Henry County, Tennessee Court Records
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Henry County, Tennessee — with Paris as its county seat — runs a multi-tiered court system that turns out a wide range of legal records every year. These documents come from criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, domestic cases, probate proceedings, and juvenile matters handled across both state trial courts and local city courts. A court record can take many forms: typed or handwritten pleadings, electronic filings, hearing transcripts, audiovisual recordings, trial exhibits, sentencing orders, and judgment entries. Under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34, "court records" covers any record related to a judicial proceeding and is broken into three categories: case records, administrative records, and judicial records. These materials serve attorneys, litigants, researchers, and the general public in understanding how the county's courts work and what outcomes were reached in specific cases.
Tracking down court records in Tennessee typically involves a combination of official clerk offices, online case search tools, and written public records requests. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts maintains resources for appellate-level case searches and links to trial court information statewide. TennesseeCourts.us can also help you identify courts, clerk contacts, and publicly available case data across the Tennessee court system.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Henry County?
Where you start depends on which court heard the case. For circuit and general sessions cases, Tennessee Case Finder is the public inquiry system maintained by Tennessee Circuit Court Clerks — it gives around-the-clock online access to civil and general sessions cases, searchable by party name or case number. For appellate matters from the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or Court of Criminal Appeals, use the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts Public Case History tool, which lets you search by case number or party name.
If what you need isn't available online, you'll have to visit the appropriate clerk's office in person or submit a written request. It helps to gather as much identifying information as you can before reaching out:
- Full name of each party to the case
- Approximate filing date or year
- Case number, if you have it
- Type of case — criminal, civil, domestic, or probate
Primary Record-Keeping Offices in Henry County:
Henry County Circuit Court Clerk
Address: 101 West Washington Street, #100, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-0461
Fax: (731) 642-1244
Henry County Chancery Court (Clerk & Master)
Address: Henry County Courthouse, P.O. Box 313, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-4234
Fax: (731) 644-2527
Henry County Clerk (Marriage Licenses & County Records)
Address: 101 West Washington Street, Suite 100, P.O. Box 24, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-2412
Email: donna.craig@tn.gov
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
For older or genealogical records, the Henry County Archive & Genealogy Library houses historical public records and can assist researchers with court documents that predate current digital systems.
Henry County Archive & Genealogy Library
Address: 215 Grove Blvd, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-3638
Email: archive@henrycountyarchive.org
Are Court Records Public in Henry County?
Public access to court records in Henry County rests on the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503(a)(2)(A), which presumes that records kept by government entities — including courts — are open for public inspection unless a specific exemption applies. You can submit a request in person, by phone, fax, mail, or email, depending on how the relevant office handles communications. Henry County's Public Records Request Policy directs requests to the Public Records Request Coordinator or their designee to make sure they reach the right department.
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 adds further detail for court records specifically, confirming the public's right to inspect case records while identifying categories that are not public. Records treated as confidential under Rule 34 include:
- Documents sealed by court order or subject to a protective order
- Unpublished drafts of judicial orders and opinions
- Copies of motions, petitions, or briefs furnished to a judge for personal use but not filed as part of the official case record
- Conference notes, memoranda, and internal deliberative documents prepared by judges or judicial staff
- Internal case management information (with limited exceptions for appellate panel composition)
- Information about threats to judicial personnel or court security audits
- Records whose disclosure would interfere with the court's judicial functions
Certain case types carry additional confidentiality protections. Juvenile court records are confidential under Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153, which means dockets and case files in juvenile proceedings are generally closed to the public. Adoption records are also sealed. When a record is partly public and partly exempt, the records custodian must redact the confidential portions and release the rest.
Henry County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases in Henry County move through different courts depending on the severity of the charge. Felony prosecutions and higher-level misdemeanors go before the Henry County Circuit Court, while lower-level criminal offenses, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings are handled by the Henry County General Sessions Court. Both courts operate out of the Henry County Courthouse in Paris.
Henry County Circuit Court
Address: 101 West Washington Street, P.O. Box 429, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-0461
Fax: (731) 642-1244
Henry County General Sessions Court
Address: 101 West Washington Street, P.O. Box 429, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-0461
Fax: (731) 644-7312
Criminal case records held by the Circuit Court Clerk — indictments, charging documents, plea records, trial transcripts, judgment entries, and sentencing information — can be searched online through Tennessee Case Finder for cases filed in the Circuit and General Sessions courts, or by contacting the clerk's office directly.
For arrest records and incident reports, the Henry County Sheriff's Office is the primary source of law enforcement documentation.
Henry County Sheriff's Office
Address: 210 Forrest Heights Road, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-1672
The Sheriff's Office can provide information on arrests, incident reports, and related law enforcement records. Fees may apply for copies of certain records, and some materials may be withheld if releasing them would interfere with an active investigation.
For a statewide criminal history search, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) offers name-based criminal background checks to the general public for $29.00 per search. This Tennessee-only check doesn't require fingerprints and returns records of adult criminal history — arrests, misdemeanor charges, and felony charges — from across the state. Requests go through the TBI's online platform.
