Washington County Court Records Search

Washington County is situated in northeastern Tennessee with Jonesborough — the state’s oldest town — serving as the county seat. The county’s court system includes multiple courts of varying jurisdiction, all housed primarily within the George Jaynes Justice Center in Jonesborough. These courts include the Circuit Court, Criminal Court, Chancery Court (which also handles probate), General Sessions Court, Juvenile Court, and several municipal courts. Circuit Court Clerk Brenda Downes holds civil and criminal jurisdiction across the Circuit, Criminal, General Sessions, and Juvenile Courts, working alongside six judges and overseeing jury service for the county.

Tennessee court records can be searched through official court resources maintained at the clerk’s offices, through online case management tools provided by individual counties, and via statewide databases. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts publishes court rules, forms, and other resources that apply across all jurisdictions, while county-level clerks maintain the actual case files. TennesseeCourts.us may be useful as a starting point for locating publicly available court case information across the state. At the county level, Washington County provides an online case management tool, and records may also be accessed in person at the relevant courthouse or by mail through the appropriate clerk’s office.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Washington County?

Most Washington County courts operate out of the George Jaynes Justice Center at 108 West Jackson Boulevard in Jonesborough. Below are the court locations, suite numbers, and phone numbers for each court:

Court	Suite	Phone
Circuit Court	Suite 2167	(423) 753-1736
Criminal Court	Suite 2167	(423) 753-1612 (docket status)
Chancery Court (Clerk and Master)	Suite 2157	(423) 788-1450
Chancery Court – Probate Division	Suite 2157	(423) 753-1623
General Sessions Court	Suite 1210	(423) 788-1425 (state/criminal); (423) 788-1481 (civil)
Juvenile Court	Suite 1213	(423) 753-1728

All courts above are at:

George Jaynes Justice Center
108 West Jackson Boulevard
Jonesborough, TN 37659

Municipal courts operate separately:

Johnson City Municipal Court
601 East Main Street, Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 434-6160

Johnson City Juvenile Court
607 East Myrtle Avenue, Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: (423) 434-6200

Jonesborough Municipal Court
Town Hall, 123 Boone Street, Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1053

There are three principal methods for looking up a Washington County court case:

Online case search: Washington County maintains an online case management tool that allows the public to search Circuit Court and General Sessions Court records for both civil and criminal cases. Searches can be performed by party name, case year, case number, or a combination of these. The system returns up to 2,500 results per query and supports typo tolerance for longer names. Daily dockets of ongoing cases are also published online.
In-person inquiry: Individuals may visit the clerk’s office at the courthouse where the case was heard. Providing a case number, party names, filing date, or case type will help staff locate the file. Accessing and inspecting records in person is generally free, though fees apply for copies.
Mail request: Written requests can be sent to the relevant clerk’s office. Include the names of the parties involved, the case number if known, the case type, and any other identifying details. Allow additional processing time for mail-based requests.

The Washington County government website provides a directory of all courts along with docket status phone lines for each division.

Are Court Records Public in Washington County?

Tennessee law provides broad public access to court records. The Tennessee Public Records Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503) grants citizens the right to inspect and copy public records, including court records. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 further governs the custody of and access to judicial records, classifying them into three categories: case records (documents maintained as part of an official case file), administrative records (records related to court operations but not tied to a specific case), and judicial records (records that fall outside the other two categories).

Under these provisions, most court records in Washington County are open to inspection by the public. Typical publicly accessible information includes docket entries, case filings, party names, hearing dates, assigned judges, statutes referenced, dispositions, and upcoming hearing schedules.

Certain records are confidential under Tennessee law or by court order. Categories of restricted records include:

Juvenile records: Proceedings involving minors in delinquency, dependency, or neglect cases are confidential under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 37.
Adoption records: Sealed upon finalization and accessible only by court order or through Tennessee’s contact veto registry.
Medical and mental health records: Protected from public disclosure when submitted as part of court proceedings.
Financial statements: Certain personal financial information filed in support or custody matters may be restricted.
Sealed or expunged records: Courts may order records sealed, and individuals who complete certain diversion programs — such as Washington County’s Mental Health Court — may have their records expunged upon successful completion.

