears civil matters with claims under $25,000. The Traffic Violation Bureau handles Metro and State motor violations. The Criminal Division handles criminal cases. The Davidson County Juvenile Court in Nashville handles all juvenile matters. The Municipal Courts in Davidson County hear traffic infractions and municipal ordinance violations. They are in Oak Hills, Goodlettsville, Forest Hills, Belle Meade, and Berry Hill.

Davidson County has an average of 35,000 crimes annually, hence its crime rate is about 4,900 crimes per 100,000 population. According to the 2022-2023 Annual Report of the Tennessee Judiciary, about 10,000 criminal cases are prosecuted in Davidson County, while the Circuit Court oversees about 6,800 civil cases. The Probate Court handles about 2,300 cases, and the Chancery Court deals with about 1,300 cases annually. The Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk and Criminal Court Clerk maintain all the records from the county's courts, while Clerks of Municipal Courts maintain their court records. Public court records from Davidson County can be accessed via the county's Records Search portal. In addition, anyone can visit the courts to view or request copies of their public court records. Confidential court records containing sensitive and private information, such as juvenile records, medical records, adoption records, information about jurors, and certain information about victims of sexual violence, are closed to the public.

In summary, the Davidson County court system plays a crucial role in dispensing justice through handling diverse legal issues with precision and diligence. The various courts in the county ensure that criminal and civil cases are managed efficiently and promptly. Furthermore, the public's trust in the legal process is strengthened due to the provision of electronic access to public court records in the county.