Tennessee County Resources

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This entry was originally written by Wendy Bebout Elliott, Ph.D. FUGA for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
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the Tennessee Family History Research series.
History of Tennessee
Tennessee Vital Records
Census Records for Tennessee
Background Sources for Tennessee
Tennessee Maps
Tennessee Land Records
Tennessee Probate Records
Tennessee Court Records
Tennessee Tax Records
Tennessee Cemetery Records
Tennessee Church Records
Tennessee Military Records
Tennessee Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
Tennessee Archives, Libraries, and Societies
African Americans of Tennessee
Native Americans of Tennessee
Tennessee County Resources
Map of Tennessee
County Map of Tennessee

Tennessee deeds are recorded at the register of deed's office. The county court maintains jurisdiction over the probate and court records, except for Shelby and Davidson counties, where the county court handles probates and circuit court handles civil matters. Dates given are for the first known records in each category at the county seat, but this is not meant to imply that all records are extant from that date. County formation is from information supplied by the TSLA. See the following for further assistance:

  • Richard Carlton Fulcher, comp., Guide to County Records and Genealogical Resources in Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987. This is a county-by-county guide to published WPA typescript and microfilmed records.
  • Historical Records Survey. Survey of Tennessee County Court Records, Prior to 1860 in the Second, Third, and Fourth Districts. Nashville: Historical Records Survey, 1943.

Data for each type of county records noted in the county section is based on microfilmed county records in the online FHL catalog at www.familysearch.org. This information includes only dates for county-generated records and the Works Projects Administration's Historical Records Survey. Dates of published or compiled records were not used. For the county clerk's addresses, two sources were used: www.tennessee.gov/safety/clerks.htm and www.genealogy.com/00000271.html.


Map County County Address Date Formed Parent County(ies) Birth Marriage Death Land Probate Court
G2 Anderson 101 N. Main St., Clinton 37716 1801 Knox/Grainger 1881 1838 1891 1802 1827 1801
C3 Bedford 104 N. Side Sq., Shelbyville 37160 1807 Rutherford/Indian lands 1908 1861 1908 1808 1861 1830
D7,A2 Benton 1 E. Court Sq., Camden 38320 1835 Humphreys/Henry 1881 1838 1881 1820 1836 1836
E3 Bledsoe 116 Main St./P.O. Box 212, Pikeville 37367-0212 1807 Roane/Indian lands 1908 1908 1908 1808 1884 1836
G3 Blount 345 Court St., Maryville 37804 1795 Knox 1881 1795 1881 1794 1795 1795
F4 Bradley 155 N. Ocoee St. , P.O. Box 46, Cleveland 37364-0046 1835 Cherokee land 1908 1864 1908 1839 1838 1838
G1 Campbell 195 Kentucky St./P.O. Box 13, Jacksboro 37757-0013 1806 Anderson/Claiborne 1914 1838 1914 1806 1806 1813
D3 Cannon Public Sq., Woodbury 37190 1836 Rutherford/Smith/Warren/Coffee 1881 1838 1881 1836 1836 183
A2, D7 Carroll 625 High St./P.O. Box 110, Huntingdon 38344-0110 1821 Chickasaw lands 1908 1838 1908 1820 1822 1821
K1 Carter 801 E. Elk Ave., Elizabethton 37643 1796 Washington 1881 1790 1881 1795 1794 1804
B2 Cheatham 100 Public Sq., Ashland City 37015-1711 1856 Davidson/Dickson/Montgomery/Robertson 1881 1856 1881 1856 1856 1856
C8 Chester 133 E. Main/P.O. Box 205, Henderson 38340-0205 1879 Hardman/Madison/Henderson/McNairy 1908 1891 1908 1891 1891 1882
