Lawrence County Court Records Search

Lawrence County, Tennessee is home to a multi-tiered court system handling criminal, civil, family, and probate matters for residents of the Lawrenceburg area and surrounding communities. Court records generated across this system—from initial filings and docket entries to final judgments, plea agreements, and orders—are official governmental documents that capture the full arc of legal proceedings. Two offices serve as the primary custodians of these records: the Lawrence County Circuit Court Clerk, who maintains records for the Circuit, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts; and the Lawrence County Clerk and Master, who is responsible for all Chancery and Probate Court records.

Tennessee residents looking to locate court case information have several avenues available, including in-person visits, online search systems, and mail requests to the relevant clerk’s office. The Tennessee court records system provides a useful starting point for identifying publicly available case information across the state’s trial courts, supplementing the county-level resources described below.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Lawrence County?

The county government’s court records search page describes the steps for locating case information directly. The primary online tool is the Lawrence County Online Court Records System, which allows searches by name, year, or case number and covers both civil and criminal dockets. When using this portal, users select either “Criminal” or “Civil”, enter the party’s name or case number, and double-click the relevant result to view case details.

For records not available online, or when certified copies are needed, direct contact with the appropriate clerk’s office is required. The two central offices are:

Lawrence County Circuit Court Clerk

Clerk: Tommy Lee Kidd
Address: 240 W. Gaines St., NBU #12, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 762-4398
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Records covered: Circuit Court, General Sessions Court, Juvenile Court

Lawrence County Clerk and Master

Address: 240 West Gaines Street, NBU #13, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 766-4182
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Records covered: Chancery Court, Probate Court

For municipal ordinance violations and city-level cases, the four Municipal Courts in Lawrence County each maintain their own records:

Court	Address	Phone	Fax
Lawrenceburg City Court	25 Public Square, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464	(931) 762-2276	(931) 762-8753
Ethridge City Court	215 Depot Street, P.O. Box 173, Ethridge, TN 38456	(931) 829-2150	(931) 829-2000
Loretto City Court	415 North Military Street, P.O. Box 176, Loretto, TN 38469	(931) 853-6797	(931) 853-6798
St. Joseph City Court	409 North Main Street, P.O. Box 37, St. Joseph, TN 38481	(931) 845-4141	(931) 845-4131

Are Court Records Public in Lawrence County?

Tennessee’s public records framework is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated § 10-7-503, which establishes that any citizen of the state has the right to inspect and receive copies of public records, including court records, unless a specific statutory or judicial exemption applies. The Tennessee Public Records Act reinforces this framework, making most government-generated records—including the majority of trial court filings—accessible to the public upon request.

However, several categories of records are shielded from public disclosure:

Sealed or expunged records: Any record sealed by court order or expunged under Tennessee law is removed from public access entirely.
Juvenile records: Proceedings involving minors are confidential by statute and are not available to the general public.
Medical records: Health information included in any court filing is protected and not subject to open inspection.
Sensitive personal identifiers: Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and similar data are routinely redacted from publicly accessible court documents.
Attorney-client privileged materials: Communications protected by the attorney-client privilege are exempt from public records requirements even when submitted to a court.

Members of the public who believe a records request has been wrongfully denied may seek relief through the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel or pursue a petition in the applicable court.

Lawrence County Criminal Court Records

Lawrence County criminal cases are distributed between the General Sessions Court and the Circuit Court depending on the severity of the offense. General Sessions Judge Patricia McGuire hears misdemeanor cases—those punishable by up to one year in jail—and conducts preliminary hearings and bond reviews for felony charges before cases are bound over to the Circuit Court. Felony prosecutions, which carry sentences of more than one year, are heard by Circuit Court judges assigned on a rotating basis from the 22nd Judicial District, which also includes Wayne, Giles, and Maury counties. The four judges currently serving the district are David Allen, Caleb Bayless, J. Russell Parkes, and Chris Sockwell.

Criminal dockets for both the Circuit and General Sessions courts can be searched online through the Lawrence County Online Court Records System. The portal allows searches by party name, case number, or year and provides basic case status information without charge.

For certified copies of criminal case records, contact the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office directly at (931) 762-4398. In-person visits during business hours are the most reliable method for obtaining certified documents.

Arrest records and information on individuals currently held in the county jail are maintained by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office:

Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office

Address: 240 West Gaines Street, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 762-3626
Jail Phone: (931) 762-3646
Fax: (931) 766-1566

For statewide criminal history background checks, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) processes requests from the general public. A Tennessee-only name-based criminal history search costs $29.00 and does not require fingerprints. Results are delivered electronically, so a valid email address is required when submitting the request. For a nationwide FBI-based background check, fingerprints are required and the fee is $50.00. Qualified organizations—such as employers and nonprofits—may access combined Tennessee and FBI records through the TBI’s fingerprint-based applicant process, with fees ranging from $23.90 to $37.15 depending on the purpose.

Lawrence County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Lawrence County is handled at two levels based on the dollar amount in dispute. The General Sessions Court, which also functions as the county’s small claims court, hears civil disputes with claims of up to $25,000. Cases involving amounts above that threshold, as well as certain specialized matters including workers’ compensation appeals and injunctions, are heard in the Chancery Court.

