Rhea County Court Records Search
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Rhea County, Tennessee sits within the state’s 12th Judicial District and maintains a court system that generates records across criminal, civil, family, and probate proceedings. These official documents — covering everything from case dockets and judgments to orders and dispositions — are preserved by the respective court clerks and constitute the authoritative account of litigation activity in the county. Under Tennessee law, these records form a cornerstone of judicial transparency, and most are accessible to the public upon request.
Searching for court records in Tennessee can be done through several channels: visiting clerk offices in person, using courthouse resources, and accessing online tools. TennesseeCourts.us may help users locate publicly available case information and understand how records are organized across the state’s trial and appellate courts.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Rhea County?
Most of Rhea County’s courts are centralized at the Rhea County Justice Center on Rhea County Highway in Dayton. The Circuit Court, General Sessions Court, Family Court, and Juvenile Court all operate from this location, while the Chancery Court’s Clerk and Master office is also based there. The county clerk’s office and Register of Deeds are located at a separate address on Church Street.
The primary courts and offices serving Rhea County residents are:
Rhea County Circuit Court & General Sessions Court Clerk
Address: 7824 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321
Clerk: Jamie Holloway
Phone: (423) 775-7805
Rhea County Chancery Court (Clerk and Master)
Address: 7824 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321
Clerk and Master: Bonnie Doss
Phone: (423) 775-7806
Rhea County General Sessions / Family Court / Juvenile Court
Address: 7824 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321
Judge: Jace Cochran
Phone: (423) 775-7894
Rhea County Juvenile Court
Address: 7824 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321
Youth Services Officer: Halie Dennis
Phone: (423) 775-7839
Dayton City Court
Address: 399 1st Avenue, P.O. Box 226, Dayton, TN 37321
Phone: (423) 775-1817 | Fax: (423) 775-8404
Graysville City Court
Address: Municipal Building, 136 Harrison Avenue, Graysville, TN 37338
Phone: (423) 775-9242 | Fax: (423) 775-8137
Spring City Municipal Court
Address: City Hall, 229 Front Street, P.O. Box 369, Spring City, TN 37381
Phone: (423) 365-6441 | Fax: (423) 365-6002
To locate a specific case, requesters have several options:
- In person — Visit the Circuit Court/General Sessions Clerk’s Office or the Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office at 7824 Rhea County Highway during regular business hours. Staff can assist in locating records by party name or case number.
- Online — Tennessee Public Case History — The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts provides the Tennessee Courts’ Public Case History portal, which allows searches of appellate case records. Limited case information for certain trial courts may also be available.
- Phone inquiry — For docket information, scheduling, or court dates, callers may contact the circuit/sessions clerk’s office directly at (423) 775-7805.
Are Court Records Public in Rhea County?
The Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA), codified at Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503 et seq., establishes that court records are generally public and must be made available for inspection by Tennessee citizens during normal business hours. Covered documents include case dockets, opinions, orders, filed motions, and other court-generated materials.
Several important categories of records are restricted from public access under Tennessee and federal law:
- Juvenile court records — Confidential under Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153; not available to the general public unless the juvenile was tried as an adult under Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-134
- Adoption records — Sealed by statute to protect individual privacy
- Sealed court records — Records sealed by judicial order require a court order to access
- Sensitive personal information — Social Security numbers, financial account data, and similar identifiers are protected from disclosure
- Active law enforcement investigation records — Criminal records that are part of an open investigation are generally withheld
If a citizen is denied access to records they believe should be public, the TPRA provides the right to petition a chancery or circuit court for inspection or copies.
Rhea County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases in Rhea County are handled primarily by the Circuit Court, which has jurisdiction over felony prosecutions, and the General Sessions Court, which handles misdemeanors, preliminary hearings in felony cases, and traffic matters. Both courts are located at the Rhea County Justice Center, 7824 Rhea County Highway.
Court-Based Records
To obtain criminal case records from the Circuit Court or General Sessions Court, contact the Circuit/Sessions Court Clerk at (423) 775-7805 or visit the clerk’s office in person. Staff can locate records by defendant name or case number. Copies of case documents are available for a fee set by the clerk’s office.
Statewide Criminal History Records
Criminal history records — including misdemeanor and felony arrests reported by law enforcement agencies statewide — are maintained and issued by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 38-6-109. To request a background check or criminal history:
- Visit the TBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) section
- Submit a name-based background check request through the online portal
- Pay the non-refundable processing fee of $29.00
Results confirm whether an individual has a criminal history in Tennessee, including any Rhea County arrests or convictions. Juvenile criminal information is generally excluded unless the person was tried as an adult.