H1 Claiborne 1740 Main St./P.O. Box 34, Tazewell 37879-0034 1801 Grainger/Hawkins 1908 1838 1908 1801 1801 1801
D1 Clay 100 Courthouse Sq/P.O. Box 218, Celina 38551-0218 1870 Jackson/Overton 1908 1871 1908 1871 1871 1871
J2 Cocke 111 Court Ave., Newport 37821 1797 Jefferson 1908 1877 1908 1856 1876 1877
D3 Coffee 300 Hillsboro Blvd., Manchester 37355 1836 Franklin/Warren/Bedford 1881 1853 1881 1836 1833 1836
B7 Crockett 1 S. Bells St., Alamo 38001 1871 Madison/Dyer/Gibson/Haywood 1909 1872 1909 1870 1872 1871
F2 Cumberland 2 N. Main St., Crossville 38555-9428 1856 Bledsoe/Morgan/White/Rhea/Fentress/Putnam/Roane 1914 1905 1914 1854 1904 1897
C2 Davidson 700 Seventh Ave. South, Nashville 37203 1783 Indian lands 1881 1789 1881 1784 1784 1783
A3,D8 Decatur P.O. Box 488, Decaturville 38329-0488 1845 Perry 1881 1869 1908 1846 1869 1860
D2 DeKalb 1 Public Sq., Smithville 37166 1837 Warren/White/Jackson/Smith 1914 1848 1914 1838 1838 1837
D6 Dickson 4 Court Sq./P.O. Box 220, Charlotte 37036-0220 1803 Montgomery/Robertson 1859 1817 1908 1804 1800 1804
B6 Dyer 115 Market St./P.O. Box 1360, Dyersburg 38025-1360 1823 Chickasaw lands 1908 1860 1881 1820 1853 1848
B8 Fayette 1 Court Sq./P.O. Box 218, Somerville 38068-0218 1824 Shelby/Hardeman 1914 1838 1914 1821 1836 1824
F1 Fentress 101 Main St./P.O. Box 823, Jamestown 38556-0823 1823 Morgan/Overton/White 1914 1905 1914 1820 1905 1842
D4 Franklin 1 S. Jefferson St., Winchester 37398 1807 Bedford/Warren 1881 1838 1881 1807 1808 1832
C7 Gibson 1 Court Sq./P.O. Box 228, Trenton 38382-0228 1823 Chickasaw lands 1881 1824 1909 1819 1824 1824
B4 Giles 1 Public Sq./P.O. Box 678, Pulaski 38478-0678 1809 Maury 1908 1865 1908 1790 1810 1810
H2 Grainger West Court St., Box 116, Rutledge 37861-0116 1796 Hawkins/Knox 1908 1796 1908 1796 1796 1796
J2 Greene 101 S. Main St., Greeneville 37743 1783 Washington, N.C. 1881 1780 1881 1785 1802 1783
D3 Grundy Hwy 56/P.O. Box 215, Altamont 37301-0215 1844 Franklin/Warren/Coffee/Marion 1908 1850 1908 1852 1838 1844
H2 Hamblen 511 W. Second N St., Morristown 37814-3964 1870 Grainger/Greene/Jefferson/Hawkins 1909 1863 1909 1870 1870 1870
E4 Hamilton 625 Georgia Ave. , P.O. Box 24868 1819 Cherokee lands 1881 1857 1881 1796 1862 1860
H1 Hancock Main St./P.O. Box 347, Sneedville 37869-0347 1844 Claiborne/Hawkins 1914 1930 1914 1879 1929 1879
C8 Hardeman 100 N. Main St., Bolivar 38008-2322 1823 Chickasaw lands 1881 1823 1881 1820 1823 1823
A4, D8 Hardin 601 Main St., Savannah 38372 1819 Chickasaw lands 1881 1863 1881 1820 1825 1820
J1 Hawkins 150 Washington St., P.O. Box 790, Rogersville 37857-0790 1785 (as Spencer; renamed, 1786) Sullivan 1914 1820 1914 1787 1786 1810
B8 Haywood 1 N. Washington St., Brownsville 38012-2557 1823 Chickasaw lands 1881 1859 1908 1793 1826 1808
A3, D7 Henderson 17 Monroe St./P.O. Box 40, Lexington 38351-0040 1821 Chickasaw lands 1908 1893 1908 1856 1861 1850
A1, D6 Henry 101 W. Washington St. , P.O. Box 24, Paris 38242-0024 1821 Chickasaw lands 1881 1835 1881 1820 1822 1824
A3, E7 Hickman 101 S. Public Sq., Centerville 37033 1807 Dickson 1914 1868 1914 1808 1846 1844
E6 Houston 100 Main St./P.O. Box 388, Erin 37061-0388 1871 Dickson/Stewart/Humphreys/Montgomery 1881 1871 1881 1871 1869 1871
A2, E7 Humphreys 102 Thompson St., Waverly 37185 1809 Stewart 1908 1864 1908 1810 1837 1842
D1 Jackson 101 E. Hull Ave./P.O. Box 346, Gainesboro 38562-0345 1801 Smith/Indian lands 1881 1870 1881 1817 1839 1839
James 1871 (abolished; became part of Hamilton, 1919) Hamilton/Bradley
County seat was Ooltewah. Records in Chattanooga, Hamilton County.
