Tennessee, county records
Find the right office in Putnam 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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Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
County court
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, in the Customs House in Nashville, handles bankruptcy filings for Middle Tennessee. Case dockets are searched through PACER.
Open official site Tennessee Federal CasesProperty records
Obtain property tax info by contacting the TN Comptroller of the Treasury.
Open official site Tennessee Property RecordsVital records
Request birth and death certificates from the TN Dept. of Health.
Open official site Tennessee Birth RecordsState records
Find active and inactive corporations by name from the Tennessee Department of State.
Open official site Tennessee Business & Corporation SearchState records
Search property and claim status by individual name or business through the Treasury Dept.
Open official site Tennessee Unclaimed PropertyPolice & jail
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.
Open official site Tennessee Death RowVital records
Request a copy of a marriage certificates from the TN Department of Health.
Open official site Tennessee Marriage SearchLocal record guide
County profile
Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Putnam County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the unincorporated areas of Putnam County.
Police Departments. In addition to Putnam County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement in Putnam County includes the Cookeville Police Department, Algood Police Department, Baxter Police Department, and Monterey Police Department.
Law Enforcement & Arrests. Putnam County Sheriff's Office, located at 215 East Broad Street in Cookeville, Tennessee, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas and operates Putnam County detention facility. Arrest records and incident reports in Putnam County are considered public records under the Tennessee Public Records Act (Tennessee Code Annotated § 10-7-503 and § 10-7-504), which grants citizens the right to inspect and receive copies of government records.
Arrest Records. Arrest records in Putnam County are maintained by Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Putnam County are taken and retained by Putnam County Sheriff's Office during the booking process.
Abandoned mine records
Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.
From the old mine records
The mine records hold 26 mine sites inside the county: 5 past producers, now closed, 12 prospects or occurrences that were never worked, 9 sites producing when the record was made; the old survey maps add 15 holes drawn inside the county, 3 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Uranium; construction sand and gravel; Fluorine-Fluorite.
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.
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.
Putnam County lies on the edge of the Appalachian Region coal field and the coal there is medium and high volatile bituminous, worked underground in many places. The two federal files record a shaft, an adit or a deposit where one was drawn on a survey sheet or catalogued as a site; neither file carries the outline of the workings, so the counts above are not the measure of what was mined under this county. The record that shows it is the mine map, held by TDEC Mining, Data and Map Viewers and linked below.
Tennessee abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.
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.
Labor Department file
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 63 investigations in Putnam County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $908,439 in back wages agreed for 1,547 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.
| Employer | City | Cases | Back wages | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiesta Cancun Grill, INC | Cookeville | 1 | $135,620 | 25 |
| SCH, LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $72,692 | 119 |
| Home Caregivers of Cookeville, LLC | Cookeville | 2 | $63,508 | 138 |
| Harris Metals Company, LLC | Cookeville | 2 | $50,876 | 82 |
| Stone Heating & Cooling,LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $44,867 | 15 |
| McCurdy Enterprises LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $42,373 | 44 |
| Home Caregivers, Inc. | Cookeville | 1 | $35,108 | 64 |
| El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant | Cookeville | 2 | $28,088 | 76 |
| Nabors Trucking | Cookeville | 1 | $23,796 | 4 |
| Portobello Group | Baxter | 1 | $23,032 | 1 |
| Lee Company | Baxter | 1 | $20,410 | 31 |
| Liu Age LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $18,965 | 15 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | 1 | $13,123 | 4 |
| Red Stagg Contractors, LLC | Baxter | 1 | $9,163 | 3 |
| KIMC Investments, Inc. | Cookeville | 1 | $8,437 | 1 |
| Mister Wayne's School of Unisex Hair Design | Cookeville | 1 | $6,526 | 7 |
| King Construction Group, Inc. | Cookeville | 1 | $5,334 | 2 |
| Crusader Rent to Own | Cookeville | 2 | $4,773 | 8 |
| Padmavati LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $4,527 | 2 |
| SV Motel Corporation | Cookeville | 1 | $4,158 | 10 |
| Aenon Auto Recycling and Parts, Inc. | Cookeville | 1 | $3,584 | 7 |
| Bauer Foundation Corporation | Silver Point | 1 | $3,529 | 1 |
| 111 Sunoco, Inc | Cookeville | 1 | $3,369 | 5 |
| Family Dentistry Group | Cookeville | 1 | $2,780 | 6 |
| D&D Enterprises Plumbing & Electrical, LLC | Cookeville | 1 | $2,730 | 1 |
The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 53 on the Putnam County record; 18 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 28 more with smaller records are on the Tennessee wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.
Putnam County's Register of Deeds keeps land records dating to 1854 and identifies deeds, mortgage documents, assignments, releases, plats, restrictions and recorded liens among its holdings. The office is in Room 3 at 300 E. Spring Street, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-526-7101 and weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public may research in the office, and the county links a subscription-based US Title Search option for online research. Keep the document reference from the index so a copy request points to an identified instrument. The historical starting date describes local land holdings, not the beginning of a statewide court search. Register of Deeds holdings and research options.