When sensitive personal information appears in otherwise public records, Tennessee’s privacy policies limit its disclosure. Additionally, any party may petition the court to restrict access to specific records when privacy or safety concerns exist.

Washington County Criminal Court Records

Criminal matters in Washington County are handled primarily by the Criminal Court and the General Sessions Court. The Criminal Court presides over felony charges, cases bound over from General Sessions, indictments, and presentments. Judges Stacy L. Street and Lisa Rice preside over Criminal Court proceedings. General Sessions Court handles misdemeanors, traffic violations, DUI cases, and non-felony domestic violence charges, with Judges Jonathon Minga, Robert Lincoln, and Janet Vest Hardin on the bench.

Criminal case records can be located through the following methods:

Online: Use the county’s case management tool to search by party name or case number. Select “Criminal” under the Case Type filter and choose the relevant court type (Circuit Court or General Sessions).
By phone: For Criminal Court docket information, call (423) 753-1612. For General Sessions state/criminal case status, call (423) 788-1425.
In person: Visit the Circuit Court Clerk’s office at Suite 2167 in the George Jaynes Justice Center during regular business hours. Provide the case number or party name.
By mail: Send a written request to the Circuit Court Clerk at 108 West Jackson Boulevard, Jonesborough, TN 37659, including the defendant’s name, case number if known, and relevant dates.

Arrest records are maintained by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, located at 112 West Jackson Boulevard, Jonesborough, TN 37659. The Sheriff’s Office phone number is (423) 788-1414. While the office does not provide online access to full criminal records, current booking information is posted on the Sheriff’s website.

Statewide criminal history checks are available through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The general public can obtain a Tennessee-only adult criminal history through a name-based search (no fingerprints required) for $29. The process can be completed online or by mail. Results are delivered electronically to a valid email address. Individuals who need to submit a paper request may use the TORIS request form and mail it to:

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Headquarters
901 R.S. Gass Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37216
Phone: (615) 744-4000

For a nationwide FBI criminal history, individuals may obtain their records through a TBI-approved private vendor (IdentoGO) for $50, which requires fingerprinting. Alternatively, the FBI processes individual identity history summary requests for $18.

Washington County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Washington County is distributed across several courts depending on the nature and value of the claim. The Circuit Court is the primary trial court for civil disputes, including medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, tort claims, contract disputes, and real estate matters. The Chancery Court shares overlapping civil jurisdiction and handles adoptions, boundary disputes, conservatorships, name changes, proceedings in aid of execution, suits on foreign judgments, and certain contract matters. General Sessions Court adjudicates civil cases of limited monetary value, including general civil disputes, detainers, and orders of protection.

Civil case records from the Circuit Court and General Sessions Court can be searched through the county’s online case management system. Select “Civil” under the Case Type filter to narrow results.

For Chancery Court civil matters, contact the Clerk and Master, Sarah Lawson, at (423) 788-1450. Information on upcoming Chancery Court sales is posted on the Washington County Court Sales website.

When requesting copies of civil court records in person or by mail, requesters should provide:

The case number or names of the parties
The filing date or approximate year
The case type
Contact information for return delivery if requesting by mail

Fees for copies vary, so it is advisable to contact the relevant clerk’s office in advance. Inspection of records at the courthouse is generally free of charge, with fees applicable only to obtaining copies.

Property records are maintained separately by the Washington County Register of Deeds:

Washington County Register of Deeds
100 East Main Street, Historic Courthouse
P.O. Box 69
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1644

The Register of Deeds records instruments including deeds, mortgages, liens, contracts, plats, leases, and UCC filings. For online property searches, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury provides a property search tool that allows lookups by property address, owner name, or parcel ID. The Tennessee Assessor also offers a parcel search tool for viewing properties within Washington County.

