MACON COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS

What are Macon County Public Records?

Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(1)(A)(i) defines a "public record" as any document, paper, letter, map, book, microfilm, photograph, electronic data processing file and output, sound recording, film, or other material, despite its physical form or characteristics, created or obtained pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any government entity. The law does not regard the equipment or device used to generate or store a public record as a public record. These definitions apply to all government records in Macon County, as the county adopts the public record laws of Tennessee.

Besides clarifying what constitutes a public record in Macon County and what does not, the Tennessee Public Records Act outlines who can access public records in Macon County and the procedure for requesting and obtaining such records. The law also limits certain public records from inspection or duplication and establishes penalties for individuals who fail to inspect or pay for copies of public records requested (Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(7)(A)(vii)), and so on.

According to Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(2)(A), only Tennessee citizens have the right to inspect or obtain copies of public records. Now, this law does not explicitly disqualify non-citizens from obtaining public records in Macon County or any other Tennessee county for that matter. Such parties can still request Macon County public records from the official custodians.

However, record custodians treat non-Tennessee-citizen public record requests as copy requests. Furthermore, such requests are not subject to the same statutory time limitations as public records requests from citizens. For this reason, a Macon County records custodian may not respond to a non-Tennessee citizen's request within the statutory timeline for public records requests and will typically prioritize requests from citizens. The custodian can also deny non-citizen public records requests - should the requester fail to provide additional information to process a request, for instance.

Persons interested in Macon County public records can submit a request during business hours to the government agency acting as the records custodian. The request procedure varies by the custodian's public records policy, but it usually involves filling out a form or paying fees for copies of records. Nevertheless, not all public records can be released in Macon County.

The public records exceptions are listed in a manual provided by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. The department also provides a searchable database of the various exceptions. A few include:

• Personally identifying information of any citizen of the state, including:
  • Social security numbers
  • Employer or taxpayer identification numbers
  • Passport or alien registration numbers
  • State or government-issued driver's license or identification numbers, etc.
• Identifying information of any state, county, municipal, or other public employee or former employee, or an applicant to such position. For example:
  • Residential information
  • Home and personal cell phone numbers
  • Bank, pension, retirement, and individual health savings account information
  • Social security number
  • Personal email addresses, etc.
• Adoption records
• Investigative records or reports of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the internal affairs division of the Tennessee Department of Correction, and the internal affairs division of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS)
• Records of students in public educational institutions
• Plans for riot, escape, and emergency transport made by the Tennessee Department of Correction and County Sheriffs
• Contingency plans of any government entity
• Certain law enforcement body camera videos. For example, videos of minors taken within a K-12 (kindergarten through grade 12) school
• Jury lists compiled by the Circuit Courts
• Most juvenile court records
• Military discharge records

In addition to government agencies, some public records may also be accessible from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. However, users will need to provide enough information to assist with the search such as:

• The name of the subject involved in the record (subject must be older than 18 or not juvenile)
• The address of the requestor
• A case number or file number (if known)
• The location of the document or person involved
• The last known or current address of the registrant

Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.

Macon County Crime Statistics

According to the 2020 crime statistics released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Macon County recorded 448 crimes. Of this number, 167 crimes were reported in the county's Crimes Against Persons category, a category dedicated to violent crimes such as murder, assault, and rape. In the category, simple assault (95) was the most reported crime, followed by aggravated assault (60) and intimidation (7).

A second category for property crimes (Crimes Against Property) revealed 134 of the total 448 crimes reported as property crimes occurring in Macoun County in 2020. The property crime with the highest crime numbers was destruction/damage/vandalism (40), followed by burglary (22), then motor vehicle theft (19).

Lastly, the TBI outlines a Crimes Against Society category that contains mostly victimless crimes prohibited by society, such as gambling, prostitution, and drug violations. In Macon County, these crimes represented 147 of the total 448 crimes. Drug/narcotic violations (78) were the most reported crimes in this category, followed by drug/narcotic equipment violations (62) and weapon law violations (6).

