How to Search Montgomery County Court Records
The Circuit Court Clerk runs a free web inquiry service for civil, criminal, and traffic cases. You reach it through the clerk's online court records page, which opens the Montgomery County Online Court Records System. Criminal and traffic cases go back to November 1, 1999. Civil cases go back to May 1, 2006. The clerk says the system was built as a paid subscription tool, but the county gives it to the public for free.
You can search by a party name or by a case year and case number. To see the full record, you log in with the public credentials the clerk posts on the records page. Older files than the online coverage dates must be requested from the clerk directly.
The case search form lets you pick the court office and case type before you run a query.
The screenshot below comes from the county's online case search form.
The form shows the Party Name box, Case Year, Case Number, and the Court Office choices that drive every Montgomery County court records search.
- Open the Circuit Court Clerk's court records page and read the coverage dates.
- Launch the Montgomery County Online Court Records System.
- Enter a full first and last name, or a case year and case number if you have them.
- Pick the Court Type (Circuit Court or General Sessions) and Case Type (Criminal or Civil).
- Check the box that enables the search, then log in with the public credentials to view the full record.
The Montgomery County Judicial System
Tennessee does not use a trial-level "district court." The general trial court here is the Circuit Court, which hears civil cases, criminal cases, and appeals from General Sessions, Juvenile, and Municipal courts. Chancery Court is a separate equity court. It handles injunctions, contract disputes, name changes, divorce matters, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. Montgomery County is part of Tennessee's 19th Judicial District, which it shares with Robertson County. Five Circuit judges sit in Parts I through V, and a Chancellor presides over Chancery Court.
Above the trial courts are two intermediate appeals courts. The Tennessee Court of Appeals hears civil appeals. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals hears criminal appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court is the court of last resort. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts explains these court roles on its circuit, criminal, and chancery courts page.
Case flow: General Sessions Court › Circuit Court › Tennessee Court of Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals › Tennessee Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | General trial court; appeals from lower courts | Civil, criminal, family |
| Chancery Court | Equity court | Divorce, estates, name changes, disputes |
| General Sessions Court | Limited jurisdiction | Misdemeanors, traffic, smaller civil |
| Juvenile Court | Limited jurisdiction | Juvenile matters |
This split is why traffic, misdemeanor, juvenile, and jury content shows up under the Circuit Court Clerk, while divorce and probate forms sit with the Clerk and Master. The Circuit Court page breaks down each judge and court part in more detail.
Montgomery County Courthouses
The county's court buildings cluster in downtown Clarksville around Millennium Plaza and Commerce Street. The Courts Complex at 2 Millennium Plaza is the practical main courthouse, because it holds the clerk counters and hears court matters. The Historic Court House at 1 Millennium Plaza is used for public meetings and county government. The Court Annex on South Third Street houses Adult Probation, Driver Safety, the Mental Health Court, and the Veterans Treatment Court.
Montgomery County Courts Complex
2 Millennium Plaza
Clarksville, TN 37040
931-648-5700
The Circuit Court Clerk keeps Suite 115, and the Clerk and Master keeps Suite 101, both inside the Courts Complex. Public hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Types of Court Records Available in Montgomery County
Montgomery County court records cover a wide range of case files. The Circuit Court Clerk holds civil, criminal, traffic, and juvenile files. The Clerk and Master holds Chancery files, which include most divorce and probate matters. The county portal shows civil cases from 2006 and criminal and traffic cases from 1999.
Each court produces its own kind of paperwork. Here is how the main record types line up.
- Criminal records - charging papers, plea forms, probation orders, court costs, and expungement orders.
- Civil records - complaints, motions, answers, judgments, garnishments, and name-change petitions.
- Family and divorce records - divorce filings handled by the Clerk and Master, plus parenting plans.
- Probate records - estate claims, small estate forms, and annual accountings.
- Traffic records - citations, fines, traffic school forms, and restricted license orders.