The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office manages civil filings for General Sessions proceedings, while the Clerk and Master handles civil records originating in Chancery Court. Both sets of records can be searched through the Lawrence County Online Court Records System. Parties seeking to file a small claims action in General Sessions Court can obtain information and court-approved forms through the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts’ General Sessions civil forms page.

To request copies of civil case documents:

Identify whether the case was filed in General Sessions/Circuit Court or Chancery Court.
Contact the appropriate clerk’s office (Circuit Court Clerk for General Sessions; Clerk and Master for Chancery).
Provide the case number or names of the parties involved.
Pay any applicable copy fees at the time of the request.

The Chancery Court’s jurisdiction extends to contract disputes, construction and commercial litigation, real property matters, local governmental actions, employment lawsuits, state tax disputes, and applications for receivership or injunctions. The Clerk and Master also sells real and personal property pursuant to court order and holds and disburses judgment funds as directed by the chancellors.

Property records, including deeds, mortgages, releases, power of attorney documents, liens, and plats, are maintained separately by the Lawrence County Register of Deeds. These records are indexed by grantor and grantee name, and copies are available by contacting the Register of Deeds office:

Lawrence County Register of Deeds

Register: Terra Dickey
Address: 200 West Gaines, Suite 102, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 766-4180
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Payment: Cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card (3% fee for cards)

The Register of Deeds office also offers a free fraud alert service for Lawrence County property owners to monitor their real estate records for unauthorized changes.

Lawrence County Family Court Records

Family-related legal matters in Lawrence County are distributed across multiple divisions. Divorces, custody disputes involving married parents, and domestic cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $25,000 are handled by the Chancery Court and are maintained by the Clerk and Master’s office. Custody and child support matters where the parents are not married fall under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, supervised by Juvenile Magistrate Ashley Dunkin, whose records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.

Divorce Records: Certified copies of Lawrence County divorce records are held at both the county and state levels. At the county level, the Clerk and Master maintains the original case file. At the state level, the Tennessee Department of Health issues certified divorce certificates for divorces finalized from 1945 to the present. To request a certified divorce certificate by mail, complete the Application for a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Divorce or Annulment and mail it with a valid ID and $15.00 payment to:

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

Marriage Records: Marriage licenses in Lawrence County are issued by the Lawrence County Clerk’s Office. Both parties must appear in person with a valid driver’s license or state-issued photo ID. The standard marriage license fee is $105.00; a discounted fee of $45.00 applies when the couple completes qualifying marriage counseling and submits the signed Certificate of Completion at the time of application. The license is valid for 30 days and must be returned to the Clerk’s office within 3 business days following the ceremony. One free certified copy of the marriage certificate is issued upon return of the license; additional certified copies are $5.00 each. Marriage license applications may also be started online to expedite the in-office process.

County Clerk Contact:

Clerk: Russ Brewer
Address: 200 West Gaines, Suite 103, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 766-4176
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (marriage license requests not accepted after 4:00 p.m.)

Statewide certified marriage certificates dating from 1945 onward are available through Tennessee Vital Records. The process mirrors the divorce certificate request procedure: complete the Application for a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Marriage, include a valid ID and $15.00, and mail to the Tennessee Vital Records address above.

Birth and Death Records: The Lawrence County Health Department serves as the local point of access for both birth and death certificates. Requesters must present a valid ID and proof of relationship to the record subject.

Lawrence County Health Department

Address: 2379 Buffalo Road, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Phone: (931) 762-9406
Fax: (931) 766-1592

At the state level, Tennessee Vital Records issues certified birth and death certificates for eligible individuals. Eligible requesters for birth records include the record subject, their descendants, spouse, parent, or legal guardian; authorized representatives must provide proof of identity and a signed release from the subject. Death records are available to the decedent’s descendants, spouse, parent, or legal guardian. Both record types cost $15.00 per certified copy and may be requested by completing the Application for Certificate of Birth or the Application for a Certified Copy of a Certificate of Death, respectively, and mailing to the Tennessee Vital Records office. Payment is accepted in cash, check, money order, or by debit/credit card.

Lawrence County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Lawrence County—including estate administrations, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and trust disputes—are handled by the Lawrence County Chancery and Probate Court. The Clerk and Master serves as the designated record keeper for all proceedings in this court, appointed by the chancellors for a six-year term pursuant to Article VI, Section 13 of the Tennessee Constitution.

To obtain probate records, contact the Clerk and Master’s office at the address and phone number provided above. The office administers the court’s docket and permanent records, calculates and collects court costs, and disburses funds held in trust pursuant to court orders. In-person and phone requests are accepted during business hours.

Publicly accessible probate records typically include will probation filings, petitions for estate administration, inventories of estate assets, and final settlement orders. Records involving mental health proceedings or other sensitive matters may carry access restrictions under applicable Tennessee statutes.

For researchers interested in historical probate records, the Lawrence County Archives maintains an expanding name-index database covering county, chancery, and circuit court records, offering an additional resource for genealogical and historical research beyond what the official court system provides online.