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Knox County, Tennessee public records

In Knox County, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds; property values come from the Property Assessor; court files are split between the Clerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court and the Criminal Court Clerk.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about Knox County records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsRegister of Deeds4Search deeds2Certified copy fee: $1.00 per page3
Property values and ownersProperty Assessor4Property search4—
Property tax billsTrustee4Tax bill search4—
Court casesClerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court5
Criminal Court Clerk6		Circuit Court (three divisions) and Civil Sessions Court7
Criminal Court, General Sessions Court - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit Court6		Fees: chancery copy: $.50 per page8
Marriage recordsCounty Clerk4—Certified copy $5.50 in person; $9.02 online (includes mail and processing fees)9
Divorce recordsFourth Circuit Court10——
Birth certificatesKnox County Health Department, Vital Records Division11—$15 per copy11
Death certificatesKnox County Health Department, Vital Records Division11—$15 per certificate11
Probate and willsChancery Court - Probate Division12——
Business names (DBA)County Clerk4——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Knox County are recorded by the Register of Deeds.4

Cost
Account2
Certified copy fee
$1.00 per page3
Recording fee
Most documents: $12.00 up to 2 pages, $5.00 each additional page13
Transfer tax
Property transfer tax $.37 per $100; mortgage tax $.115 per $100 (first $2,000 exempt)13
How to order
Give the owner's name, legal description and approximate recording date; request by phone through the Records Department or at the office3
What is recorded
Warranty deeds, deeds of trust, releases, powers of attorney, liens and other documents designated by state law14
Earliest
Late 1700s3
Fraud alerts
Free property fraud notification by email3

How deeds work in Tennessee

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Property Assessor sets property values4; Trustee bills and collects the tax4.

Tax calendar
Bills due in October; must be paid by March of the following year12
Tax history
Trustee can print a ten-year tax payment history for owners12
Tax maps
Assessor keeps the tax maps (map and parcel numbers)12
Appealing a value
County Board of Equalization (generally convenes June 1), then State Board of Equalization15

How property tax works in Tennessee

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Circuit Court (three divisions) and Civil Sessions CourtCircuit: general jurisdiction civil suits and appeals; Civil Sessions: civil matters under $25,000 (no criminal matters)16Clerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court (Circuit Court Clerk)knoxcounty.org/…7
Criminal Court, General Sessions Court - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit CourtCriminal cases and Fourth Circuit (domestic relations) records6Criminal Court Clerk (Criminal, General Sessions - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit Court Clerk)criminalcourt.knoxcounty.org/docket-search6
Chancery CourtChancery cases; concurrent jurisdiction with Circuit over divorce10Clerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court (Circuit Court Clerk) Not online17
Juvenile CourtJuvenile matters; records generally private5Clerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court (Circuit Court Clerk)—
Fees: chancery copy
$.50 per page8
Fees: chancery certified
$5.00 per document + $.50 per page8
Fees: chancery exemplified
$15.00 per document + $.50 per page8
Fees: circuit schedule
knoxcounty.org/… (effective January 1, 2026)18

Criminal records and background checks

Background search
$15.00 local criminal history package (name, alias and SSN searches); $5.00 per extra alias19
Coverage
Knox County and Knoxville charges back to the 1980s19

How Tennessee courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the County Clerk.4

Copy fee
Certified copy $5.50 in person; $9.02 online (includes mail and processing fees)9
Coverage
Only licenses applied for in Knox County9
Older records
Knox County Archives holds marriage records 1792 to 199020
Marriage license fee
$97.50; $37.50 with a premarital preparation course9

Tennessee marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Fourth Circuit Court (most decrees) or Chancery Court10

State
Tennessee Office of Vital Records keeps divorce records for the last 50 years10

Tennessee divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Knox County Health Department, Vital Records Division.11

Fee
$15 per copy11
Coverage
Anyone born in Tennessee in the past 100 years, any Tennessee county11
Who may order
The person named, a parent listed on the certificate, a legal guardian (with proof), spouse or child11
How to order
In person (Main or West Clinic), by mail with ID copy and $15 check or money order, or online form (credit card, ready in 1-2 business days)11
Card fee
2.5% ($2 minimum) for credit cards11

Ordering a Tennessee birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Knox County Health Department, Vital Records Division.11

Fee
$15 per certificate11
Coverage
Deaths in Tennessee within the last 50 years; Main office only11
Who may order
Parent, spouse or child, funeral home; others must document need11

Ordering a Tennessee death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Chancery Court - Probate Division.12

Requests
Email Public Records Request Form A with proof of Tennessee residency to [email protected]17
Older records
Knox County Archives holds wills and probate files for older cases12
Fee schedule
Probate Division fee schedule effective January 1, 202621

Business names (DBA)

County Clerk Business License Division handles business license and business tax records12

Voter records

Kept by the Knox County Election Commission.4

Historical records

Kept by the Knox County Archives.22

Military discharges
Archives holds DD-214s filed with the Register of Deeds, July 1919 to July 198912
Early vitals
Limited Knoxville birth and death records (not certificates) from 188122

Good to know about Knox County records

  • Divorce files from the Fourth Circuit (domestic relations) Court are kept by the Criminal Court Clerk, not the Circuit Court Clerk.6
  • Probate is a division of Chancery Court, run by the Clerk and Master.12
  • Knox County Archives marriage records reach back to 1792.20
  • Chancery records are open to Tennessee citizens; non-residents only at the Court's discretion.17
  • Recorded military discharges (DD-214) are confidential at the Register of Deeds.3

