Rutherford County Court Records
Court records comprise files and information collected, received, and maintained by the courts in connection with a case or as part of the courts' administration. They include case records, judicial records, and administrative records. Access to court records in Rutherford County is governed by multiple statutes, including the Tennessee Public Record Act (TPRA) and the Tennessee Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure.
Are Court Records Public in Rutherford County
State residents have access to most Rutherford County court records. Per the TPRA, members of the public may inspect or obtain copies of government records, including court records. However, access to records containing confidential or sensitive information may be restricted for members of the public, as provided by the Tennessee Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure. These include public requests for records that contain the following:
- Notes, reports, or other documents prepared by a judge or judicial staff.
- Information maintained by judges regarding their recusal from a particular case.
- Unpublished drafts of judicial orders
- Files or documents, the release of which would undermine the powers granted the court.
Where to Conduct a Rutherford County Case Lookup
County residents in Rutherford County can inspect, view, or obtain copies of court records by contacting the court clerk in charge of maintaining the records. Requests can either be made in person or via mail. To facilitate the search, requests must include enough provided information about the sought record. Alternatively, residents can look up case records using an online search tool that offers this option. While Rutherford County is home to multiple courts, the county's main judicial center is located at the following address:
Rutherford County Circuit Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7820 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 217-7118 (Civil)
Phone: (615) 898-7812 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 217-7119 (Criminal)
How to Conduct an Rutherford County Case Records Search
Conducting a Rutherford County case records search depends on various factors, such as when the case was filed. However, most records can be found by following some general steps.
Step 1. Determine the Type of Record
Finding a record will depend on the type of case, as Rutherford County is home to multiple courts that oversee different types of cases. These include a circuit court, a chancery court, and two general session courts. Where the circuit court has general jurisdiction over criminal cases, the oversight of civil cases is split between the circuit and chancery courts. In comparison, preliminary criminal cases and civil cases for claims less than $25,000 are handled by the General Sessions courts.
Step 2. Gather Information
To facilitate requests for court records, users must provide court clerks with enough information to process the request. Some of the information that may be required when looking up court records include:
- Names of parties involved (plaintiff or defendant)
- Docket Number
- Filing date
- Case number
- Court location
- Case type
Step 3. Search with an eCase Management System
Records of cases filed in the county can be found using the Rutherford County Online Court Records System. To use this online service, inquirers must have an active subscription. Users will also need to specify the court where the case was filed (circuit or general masters). Searches can be done using either of two options: using either a case number or party name. However, the availability of records via this system may vary depending on the age and type of record.
Users can conduct searches using either of two criteria:
- Searching by party name
- Searching by case number
Searches by party name can be made using either a business name or an individual's name. In comparison, case searches require either a year or a known case number.
Step 4. Contact the Court
Record seekers who are unable to find records online must expand their search by submitting a request to the official record custodian. Requests can either be made in person at the courthouse or via mail. Although access to public records is free, most courts require that inquirers pay a small fee to cover the cost of making copies.
Rutherford County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court records contain files and documents generated during civil court proceedings filed at the county circuit court, chancery court, or general sessions court. Records of civil court cases filed in Rutherford County are maintained by the County court clerk. In accordance with state laws, interested parties can inspect or obtain copies of a record by submitting a request to the court clerk. Although record custodians do not charge a fee for inspections, a small fee is charged for any request for copies or any request that takes longer than an hour to process.
Members of the public can submit requests in person at the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, or Judicial Center at:
Rutherford County Circuit Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7820 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 217-7118 (Civil)
Rutherford County Chancery Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street, Suite 5101, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7860
Fax: (615) 849-9553
Rutherford County General Sessions Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 217-0069 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 898-7801 (Civil)
Alternatively, record seekers can view civil court case records via the Rutherford County Online Court Records System. To use this online service, inquirers must have an active subscription. Users will also need to specify the court where the case was filed (circuit or general masters). Searches can be done using either of two options: using either a case number or party name.
Rutherford County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court records consist of documents and files generated during criminal court proceedings. The Rutherford Court Clerk is responsible for maintaining court records, including criminal court records. In accordance with court rules, local residents can inspect or obtain copies of criminal court case records by submitting an in-person written request at:
Rutherford Circuit Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7812 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 217-7119 (Criminal)
Submitted requests must be accompanied by an ID or a document that attests to the applicant's Tennessee citizenship. Acceptable documents include a valid Tennessee driver's license or a US passport.
Requesters may also be able to view criminal records using the Rutherford County Online Court Records System. However, access to this platform will require an active subscription. Users can search through criminal court record files by selecting a case type as well as specifying a court (circuit or general masters). Searches can be done using either of two options:
- Searching by party name
- Searching by case number
To search by party name, requesters must either provide a business name or the name of an individual. Case searches require either a year or a known case number.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Court records of cases filed in Rutherford County can be found using the official records system maintained by the county courts. It includes options for searching through cases filed with the circuit court and general sessions court. Members of the public may also be able to search for free online court records using third-party platforms. These non-governmental platforms provide access to a database that contains records and information compiled from multiple jurisdictions, including Henrico County. However, depending on when the data was compiled and the case filed, the accuracy of the information may vary. Searches with a third-party platform are usually intuitive and direct. Users can look at cases using criteria such as the party name, filing date, and case type.
Courts in Rutherford County
Rutherford County's court system consists of a circuit court, a chancery court, and two general session courts. The county also has a juvenile court alongside multiple municipal courts. The following are the addresses of all the courts in Rutherford County.
Rutherford County Circuit Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7820 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 217-7118 (Civil)
Phone: (615) 898-7812 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 217-7119 (Criminal)
Rutherford County Chancery Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street,
Suite 5101,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7860
Fax: (615) 849-9553
Rutherford County General Sessions Court
Judicial Center
116 West Lytle Street,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 217-0069 (Civil)
Fax: (615) 898-7801 (Civil)
Phone: (615) 898-7831 (Criminal)
Fax: (615) 898-7835 (Criminal)
Rutherford County General Sessions Court - Probate
County Office Building
319 North Maple Street,
Suite 121,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7800
Fax: (615) 898-7830
Rutherford County Juvenile Court
Juvenile Services Center
1710 South Church Street, Suite 2,
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 898-7972
Fax: (615) 217-7120
Eagleville Municipal Court
City Hall
108 South Main Street,
P.O. Box 68, Eagleville, TN 37060
Phone: (615) 274-2922
Fax: (615) 274-2977
LaVergne City Court
5093 Murfreesboro Road,
LaVergne, TN 37086
Phone: (615) 287-8360
Fax: (615) 793-6025
Murfreesboro City Court
111 West Vine Street,
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
Phone: (615) 890-2142
Fax: (615) 849-2665
Smyrna Municipal Court
Smyrna Justice Center
400 Enon Springs Road East,
Smyrna, TN 37167
Phone: (615) 355-5739 (General Sessions)
Phone: (615) 355-5732 (Traffic)
Fax: (615) 355-0853