The Washington County Assessor’s Office can be reached at:

Assessor’s Office
110 East Main Street
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1670
Fax: (423) 753-1815

Washington County Family Court Records

Family law matters in Washington County are divided among the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, and Juvenile Court, depending on the type of case. Divorce proceedings — both agreed and contested — may be heard in either the Circuit Court or the Chancery Court. Custody, visitation, and child support disputes arising from divorce cases are handled by whichever court presides over the divorce. Orders of protection are available through General Sessions Court. Matters involving minors — including delinquency, truancy, unruly behavior, and dependency or neglect — fall under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court.

Family case records from the Circuit Court and General Sessions Court can be searched through the county’s online case management system. Chancery Court family cases should be inquired about through the Clerk and Master’s office at (423) 788-1450. Juvenile Court records are generally confidential under Tennessee law and cannot be accessed by the public without a court order.

Marriage licenses are issued by the Washington County Clerk’s Office, not by the courts. The County Clerk operates two locations:

Washington County Clerk – Jonesborough Office
100 East Main Street
P.O. Box 218
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Phone: (423) 753-1621
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

A marriage license costs $105 for couples, or $45 if the couple has completed premarital counseling from an authorized source and submits a notarized Certificate of Completion Premarital Preparation Course. Applicants may begin the process by completing a marriage pre-application online.

Vital records — including certified copies of marriage, divorce, birth, and death certificates — are maintained by the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. Under Tennessee Code § 68-3-205, marriage and divorce records are confidential for 50 years after the event, birth records for 100 years, and death records for 50 years. Only the subject of the record or an immediate family member may obtain a certified copy within those time frames. The fee for any vital record certificate is $15. The three methods for obtaining a copy are:

In person: Visit the Tennessee Vital Records Office at 710 James Robertson Parkway, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, Nashville, TN 37243. Same-day pickup is available.
By mail: Complete the appropriate form — such as the Application for Birth Certificate, Application for Certificate of Death, Application for Certified Copy of Certificate of Marriage, or Application for Divorce or Annulment Certificate — and mail it to the Nashville address with a copy of a government-issued ID and the $15 fee. Processing takes approximately six weeks.
Online: Orders can be placed through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records online ordering system, which uses an approved third-party vendor. Online processing takes approximately four weeks.

Historical marriage and divorce records that have passed their confidentiality period are available through the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Washington County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Washington County are handled by the Probate Division of the Chancery Court. The Clerk and Master, Sarah Lawson, oversees estate administration, probate filings, and many functions historically performed by the county judge, subject to the review and approval of the Chancellors. The Probate Division receives filings related to the probate of wills and the administration of estates.

Cases heard in the Probate Division include:

Probate of wills (both testate and intestate estates)
Appointment and removal of executors and administrators
Estate inventories and accountings
Conservatorships
Guardianships
Legitimation proceedings

To search for a probate case, individuals may use the county’s online case management tool or contact the Probate Division directly at (423) 753-1623. The Clerk and Master’s general line at (423) 788-1450 can also assist with inquiries.

To request copies of probate records, the following steps apply:

Identify the estate case by name of the decedent, case number, or approximate filing date.
Contact the Clerk and Master’s office to confirm the record is available and to determine any applicable copy fees.
Visit the office at Suite 2157 of the George Jaynes Justice Center, or send a written request by mail to:

Washington County Chancery Court – Clerk and Master
108 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 2157
P.O. Box 919
Jonesborough, TN 37659

Provide identification and pay any required fees for copies.

Probate records in Washington County are generally considered public records and are accessible to any member of the public, provided they have not been sealed or otherwise restricted by the court. Records involving conservatorships or guardianships of minors may have limited public access under Tennessee law.

For information on upcoming court-ordered property sales related to estate or chancery proceedings, the Washington County Court Sales website publishes current listings.