Office addresses, phones and hours

Register of Deeds

Address
City County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 225, Knoxville, TN 379023
Phone
865-215-2330 (records department 865-215-2329)12

Property Assessor

Address
Knoxville City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 3790223
Phone
(865) 215-2360; 865-215-2362 for personal property23
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM23

Trustee

Address
Knoxville City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 427, Knoxville, TN 3790224
Mail
P. O. Box 70, Knoxville, TN 3790125
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM24

County Clerk

Address
Old Courthouse, 300 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 37902 (main office; five satellite offices)26
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm26

Clerk of Circuit Court, Civil Sessions Court, and Juvenile Court (Circuit Court Clerk)

Address
City County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite M30, Knoxville, TN 379025
Hours
Mon. - Fri. 8:00 - 4:305

Clerk and Master (Chancery Court)

Address
City County Building, Suite 125, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 3790227
Phone
865-215-2555 (records coordinator (865) 215-3015)27
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm27

Criminal Court Clerk (Criminal, General Sessions - Criminal, and Fourth Circuit Court Clerk)

Address
Knoxville City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 149, Knoxville, TN 379026
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM6

Fourth Circuit Court (domestic relations; files kept by the Criminal Court Clerk)

Address
Knoxville City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 149, Knoxville, TN 37902 (Criminal Court Clerk's office)6

Chancery Court - Probate Division

Address
City County Building, Suite 352, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 3790227
Phone
(865) 215-2389 (records coordinator (865) 215-4117)27
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm27

Knox County Health Department, Vital Records Division

Address
First floor, 140 Dameron Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917 (West Clinic, 9000 Executive Park Drive, Suite A301B, issues birth certificates only)11
Mail
Vital Records, 140 Dameron Ave., Knoxville, TN 3791711
Hours
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.11

Knox County Election Commission

Address
Old Court House, 300 Main Street, Suite 229, Knoxville, TN 3790228
Mail
P.O. Box 51530, Knoxville, TN 3795028

KGIS (Knoxville-Knox County-KUB Geographic Information System)

Website
kgis.org4

Knox County Archives

Address
601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 3790222
Hours
9:00 am until 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday22

Knox County Sheriff's Office, Records Division

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
Public Records Request Online Form (GovQA portal) records-knoxcountytn.govqa.us/…, or Public Records Request Form A; office coordinators are listed in the county Public Records Policy29

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Knox County?

The Register of Deeds keeps deed records. To order copies: Give the owner's name, legal description and approximate recording date; request by phone through the Records Department or at the office. Certified copies: $1.00 per page.43

How much is a birth certificate in Knox County?

$15 per copy.11

Where do I get a divorce decree in Knox County?

Fourth Circuit Court (most decrees) or Chancery Court.10

How much does a marriage license cost in Knox County?

$97.50; $37.50 with a premarital preparation course.9

How do I look up who owns a property in Knox County?

Use the property search of the Property Assessor: propertyinfo.knoxcountytn.gov4

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Knox County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in Tennessee with a full guide: Blount County, Bradley County, Davidson County, Hamilton County, Madison County, Maury County, Montgomery County, Putnam County, Rutherford County, Sevier County, Shelby County, Sullivan County, Sumner County, Washington County, Williamson County, Wilson County. Every county in the state: Tennessee county list. Looking for another Knox County? Knox County, Ohio.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 30 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. Online Records Subscription - Knox County Register of DeedsKnox County, Tennessee
  3. Frequently Asked Questions - Knox County Register of DeedsKnox County, Tennessee
  4. Knox County Tennessee Government (home)Knox County, Tennessee
  5. Circuit CourtKnox County, Tennessee
  6. Criminal Court Clerk (home)Knox County, Tennessee
  7. KnoxCircuit RecordsKnox County, Tennessee
  8. Chancery - Copies and CertificationKnox County, Tennessee
  9. Marriage License - County ClerkKnox County, Tennessee
  10. Divorce Records - Records ManagementKnox County, Tennessee
  11. Vital Records Division - Health DepartmentKnox County, Tennessee
  12. Other Records - Records ManagementKnox County, Tennessee
  13. Fee Schedules - Knox County Register of DeedsKnox County, Tennessee
  14. Knox County Register of Deeds (home)Knox County, Tennessee
  15. County Board of EqualizationTennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, State Board of Equalization
  16. Clerk Functions - Circuit CourtKnox County, Tennessee
  17. Chancery - General Information - RecordsKnox County, Tennessee
  18. Circuit Court fee schedulesKnox County, Tennessee
  19. Criminal Background Search - Knox County Criminal CourtKnox County, Tennessee
  20. Marriage Records - Records ManagementKnox County, Tennessee
  21. Chancery - Fee SchedulesKnox County, Tennessee
  22. Birth, Death Marriage & Divorce Records - Records ManagementKnox County, Tennessee
  23. Knox County Property AssessorKnox County, Tennessee
  24. Knox County TrusteeKnox County, Tennessee
  25. Pay Taxes - Knox County TrusteeKnox County, Tennessee
  26. County ClerkKnox County, Tennessee
  27. Chancery CourtKnox County, Tennessee
  28. Election CommissionKnox County, Tennessee
  29. Public Records - Records ManagementKnox County, Tennessee
  30. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau