Criminal Statistics
As part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, its Criminal Justice Information Services Division publishes an annual summary of index crimes as reported by local law enforcement agencies. According to the 2017 report, Washington county recorded a net total of 1,088 index crime offenses within a 12-month span. Property crimes were recorded to be the most common subset of offenses as there were 631 reported incidents of larceny and 204 incidents of burglary, making them the first and second most reported crimes in the year. 3rd and 4th in the ranking were aggravated assault and motor vehicle theft, which were reported 159 and 72 times respectively. However, all other index offenses including robbery, rape, murder/manslaughter, and arson had 33 reported incidents between them, making them the least occurring offenses in the county.
Criminal Records
While the Washington County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of the county, the county's criminal records are managed and disseminated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation., which serves as the central repository of criminal history information for the state. The Bureau is also tasked with processing background and criminal record checks on persons within its jurisdiction.
How to get Criminal Records
As per state laws, the Criminal Justice Investigation Services Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation offers individuals and organizations criminal background checks. The records provided by the division include the history of misdemeanor and felony arrests, convictions and any pending dispositions. The information available to each requestor is primarily dependent on the requestor's authority and the type of check requested. Interested members of the public may request name-based criminal background checks on any individual resident in Washington county. These requests may be processed online or via mail.
Online requests require that the requesting party complete and submit the online request form on the TORIS website. Each request will require the personal information of the subject such as their full name, date of birth, gender and/or social security number, as well as a non-refundable credit card payment of $29.
On the other hand, mail queries can be made by sending a written request stating the name and personal information of the subject to the Bureau. Requests should be enclosed along with a cheque of $29 and addressed to:
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
901 R.S Gass Blvd.,
Nashville, TN 37216
Phone: (615) 744-4057
Employees and licensing agencies in Washington county may also request fingerprint-based criminal background checks through the Bureaus approved fingerprinting vendor. Requests typically require the full fingerprint set of the subject as well as an Originating Agency Identifier which can be obtained by querying the Tennessee Applicant Processing Services. Record requests will be processed and mailed back to the requesting party shortly after making the request.
How to Find Sex Offender Information
All information regarding sex offenders in Washington County can be obtained from the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry managed by the state Bureau of Investigation. The Registry features the primary addresses, identifiers and compliance status of offenders, and can be searched by offender name, location or proximity to specific addresses, or unique offender number (TID). Additionally, county residents may view the criminal histories of specific offenders, obtain their vehicle information as well as their employer address on the registry.
Interested persons may submit information on offenders or make related inquiries on the Sex Offender Registry Hotline at 1 (888) 837-4170.
How to Get Inmate Information
Inmate-specific information such as details of the arrest, primary charges, arresting agency, and inmate number may be viewed on the Sheriffs Intake Report; however, since the report only goes back 7 days from the publishing date, details of older arrests/inmates can only be retrieved by querying the detention center at the above-stated address.
Obtaining Jail Information
The Washington county detention facility is managed by the Detention Division of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, which disseminates information regarding the jail as well as its resident detainees. All jail-related information may be obtained on the Detention Facility Information Page or by querying the Detention Center staff at:
Washington County Detention Center
114 W. Jackson Blvd
P.O. Box 0097
Jonesborough, TN 37659-0097
(423) 753-1701
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
Washington County Courts hear a variety of cases involving persons and incidents within its jurisdiction. The task of maintaining cost records and other case documentation generated by the circuit, criminal, general sessions, and juvenile courts falls under the duties of the Circuit Court Clerk. Interested county residents may obtain copies of court records deemed non-confidential by querying the Clerk's office in person or via mail.
The requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the record of interest, including the names of the plaintiff, defendant, and litigant as well as the date on which the case was filed and the case file number (if known). All requests may be made to:
Washington County Circuit Court Clerk
108 W. Jackson Blvd,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
(423) 753-1736
Location of all Courts in the County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all courthouses in Washington County, Tennessee:
Washington County Circuit Court
George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Boulevard,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1736
Washington County Chancery Court
George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Boulevard,
Suite 2157,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 788-1450
Phone: (423) 753-1623 (Probate)
Washington County Criminal Court
George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Boulevard,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1736
Washington County General Sessions Court
George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Boulevard,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1736
Washington County Juvenile Court
George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Blvd,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1736
Johnson City Juvenile Court
607 East Myrtle Avenue,
Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 434-6200
Johnson City Municipal Court
601 East Main Street,
Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 434-6160
Jonesborough Municipal Court
Town Hall
123 Boone Street,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1053
Where and How to Get Property Records
The Washington County Register of Deeds Office preserves instruments pertaining to property ownership or transfer including deeds, liens, mortgages, contracts, powers of attorney, plats, and leases. The office processes requests for these records and provides them to persons with reasonable intent.
Interested persons may request any of these records by querying the office in person or by using the Registers Deed Lookup Tool online. Requestors will be required to pay the applicable copy fees and present information required to track the record including the recording, page and/or index number of the document as well as the property address and the name(s) of the owner(s).
Record requests may be made to:
Washington County Register of Deeds Office
100 E. Main St.
P.O. Box 69,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1644
Vital Records
The Tennessee Department of Health functions as the central repository of vital records in Tennessee and processes statewide requests for these records. At the county level, this service is provided by the Washington County Health Department and various local offices, which record and maintain records of births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that occur within county limits.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Records of divorces granted by the Washington county circuit court are retained by the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Interested persons may obtain copies of these records by querying the Clerk's office in person or via mail. Requestors will be required to provide information regarding the divorce record, including the names of the parties involved, the case file number (if known), as well as the date on which the case was filed. All divorce record requests may be made to:
Washington County Circuit Court Clerk
108 W. Jackson Blvd,
Suite 2167,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
(423) 753-1736
Where and How to get Marriage Records
The Washington County Clerk's Office is tasked with issuing marriage licenses and maintaining records of marriages that are licensed by the office and occur within county limits.
To request copies of these records, interested persons may query the county clerk's office in person or via mail. The requesting party will be required to provide information regarding the marriage including the names of the spouses, the place and date of the marriage as well as the certificate number (if known). All marriage record requests may be made to:
Washington County Clerk
100 E. Main St.,
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1621
Fax: (423) 753-4716
Where and how to get Birth and Death Records
The Washington County Health Department processes requests for records of births and deaths which occur within county limits. As per state laws, all requests for these records must be made to the office in person.
The requestor will be required to provide information regarding the subject of the record including the subject's name, date of birth and social security number. A small fee will also be charged for copies and certification of birth or death certificates. All record requests may be made to the department from Monday through Friday during office hours at:
Washington County Health Department
219 Princeton Road
Johnson City, TN 37601
(423) 975-2200
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained 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. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Washington County?
Washington County property records are considered public records and open to the public. According to the Tennessee Public Records Act, interested persons may inspect or obtain copies of property records generated by government agencies. Interested persons may obtain Washington County property records by submitting a request at the custodian’s office or agency.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Washington County
The Washington County Register of Deeds is responsible for maintaining all land transactions within the county. The Register of Deeds records and issues copies of instruments required or allowed by law. Such instruments include deeds, mortgages, liens, contracts, plats, leases, power of attorney, papers under the Uniform Commercial Code, and more. Interested persons may obtain Washington County property records in person by contacting the office location:
Physical Address:
Washington County Register of Deeds
100 East Main Street
Historic Courthouse
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1644
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Monday through Friday.
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 69
Jonesborough, TN 37659
How to Look Up Washington County Property Records
The Washington County Register of Deeds provides an online Deeds Lookup. The online Deeds Lookup provides information on property transactions within the county. Interested persons may access Deed Index Information and Deed Images from January 10, 1783, till the present. The Deed Lookup also provides other Index information and images from January 15, 1858, till the present. Interested persons may access this property records or information using any of the following search criteria:
- Name
- Book and Page or File Number
- Subdivision or Lot
- Instrument Number
- Legal Description
- Instrument Type
- Daily Notebook
Interested persons are required to sign up to access property information in the Deeds Lookup. Also, there are different pricing methods available for each registered member: Subscription and Pay as you go. Registered members can search for property information from the various counties available. There is a $45 charge for Washington County as the primary county and an additional $20 to add another county.
For the Pay as you go pricing, to search by name option costs $0.25 per name retrieved and $2 for each document image retrieved.
Location of Washington County Property Assessors
Washington County Assessor of Property
110 East Main Street
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1672
Fax: (423) 753-1815
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Monday through Friday.
