Shelby County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Developed as a center for cotton plantations until the 20th century, Shelby County is the largest of all 95 counties in Tennessee. Memphis, its governmental seat, is also the second most populous city in the state. With a landmass of 785 square miles, the county is home to 926,440 people, as documented in 2022. Its court system includes Circuit, Chancery, Criminal, General Sessions, Juvenile, Probate, and Veterans Courts.

The Circuit Court of Shelby County is located on Adams Avenue, Memphis. It has jurisdiction over all criminal offenses, civil matters, and all other matters of the lower courts, including disputes over will validity and cases of arbitration. The Chancery Court is also located on Adams Avenue in Memphis. This court handles less serious civil cases. It also handles matters like divorce, adoption, guardianship, and conservatorship. The Criminal Court is located on Poplar Avenue, Memphis, and handles criminal cases that are considered not too severe to be moved to the Circuit Court. The General Sessions Courts, all located in Memphis, also handle civil and criminal cases. The Civil Division of the court handles civil actions where the disputed amount is $25,000 or below, actions to recover personal property, forcible entry cases, interpleaders, and so on. The court's Criminal Division handles misdemeanors, traffic and environmental cases, preliminary hearings on felonies, and so on. The county's Juvenile Court, located in Memphis, handles most juvenile matters in the county, including juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, and juvenile dependency. The county also has a Probate Court that handles cases relating to conservatorships, corrections to birth certificates, wills and estates, and so on. Lastly, the county's Veterans Court helps its veterans handle cases related to mental health, substance abuse, and other issues related to or arising from the traumatic experience of war.

The crime rate in Shelby County stands at about 58.90 per 1,000 residents, following a 14% decrease from 2023. This exemplifies the work that anti-crime forces play within the county. According to the office of the General Sessions Court Clerk, over 100,000 criminal cases are handled by the Criminal Division of the General Sessions Court annually. The court records for all cases are maintained by the Clerk of each Court. To access records of all Shelby County Courts, you can visit the Shelby County Courts Records Online. Searches can be made by the Individual's Name. For an in-person search, interested persons can visit the Clerk's Office of the Court in which the case was heard. Records on Juvenile cases, adoption, mental health matters, and sealed records may, however, be inaccessible.

Shelby County Courts play an important role in bringing about justice in the county. Their provision of public access to records of court proceedings fosters transparency and also aids legal research.