Nevertheless, when comparing the TBI’s 2019 and 2020 crime reports, there is a noticeable 17.04% decrease in crimes reported in Macon County.

Are Macon County Criminal Records Public?

Yes. The Tennessee Public Records Act provides the public with access to various public records. Adult criminal records from Macon County and the criminal records of juveniles tried as adults in criminal court fall under records that the public can access.

In Macon County, requests for criminal records go to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the state agency that maintains a central repository for these records. Through the agency, requesters can obtain a criminal offender's full name, physical description, misdemeanor and felony arrests, charge(s), fingerprints, mugshot/photograph, and more.

How to Obtain Macon County Police Reports and Arrest Records?

To obtain Macon County police reports and arrest records, a person must contact the local agency in charge of such records. Often, this is the sheriff's office. However, it can also be a police department within the county if an offense or arrest took place in a city instead. For example, the Lafayette Police Department.

Requests for Macon County police reports and arrest records can be directed to the county sheriff's office at the following address:

Macon County Sheriff's Office
902 Highway 52 Bypass East
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-3325 or (615) 666-4046
Fax: (615) 666-6909

Alternatively, a person seeking only Macon County arrest records can request a subject's criminal history from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation online or via mail. Either option costs $29. However, bear in mind that the results will encompass arrests that took place in other Tennessee counties.

How to Find Sex Offender Information in Macon County

Anyone who wishes to find sex offender information in Macon County should search the

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Sex Offender Registry. Granted, one can always request sex offender information from their local law enforcement agency, but the registry is a much faster and more convenient means of obtaining this information.

Searches on the sex offender registry can be carried out with a person's name, alias, county, city, zip code, address, offender ID, offender classification, registry status, or offense. It is also feasible to combine up to eight search keywords simultaneously. Results include:

• The sex offender's full name
• Offender ID
• Primary and secondary address (plus a map)
• Photograph
• Sex offender status and classification
• Date of birth
• Vehicle(s) owned by the offender
• Offense date, description, and statute
• Physical description. For example, the offender's hair and eye color, height, weight, driver's license number and licensing state, race, and gender
• Registering agency
• Date of the most recent update to the offender's information
• The offender's last registration/report date

To stay current with a particular sex offender, a person can sign up for email alerts by clicking the envelope icon at the top of the offender's full details page.

How to Find Macon County Inmate Records

Macon County inmate records bear information on individuals confined in county jail. Such records are created and maintained by the county sheriff's office.

Requesters calling the sheriff's office at (615) 666-3325 or (615) 666-4046 or going in person to obtain inmate records must provide identifying information about the inmate whose record they seek. This includes a first and last name, date of birth, and inmate ID number.

How Do I Visit an Inmate in Macon County Jail?

An individual who wants to visit an inmate in Macon County jail must contact the county sheriff's office to be included in the visitor's list and receive the visitation hours and rules. For example, a visitor must have a valid photo ID and not have a prior felony conviction.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office does not provide an online tool that people can use to schedule or attend visitations remotely. The phone number to obtain inmate visitation procedures is (615) 666-3325 or (615) 666-4046.

Court Records

The following courts make up Macon County's court system:

• The Macon County Circuit Court: This court has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, as well as appellate jurisdiction over the General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal Courts. Below are the court's physical address and contact numbers:

  904 Highway 52 Bypass East
  Lafayette, TN 37083
  Phone: (615) 666-2354
  Fax: (615) 666-3001

• The Macon County Chancery Court: The Chancery Court in Macon County is a court of equity that handles a range of civil issues, including lawsuits, name changes, contract disputes, adoptions, workers' compensation, etc. The court's address and contact details are as follows:

  906 Highway 52 Bypass East
  Lafayette, TN 37083
  Phone: (615) 666-2000
  Fax: (615) 666-8943

• The Macon County General Sessions Court: The General Sessions Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. The court has two divisions: civil and criminal. General Sessions Civil hears cases where the amount requested in damages is not over $15,000. Meanwhile, General Sessions Criminal handles preliminary hearings for felony and misdemeanor cases where the defendant relinquishes their right to a grand jury investigation or jury trial in the Circuit Court.