H2 Jefferson 204 W. Main St./P.O. Box 710, Dandridge 37725-0710 1792 Greene/Hawkins 1908 1792 1908 1792 1792 1792
K1 Johnson 222 W. Main St., Mountain City 37683-1612 1836 Carter 1908 1838 1908 1836 1800 1836
G2 Knox 300 Main St./P.O. Box 1566, Knoxville 37901-1566 1792 Greene/Hawkins 1881 1792 1881 1791 1792 1792
B6 Lake 116 S. Court St., Tiptonville 38079 1870 Obion 1914 1883 1914 1870 1871 1870
B7 Lauderdale 100 Court Sq., Ripley 38063 1835 Dyer/Tipton/Haywood 1881 1838 1881 1822 1836 1836
B4, E8 Lawrence 240 W. Gaines/P.O. Box NBU2, Lawrenceburg 38464 1817 Hickman/Indian lands/Maury 1908 1818 1908 1819 1829 1818
E8 Lewis 110 N. Park St., Hohenwald 38462 1843 Hickman/Maury/Wayne/Lawrence 1908 1847 1908 1827 1846 1844
C4 Lincoln 112 Main Ave. South, Fayetteville 37334 1809 Bedford 1881 1834 1881 1810 1809 1810
G3 Loudon 101 Mulberry St., Loudon 37774 1870 Blount/Monroe/Roane/McMinn 1908 1870 1908 1870 1870 1870
D1 Macon 104 County Courthouse, Public Sq., Lafayette 37083 1842 Smith/Sumner 1908 1901 1925 1901 1901 1843
C8 Madison 100 E. Main, Jackson 38301 1821 Chickasaw lands 1925 1838 1925 1821 1822 1821
D4 Marion 1 Courthouse Sq./P.O. Box 789, Jasper 37347-0789 1817 Cherokee lands 1908 1881 1908 1819 1875 1842
C3 Marshall 207 Marshall Courthouse, Lewisburg 37091 1836 Bedford/Lincoln/Maury 1914 1836 1914 1836 1865 1836
B3 Maury Public Sq./P.O. Box 769, Columbia 38401-0769 1807 Williamson/Indian lands 1908 1807 1908 1808 1806 1807
F3 McMinn 6 W. Madison Ave., Athens 37303 1819 Cherokee lands 1908 1838 1908 1820 1819 1819
C8 McNairy Court Ave., Selmer 38375 1823 Hardin 1881 1861 1925 1823 1857 1855
F3 Meigs Main St., P.O. Box 218, Decatur 37322-0218 1836 Rhea/Cherokee lands 1909 1838 1909 1835 1836 1836
G3 Monroe 103 College St., Madisonville 37354 1819 Cherokee lands 1881 1838 1881 1820 1825 1820
B1, E6 Montgomery 350 Pagant Lane, Ste. 502, Clarksville 37041 1796 Tennessee 1908 1838 1881 1786 1795 1805
C4 Moore 196 Main St./P.O. Box 206, Lynchburg 37352-0206 1871 Bedford/Franklin/Coffee/Lincoln 1881 1872 1908 1872 1871 1872
F2 Morgan 415 S. Kinston St./P.O. Box 301, Wartburg 37887-0301 1817 Roane/Anderson 1908 1862 1908 1818 1866 1824
B6 Obion 2 Bill Bennett Circle, Union City 38261 1823 Chickasaw lands 1881 1824 1881 1820 1833 1824
E1 Overton 317 E. University St., Livingston 38570 1806 Jackson/Indian lands 1914 1867 1914 1792 1870 1815
A3, E7 Perry Main St./P.O. Box 16, Linden 37096-0016 1819/1821 Hickman/Humphreys 1908 1865 1881 1820 1863 1826
E1 Pickett 1 Courthouse Sq./P.O. Box 5, Byrdstown 38549-0005 1879 Fentress/Overton 1934 1934 1934 1934 1934 1934
F4 Polk Hwy 411/P.O. Box 158, Benton 37307-0158 1839 Bradley/McMinn 1908 1894 1908 1894 1873 1840
E2 Putnam 29 N. Washington Ave., Cookeville 38501 1854 White/Jackson/Overton/Smith/DeKalb 1908 1878 1879 1825 1874 1842
F3 Rhea 1475 Market St., Dayton 37321 1807 Roane 1908 1908 1908 1808 1825 1815
F2 Roane 200 E. Race St./P.O. Box 546, Kingston 37763-0546 1801 Knox/Indian lands 1881 1801 1881 1801 1802 1801
B1 Robertson 101 5th Ave. W., Springfield 37172 1796 Tennessee/Sumner 1908 1829 1908 1796 1796 1796
C2 Rutherford 26 N. Public Sq., Murfreesboro 37130 1803 Davidson/Williamson/Wilson 1881 1804 1881 1804 1804 1804
F1 Scott P.O. Box 69, Huntsville 37756-0069 1849 Fentress/Morgan/Anderson/Campbell 1854 1901 1850 1892 1850
Courthouse fire 1946.
E3 Sequatchie 308 E. Cherry St., Box 248, Dunlap 37327 1857 Hamilton/Marion/Warren 1881 1858 1881 1858 1858 1858
H3 Sevier 125 Court Ave. East, Sevierville 37862 1794 Jefferson 1914 1856 1881 1849 1824 1850
A8 Shelby 150 Washington Ave., Memphis 38103 1819 Indian lands, Hardin 1881 1819 1848 1821 1824 1820
Some Shelby County Probate Court records are available at the Shelby County Public Archives'see Archives, Libraries, and Societies. This includes probate minute books, 1867'1900 and loose papers and wills, 1820'1900 for Shelby County. The Probate Court Clerk's Office has wills, 1900-present; minute books, 1900-present; and loose papers, 1900-present.
D2 Smith 211 Main St. N., Carthage 37030 1799 Sumner/Indian lands 1881 1838 1881 1801 1805 1799
Spencer 1785 (renamed Hawkins, 1786) Sullivan
A1, E6 Stewart 225 Donelson Pkwy, Box 67, Dover 37058-0067 1803 Montgomery 1881 1838 1881 1789 1812 1804
K1 Sullivan 3411 Hwy 126/P.O. Box 530, Blountville 37617-0530 1779 Washington Dist., Va. 1881 1861 1881 1775 1830 1861
C1 Sumner 355 N. Belvedere, Gallatin 37066 1786 Davidson 1881 1787 1881 1787 1789 1787
Tennessee 1788 (abolished; divided into Montgomery and Robertson) Davidson
County seat was Clarkesville. Records in Robertson County.
A8 Tipton 220 Hwy 51 N./P.O. Box 528, Covington 38019-0528 1823 Chickasaw lands 1881 1840 1881 1820 1824 1823
D1 Trousdale 200 E. Main St./P.O. Box 69, Hartsville 37074-0069 1870 Macon/Smith/Wilson/Sumner 1908 1905 1909 1905 1905 1903
K2 Unicoi 100 Main St./P.O. Box 340, Erwin 37650-0340 1875 Carter/Washington 1908 1876 1908 1876 1876 1875
G2 Union 901 Main St./P.O. Box 395, Maynardville 37807-0395 1850 Anderson/Campbell/Knox/Claiborne/Grainger 1881 1864 1881 1856 1856 1854
E3 Van Buren Smith St./P.O. Box 126, Spencer 38585-0126 1840 Warren/White/Bledsoe 1908 1840 1908 1840 1840 1840
D3 Warren 201 Locust St./P.O. Box 231, McMinnville 37110-0231 1807 White/Jackson/Smith 1881 1852 1881 1808 1827 1842
K1 Washington 100 Main St./P.O. Box 219, Jonesboro 37659-0219 1777 Act of North Carolina Washington Dist. 1908 1787 1908 1778 1778 1778
A4, E8 Wayne 200 Court Sq./P.O. Box 185, Waynesboro 38485-0185 1817 Hickman/Humphreys 1881 1857 1881 1820 1820 1837
An earlier, but separate, 'Wayne County' is included in today's Carter County and part of Johnson County. It was established in 1785 under the state of Franklin but was abolished in 1788.
C6 Weakley P.O. Box 587, Dresden 38225-0587 1823 Chickasaw lands 1908 1843 1908 1826 1826 1794
E2 White 1 E. Bockman Way, Sparta 38583 1806 Jackson/Smith 1881 1838 1881 1801 1810 18106
B2 Williamson 1320 W. Main St./P.O. Box 624, Franklin 37065-0624 1799 Davidson 1881 1800 1881 1799 1800 1800
C2 Wilson 228 E. Main St., Box 950, Lebanon 37088-0950 1799 Sumner 1881 1802 1908 1789 1802* 1802
*Wills, 1802.

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