The Register accepts copy requests in person, by telephone, by mail or by email. Its public-access explanation makes a specific exception for military DD-214 records, so their presence in the office does not mean they are available through the same public-copy process as a deed. After a mortgage payoff, the Register explains that the lender sends a release for recording and that a copy can be obtained after recording occurs. Identify the original mortgage and the later release separately when checking the record. A request to change the parties on a deed is different from a copy request and requires preparation of a new instrument through the appropriate professional or process. Official source: putnamcountytn.gov
Putnam's recording schedule combines document-specific taxes or charges with page charges and other fees. For example, its warranty-deed line includes a value-based component, a $5 page charge with a two-page minimum, a clerk charge and an electronic-data-processing charge. Electronically filed documents have an additional stated charge. Those components cannot be reduced to a flat first-page fee without changing the product. The office expressly invites callers to ask for help calculating filing fees. Give the instrument type, page count and relevant transaction details, and use the resulting total for the actual filing rather than reusing a quoted amount from a different type of document. Official source: putnamcountytn.gov
Putnam's Property Assessor distinguishes the property's market appraisal, its assessed value and the tax rate established by the relevant taxing authority. The office handles appraisal questions and directs attention to the information used to describe and value the property. Its counter is in Room 1 at 300 East Spring Street, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-528-8428 and weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. When asking about an entry, bring the property identifier and the assessment notice or year being reviewed. A change to the property description and a question about the tax rate involve different facts and may require different county or municipal contacts. Property Assessor responsibilities and value definitions.
The Putnam Circuit Court Clerk operates at 421 East Spring Street, Room 1C, Suite 49A, Cookeville, TN 38501. Its telephone is 931-528-1508, and its published office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., observing the listed government holidays. The official service provides the local route for the court divisions and records identified in its directory. When asking for a document, provide the court division, case number, parties and the filing or order sought. A clerk contact is more useful when it identifies a particular case paper than when it asks for an unspecified background file. Confirm the copy format and fee before sending a payment. Circuit Court Clerk office and local court services.
The Clerk's dockets service separates Circuit Civil, Circuit Criminal and General Sessions calendars, with General Sessions categories for traffic, civil, criminal and domestic matters. It also supplies judicial motion-date calendars. Choose the division shown on the case paperwork rather than assuming that one calendar includes every court hearing in Cookeville. A calendar entry helps identify a scheduled event, while the filed order or judgment remains a separate case document. Save the case number and the date shown on the calendar when making a follow-up inquiry. Confirm a hearing question with the responsible clerk or court because the presence of a published calendar does not turn it into the complete case file. Local docket and motion-calendar categories.
The Clerk and Master prepares and keeps Putnam Chancery Court records. The county identifies divorce and domestic matters, property disputes, trusts, guardianship-related matters and other Chancery proceedings in its service description. The office also collects delinquent property taxes and conducts the related tax sales. Its address is 421 E. Spring Street, Suite 1C38, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-526-6321 and weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Identify the case and the particular decree, order or tax-sale record requested. Although several judicial offices share the East Spring Street complex, their suite numbers and record responsibilities remain distinct. Clerk and Master Chancery and tax-sale responsibilities.
The County Clerk is a different office at 121 S. Dixie Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-526-7106. Its duties include County Commission clerking, marriage licenses, business-tax work and title or registration services. The main lobby opens Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A drive-through has separate hours and is described as a renewals-only service, so an extended drive-through schedule should not be treated as extended access to marriage or Commission records. Describe the requested record category when contacting the clerk and confirm the route for an existing copy rather than using instructions meant for a new application or renewal. County Clerk duties and service-specific hours.
The Putnam Election Commission publishes an election-results archive alongside registration information and precinct locations. Its office is at 705 County Services Drive, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-526-2566 and regular weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Select the election date and distinguish the requested return, precinct map or registration record before contacting staff. Counter hours, early-voting hours and Election Day hours are separate schedules. When using archived results, retain the election date and the document's stated status so a preliminary document or a different contest is not mistaken for the result being researched. Election Commission records, archive and contact.
The Putnam Sheriff's Records Division directs police-report requesters to visit the lobby and complete a Records Request Form. For an accident report, it asks for the crash date and location. The division also handles local background checks, released-inmate face sheets and fingerprint appointment routing, each with its own purpose. Records service is Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central time at 421 East Spring Street, Cookeville, with telephone 931-528-8484, extensions 3224 or 3225. Those are records-office hours, separate from continuous jail operations. A local background check or fingerprint appointment should not be assigned the price or coverage of a different state criminal-history product. Sheriff Records Division request procedure and hours.
Where to go
Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.
Recorded deeds, mortgage instruments, plats and related land records.
Office page: putnamcountytn.gov
Appraisal and assessment information.
Office page: putnamcountytn.gov
Court case records and division-specific dockets.
Office page: putnamtncourtclerk.gov
Chancery files and delinquent property-tax proceedings.
Office page: putnamcountytn.gov
Commission clerking, marriage licenses and business/title records.
Office page: putnamcountytn.gov
Police and accident report copies, local background checks and records routing.
Office page: putnamcountytnsheriff.gov
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Putnam County Sheriff or a city police department in Putnam County. Ask that agency for its record.
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.
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.
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.
Deeds and other recorded land documents in Putnam County are kept by the Putnam County register of deeds. Property values are set by the county assessor of property, and tax bills come from the county trustee.
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.
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.
The Register states that its records date to 1854. That is a local land-record starting date, not statewide court-case coverage. Office instructions.
The Register lists in-person, telephone, mail and email copy requests for its public instruments. It separately excludes DD-214 records from the general public-access description. Office instructions.
No. The schedule includes a two-page minimum and other charges, with transaction-based components for some instruments. Ask the Register to calculate the complete applicable total. Office instructions.
The Clerk and Master keeps Chancery records at 421 E. Spring Street, Suite 1C38. Its number is 931-526-6321. Office instructions.
The Circuit Clerk publishes separate Circuit and General Sessions categories, including traffic, civil, criminal and domestic calendars. Match the court division to the case. Office instructions.
The published drive-through description limits that service to renewals. Use the main lobby or the clerk's instructions for other record categories. Office instructions.
The Commission lists 705 County Services Drive, Cookeville, TN 38501, with telephone 931-526-2566 and regular weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Office instructions.
The Records Division asks for the crash date and location when the requester visits the lobby. General police-report requests use its Records Request Form. Office instructions.
Same county
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.