  100 Public Square
  Lafayette, TN 37083
  Phone: (615) 666-4027

• The Macon County Juvenile Court: This court hears all legal matters concerning underage persons, i.e., juveniles

  100 Public Square
  Lafayette, TN 37083
  Phone: (615) 666-5714

Also, Municipal (or City) Courts are located within Macon County. These courts typically handle municipal ordinance violations and traffic infractions like speeding. Their physical locations are as follows:

Lafayette Municipal Court
118 East Locust Street
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-4725

Red Boiling Springs City Court
361 Lafayette Road
P.O. Box 190
Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150
Phone: (615) 699-2011

Are Macon County Court Records Public?

Yes. Macon County court records are open to the public. For this reason, any person interested in inspecting or copying a court record can submit a request to the clerk of the court where the court proceeding took place. However, it should be noted that not every court record can be released to the public. Some court records (for example, adoption and juvenile records) have restricted access.

How to Obtain Macon County Civil Court Case Records

An individual can obtain a Macon County civil court case record from its custodian, the court clerk. Civil cases and proceedings in Macon County, Tennessee, end up in the Chancery, General Sessions, or Circuit Court. Hence, either the Circuit Court Clerk or Clerk and Master of the Chancery Court will receive the public records request.

Typically, a person can mail a written request to the relevant clerk or visit the clerk's office during working hours to obtain the court record. If the sought-after record was generated in the Macon County General Sessions or Circuit Court, an individual can also search for the case record online using a case party's name or case number. It is possible to retrieve the following case information from the online search:

• Party name
• Party role
• Case number
• Style of case
• Filing date
• Status
• Status date
• Case judge
• Balance due
• Filings and documents submitted during the case
• Additional case parties

How to Obtain Macon County Criminal Court Records

The Macon County Circuit Court Clerk maintains criminal court records in the county. Hence, persons who wish to obtain these records must submit a request to the clerk's office. This request must bear case information that will allow the clerk to process the request quickly, such as a case party's name and case number.

Then again, a person can always search the Macon County Online Court Records System provided on the Circuit Court Clerk's website to retrieve criminal court records. This system can be searched with a person's first or last name or case number to obtain the information listed in the previous section, plus:

• The criminal charges, including the relevant Tennessee Code, a description of the charge, the filing, violation, and disposition dates, and the disposition type
• Attorney name
• Hearings, including the hearing type, date/time, result, and the presiding judge
• Fees paid by the defendant

What are Macon County Vital Records?

Macon County vital records are official documents that bear information on the important life events of residents, such as a person's birth, marriage, death, and divorce. Such records are open to members of the public to the extent that the law permits and can be accessed through the applicable government agencies:

• The Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records: The agency responsible for maintaining the original certificates of deaths, births, divorces, and marriages that occur in Tennessee
• The Macon County Circuit Court Clerk: The custodian of divorce records
• The Macon County Clerk: The custodian of marriage records
• The Tennessee State Library and Archives: The custodian of vital records over 50 years from the present date

Where and How to Obtain Macon County Divorce Records

A divorce record is a document that verifies that a married couple terminated their marriage legally. In Macon County, two types of divorce records are available: a divorce decree and a divorce certificate.

A divorce decree represents the court's final judgment in a divorce proceeding. It is a detailed court document that contains the court's or parties' determination on custody, visitation, child/spousal support, assets division, and other issues that arose during the divorce case. It is the court that generates a divorce decree. Hence, an individual can only obtain the record from the court clerk - in this case, the Macon County Circuit Court Clerk. Below is the clerk's information:

904 Highway 52 Bypass East
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-2354
Fax: (615) 666-3001

However, it should be noted that divorce decrees contain sensitive or confidential information. For instance, the financial details of the spouses and names of minors. This record cannot be released to the public, only to persons involved in the case (the spouses or their attorneys) and other eligible persons. Mostly, what the public can access in a divorce record maintained by the court regards the nonconfidential case proceedings.