Arrest and Inmate Information
The Rhea County Sheriff’s Department maintains arrest and jail records. The Sheriff’s Office is located at 7800 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321, and can be reached at (423) 775-7837 for non-emergency inquiries. Current inmate information for the Rhea County Jail is also available through the online inmate lookup portal.
Rhea County Civil Court Records
Civil litigation in Rhea County — covering contract disputes, personal injury claims, landlord-tenant matters, and other non-criminal proceedings — is distributed among the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, and General Sessions Court depending on the nature and monetary value of the claim. The General Sessions Court handles smaller civil claims, while the Circuit and Chancery Courts address more complex matters and provide appellate review of lower court decisions.
| Court | Civil Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| General Sessions Court | Civil claims, landlord-tenant, smaller monetary disputes |
| Circuit Court | General civil matters, jury trials, appeals from General Sessions |
| Chancery Court | Equity matters, injunctions, certain contractual and property disputes |
To request civil case records:
- Circuit and General Sessions matters — Contact the Circuit/Sessions Clerk at 7824 Rhea County Highway, Phone: (423) 775-7805
- Chancery Court matters — Contact the Clerk and Master’s Office at 7824 Rhea County Highway, Phone: (423) 775-7806
- Online — Some civil case information may be available through the Tennessee Courts’ Public Case History portal for appellate matters
Requesters should be prepared to provide the names of the parties involved and, if known, the case number or approximate filing date. Copy and certification fees apply and vary by document type.
Rhea County Family Court Records
Family law matters in Rhea County are handled by the Family Court, which operates as part of the General Sessions Court at the Justice Center, 7824 Rhea County Highway. Judge Jace Cochran presides over General Sessions, Family Court, and Juvenile Court proceedings. The Family Court addresses divorce, child custody, parenting plans, child support, and domestic matters.
Divorce Records
Divorce proceedings are typically filed in the Chancery Court or Circuit Court. The Clerk and Master’s Office at 7824 Rhea County Highway (Phone: (423) 775-7806) maintains Chancery Court divorce files, while Circuit Court divorce matters are handled by the Circuit Clerk at the same address. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-401 et seq., recent divorce records (less than 50 years old) are confidential and restricted to the named parties, their attorneys, and parties with a demonstrable direct legal interest. Divorce records more than 50 years old become publicly accessible and can be obtained from the Tennessee State Library and Archives or through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records.
Marriage Records
Marriage records in Rhea County are available from the Rhea County Clerk’s Office, located at 375 Church Street, Suite 215, Dayton, TN 37321, Phone: (423) 775-7842 Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-3-205, marriage records less than 50 years old are restricted to the individuals named on the certificate, their immediate family members, and legally authorized representatives. Proof of eligibility — such as a government-issued ID or documentation of a direct relationship — is required. Records older than 50 years are publicly accessible and may also be researched through the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Birth and Death Records
Vital records are governed by Tenn. Code Ann. Title 68, Chapter 3. Birth records are confidential for 100 years from the date of birth; death records are restricted for 50 years. After those periods, the records become public. Certified copies of recent birth and death certificates must be requested from:
Tennessee Office of Vital Records
Address: 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-1763
Website: Tennessee Department of Health Office of Vital Records
Requesters must present valid government-issued identification and meet the statutory eligibility criteria. Long-form birth certificates carry a fee of $15.00 per copy. Genealogists and researchers can access records that have passed the confidentiality period through the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
Domestic Violence Resources
The Rhea County Sheriff’s Department operates a Family Violence Division dedicated to addressing domestic violence matters in the county. Protective order cases are handled through the court system and are noted on the individual’s court record file.
Rhea County Probate Court Records
Probate jurisdiction in Rhea County rests with the Chancery Court, where the Clerk and Master serves as the probate clerk. The Chancery Court handles estate administration following a person’s death, including the probate of wills, appointment of executors and administrators, and resolution of creditor claims and heir disputes. Records generated in probate proceedings include wills, estate inventories, letters testamentary, conservatorship filings, and final accounting documents.
Where to Request Probate Records
Rhea County Chancery Court — Clerk and Master
Address: 7824 Rhea County Highway, Dayton, TN 37321
Clerk and Master: Bonnie Doss
Phone: (423) 775-7806
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Requesters should contact the Clerk and Master’s Office to identify the probate case by the decedent’s name and, if known, the year of filing. Staff will assist in locating the file, and document copies are available for a fee. Written requests may also be submitted by mail to the Clerk and Master’s Office at the address above.
For genealogical research involving older Rhea County probate records, historical materials are available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives and through repositories such as FamilySearch. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts provides general guidance on court clerks and probate procedures across the state’s circuit and chancery courts.