Tennessee, county records

Hamilton County, Tennessee Public Records

Find the right office in Hamilton County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Hamilton County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 7 official sources

Official

County court

Tennessee Federal Cases

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee hears bankruptcy cases in Chattanooga, Greeneville, Knoxville and Winchester, with dockets and claims available through PACER.

tneb.uscourts.gov
Open official site Tennessee Federal Cases
Official

Police & jail

Tennessee Death Row

The Tennessee Department of Correction publishes its own list of offenders now under a sentence of death in Tennessee, with related facts on the state's death penalty.

tn.gov
Open official site Tennessee Death Row

Local record guide

About public records in Hamilton County

County profile

Hamilton County at a glance

State
Tennessee
County seat
Chattanooga
Population
366,207
Area
576 sq mi
Founded
1819
Cities and towns
15

Hamilton County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County.

Police Departments. Hamilton County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Chattanooga Police Department, East Ridge Police Department, and Collegedale Police Department. Each department has jurisdiction over its respective city or area, with the Sheriff's Office covering unincorporated regions.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 600 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Hamilton County. Arrest records in Hamilton County are public records under the Tennessee Public Records Act (Tennessee Code Annotated § 10-7-503 and § 10-7-504), and citizens may request arrest reports by submitting written requests to the specific law enforcement agency that made the arrest.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Hamilton County are maintained by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the various municipal police departments.

Jail & Inmate Records. Inmate lookup is available through the Sheriff's Office website, allowing families and attorneys to find information about current detainees.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Hamilton County are taken and retained by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the public record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office website or by request.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Hamilton County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Hamilton County

Old mine sites
18
Sites with no status in the records
3
Still producing
6
Worked underground, in the mine records
2
Main minerals
Aluminum; Iron; Clay
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
233
Shafts and tunnels
29
What they are
open pit mine or quarry, strip mine, adit, quarry
Maps surveyed
1935 to 1982
Records behind them
265 records for 260 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 27 named mine sites inside the county, 18 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 233 holes drawn inside the county, 29 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Aluminum; Iron; Clay.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Tennessee's coal regulatory program was run by OSMRE until the state took it back; the state AML program is in TDEC.

Hamilton County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. Hover a dot for its name.
Tennessee mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Hamilton County (29 shown, 231 unnamed on the map)

Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Straight answers

Hamilton County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Hamilton County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

The Tennessee criminal history record comes from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Request a Tennessee name based criminal history check online through Tennessee Open Records Information Services (TORIS), paying by credit card. Fee: $29.00 for each name based check.

How can I look up sex offenders in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Search the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry (TBI), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Register with the county election commission or through the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections. You can also register online with the state online registration. You must be registered no later than 30 days before the election; mailed forms must be postmarked at least 30 days before.

How do I look up property records in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Hamilton County are kept by the Hamilton County register of deeds. Property values are set by the county assessor of property, and tax bills come from the county trustee.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Certified birth and death certificates for Tennessee come from the Tennessee Department of Health, Office of Vital Records. All county health departments can issue any birth or death certificate registered statewide with the Tennessee Office of Vital Records; you do not need to go to the county where the event occurred. In person with no appointment at Tennessee Vital Records, 1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243, or at any county health department; by mail to that address with a check or money order payable to Tennessee Vital Records; or online through VitalChek. Fee: $15.00 for each birth or death certificate, first and additional copies.

How do I find business license records in Hamilton County, Tennessee?

Business entity filings are searched with the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations. Business licenses are issued by the county clerk, and by the city if it imposes the business tax, where the business is located; businesses with taxable receipts over $3,000 need one.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.