On the other hand, a divorce certificate is a less detailed record of a person's divorce. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records maintains this record and only disseminates a certified copy to a record holder and their spouse, parent, child, or legal guardian. Also, an authorized representative can obtain the certificate on behalf of a holder, spouse, parent, child, or legal guardian. However, the agency may require the representative to provide the following:

• A copy of a signed government identification card owned by the requester and certificate holder
• A signed statement from the certificate holder permitting the Office of Vital Records to release the record to the requester

Persons interested in obtaining a Macon County divorce certificate can complete the application form, attach a copy of acceptable ID, and request the record for $15 from the Office of Vital Records at the following address:

Tennessee Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243

(Alternative request methods and fees can be reviewed on the Office of Vital Records website.)

Notably, the Office of Vital Records also provides divorce verification for members of the public who wish to confirm if someone is divorced. Interested persons must complete and submit an Application for Verification of Divorce or Annulment Facts (Form PH-3332). The service costs $15 per request, payable by check or money order.

The Tennessee Office of Vital Records only maintains divorce records for the past 50 years. These records have restricted access. To obtain older and unrestricted divorce records in Macon County, a person may contact the Tennessee State Library and Archives or the Macon County Circuit Clerk.

Where and How to Get Public Macon County Marriage Records

The Macon County Clerk is responsible for issuing marriage licenses and maintaining marriage records at the county level. Individuals can request Macon County marriage records from the clerk at the following address:

104 County Courthouse
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-2333
Fax: (615) 666-2202

Individuals can also obtain public Macon County marriage records from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The records the library maintains are dated 50 years over.

The public can also submit an Application for Verification of Marriage Facts (Form PH-3331) to the Tennessee Office of Vital Records to verify a person's marriage details.

Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in Macon County

Overall, marriage records are accessible to members of the public in Macon County under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-205(d)(2)(A). Interested parties can request these records from the Macon County Clerk during normal business hours.

However, a query can be directed to the Tennessee Office of Vital Records if a person seeks to obtain a Macon County marriage certificate. Marriage certificates disseminated by the agency are confidential and dated from 1972 to the present date (records less than 50 years old). Individuals who can obtain such records include:

• The person named on the record
• A spouse
• A parent
• A child
• A legal guardian, and
• Any authorized representative provided they can submit the following documents:
  • A copy of a signed government identification card owned by the representative and record's subject
  • A signed statement from the record's subject permitting the Office of Vital Records to issue the record to the representative

To obtain a Macon County marriage certificate, an eligible individual must complete and submit a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Marriage (Form PH-1670) to the Tennessee Office of Vital Records together with a copy of an acceptable ID and a $15 fee. It should be noted, however, that the "Confidential Section" of a marriage certificate is non-disclosable unless the agency permits disclosure for statistical or research purposes.

The Tennessee Office of Vital Records offers more information for obtaining marriage certificates (including the addresses to forward marriage record requests) on its website.

Where and How to Find Macon County Birth Records

Individuals can obtain Macon County birth records from the local health department or directly from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. Below is the Macon County health department's address:

601 Highway 52 Bypass East
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-2142

Generally, all requesters must provide acceptable identification and pay a fee of $15 per record. To expedite the processing time, an in-person requester can complete and submit the Application for a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Birth (Form PH-1654).

It is worth noting that Macon County birth records less than 50 years old can only be accessed by the named subject, a spouse, parent, child, legal guardian, and a representative who has the subject's approval. Birth records over 50 years old are deemed public information and can be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Where and How to Find Macon County Death Records

Macon County death records less than 50 years old are accessible through the Macon County Health Department and the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. However, the requesting party must be the record owner, a spouse, parent, child, legal guardian, or an individual who has the record owner's approval.

Each requester must submit an Application for a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Death (PH-1663), pay a $15 record fee, and have acceptable identification. Acceptable identification may include a notarized application form, current driver's license, current passport, military ID card, etc.

Individuals seeking Macon County death records above 50 years old should review the Tennessee State Library and Archives' death records page.