City courts in Henry County handle municipal offenses and local ordinance violations:
| Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Henry City Court | 1232 Pioneer Road, Henry, TN 38231 | (731) 243-4091 |
| Paris City Court | 100 North Caldwell, Paris, TN 38242 | (731) 641-1413 |
| Puryear City Court | 110 North Sycamore, P.O. Box 278, Puryear, TN 38251 | (731) 247-5362 |
Henry County Civil Court Records
Civil litigation in Henry County is split between the Circuit Court and the Chancery Court based on the nature of the claim. The Circuit Court handles tort claims, contract disputes, appeals from lower courts, and other civil matters assigned to it by statute. The Chancery Court takes cases that are traditionally equitable in character — contract and debt actions, partition suits, specific performance claims, trusts, foreign judgments, contempt proceedings, minor settlements, and delinquent property tax collections for Henry County and the cities of Paris, Henry, Puryear, and Cottage Grove.
Henry County Circuit Court Clerk
Address: 101 West Washington Street, P.O. Box 429, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-0461
Fax: (731) 642-1244
Henry County Chancery Court
Address: 101 West Washington Street, Suite 101, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-4234
Fax: (731) 644-2527
Civil case records from the Circuit Court — complaints, answers, motions, judgments, and orders — are available online through Tennessee Case Finder, which provides 24/7 public access. For Chancery Court records and documents not in the online system, you'll need to make a request in person or in writing to the Clerk & Master's office. Copy fees and certification costs vary, so confirm current fees with the relevant office before submitting your request.
The Henry County Chancery Court's official website has downloadable forms for common filings, including divorce and probate forms organized by case type. Applicable court fee schedules are posted there as well.
Henry County Family Court Records
Family law in Henry County crosses several courts. Divorce proceedings — contested and uncontested divorces, property division, and spousal support — are filed in either the Circuit Court or the Chancery Court, depending on the circumstances. Child custody, child support, and parenting plan modifications from those divorces are handled by the same courts. The Juvenile Court handles matters directly affecting minors — dependency, neglect, abuse, delinquency, and paternity actions.
Henry County Juvenile Court
Address: 213 West Washington Street, P.O. Box 633, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-5271
Fax: (731) 644-7308
Judge: Chad A. Cox
As noted above, juvenile court records are confidential under Tennessee law and are generally closed to the public. Parties directly involved in a juvenile case may access their own records through the court.
Divorce records are held by whichever court granted the divorce — either the Circuit Court Clerk or the Chancery Court Clerk & Master. For historical or certified copies, parties can also contact the Tennessee Office of Vital Records for divorces from 1945 forward. That office requires a completed application, valid identification, and the required fee.
Marriage records in Henry County are maintained by the Henry County Clerk's office. Marriage licenses are issued and recorded at:
Henry County Clerk
Address: 101 West Washington Street, Suite 100, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-2412
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Certified copies of marriage records are also available from the Tennessee Office of Vital Records for records from 1945 onward. Submit a completed application, valid ID, and the applicable fee.
Birth and death records are restricted under Tennessee law to eligible individuals — the subject of the record, immediate family members, or authorized legal representatives. Certified birth and death certificates come from the Tennessee Department of Health Office of Vital Records:
Tennessee Office of Vital Records
Address: Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, 1st Floor, Nashville, TN 37243
Requests require a completed application, valid photo ID, and payment of applicable fees. Notarized requests may substitute for certain identification requirements. For older genealogical records, the Henry County Archive & Genealogy Library may have birth and death records that aren't available through state channels.
Henry County Probate Court Records
Probate matters in Henry County fall under the jurisdiction of the Chancery Court, which handles probate through two separate offices within the courthouse. The Probate office (Suite 104) handles conservatorships, guardianships, and probate estate filings. The Chancery Court office (Suite 101) covers adoptions, paternity and legitimation, name changes, surrenders, and related equitable proceedings.
Henry County Chancery Court Probate Division
Address: Henry County Courthouse, Suite 104, 101 West Washington Street, Paris, TN 38242
Phone: (731) 642-4234
To get probate records, visit the Clerk & Master's office in person during regular business hours or send a written request by mail to P.O. Box 313, Paris, TN 38242. Include the decedent's full name, approximate date of death, and the case number if you have it. Fees apply for copies and certified documents.
The Henry County Chancery Court website has downloadable probate forms organized by proceeding type — including forms for estates with a will, estates without a will, and small estate affidavits for estates under $50,000. Applicable court fees are listed there as well. Common probate matters the court handles include:
- Probate of wills (testate estates)
- Intestate estate administration (without a will)
- Small estate affidavits for qualifying estates
- Conservatorships for incapacitated adults
- Guardianships for minors
- Testamentary and inter vivos trusts
- Will contests
Older probate records — particularly those predating the court's current filing systems — may be available through the Henry County Archive & Genealogy Library, which preserves historical public records for the county. Call (731) 642-3638 before visiting to confirm what records are available and whether any research fees apply.