For the full search walkthrough, see the Montgomery County court records page.
What Montgomery County Court Records Show
A case file in the county system ties together a set of standard fields. The portal lists cases by number, party, court type, and case type. Once you open a record, you see the docket entries, hearing dates, and any financial data such as fines, bonds, or court costs. The county uses case numbers like 99GS1-2023-CR-12345, and the search form only wants the final numeric part.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique court file ID; enter the last numeric segment in the portal. |
| Filing Date | The year and date the case was first opened. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, or respondent names. |
| Charges / Cause | The criminal charge or the civil claim at issue. |
| Disposition | The case outcome, such as a plea, dismissal, or judgment. |
| Sentence / Judgment | The penalty, money award, or relief the court ordered. |
The court records page explains each search field and how the typo-tolerant name search works.
Public Access Laws for Montgomery County Court Records
Tennessee starts from open access to government and court records, then carves out exceptions. The Tennessee Public Records Act sets the base rule for government records. For court files, the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted Rule 34, which says the public may inspect court records unless a statute, rule, or court order makes them confidential. The Tennessee Comptroller's Office of Open Records Counsel answers public records questions for the state.
The screenshot below shows the official text of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34.
Rule 34 defines case records, administrative records, and the nonpublic court records that stay closed.
Key Statutes:
Tennessee Code § 10-7-503 - Public records of government bodies are open to citizens unless an exception applies.
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 - Sets public access to court records and lists what stays confidential.
Tennessee Code § 40-32-101 - Allows eligible criminal records to be expunged and removed from public view.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every file is open. Sealed records, juvenile records, adoption records, and many mental health filings are closed by law or court order. Tennessee Code § 10-7-504 lists confidential categories, and Rule 34 treats sealed and protective-order documents as nonpublic. Personal identifiers like Social Security numbers and financial account data are redacted. Expunged records are removed from the public database entirely.
To view a sealed record, a person usually must be a party or get a court order. File the request in the court that holds the case, and ask the clerk about the proper motion. The public records page covers how confidential exceptions work in more depth.
Specialty Courts in Montgomery County
Montgomery County runs problem-solving courts out of the Court Annex on South Third Street. The Mental Health Court pairs judicial supervision with treatment for eligible defendants whose cases tie back to mental health needs. The Veterans Treatment Court serves qualifying veterans, which is especially relevant here because Clarksville sits next to Fort Campbell. Both programs combine court review, treatment planning, and compliance monitoring.
The Court Annex also houses Adult Probation and Driver Safety. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps a driver improvement program eligibility page for General Sessions traffic cases, which can change how a citation is reported once a person finishes the course.
Montgomery County Sheriff and Jail
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office sits at 120 Commerce Street in Clarksville and can be reached at 931-648-0611. The office runs the county jail and a set of free public inquiry tools for the inmate roster, warrants, the booking log, and the 911 call log. Medical and mental health care at the jail is contracted out, with nurses on duty around the clock.
The Sheriff's Office homepage links to the jail and inmate services used most often by families.
This screenshot is from the official Montgomery County Sheriff's Office page.
For the roster lookup, visit the Montgomery County inmate records page, and for active warrants see the warrant records page.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses come from the Montgomery County Clerk, while divorces are filed with the Clerk and Master at the Courts Complex. Probate matters, including estates and guardianships, also run through the Clerk and Master under Chancery Court. See the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page for the forms and fees.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out a will.
- Conservator
- A person the court appoints to make decisions for an incapacitated adult.
Montgomery County Court Records Fees
The online court records search is free. The clerk states plainly that the county provides the web inquiry service at no charge, even though similar systems elsewhere are paid. Other services do carry fees. The Circuit Court Clerk publishes a court fee schedule, and the Chancery Court posted a new fee schedule that took effect January 13, 2026. The County Clerk charges $107.50 for a marriage license, reduced to $47.50 with a qualifying premarital course.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Online court records search | Free |
| Marriage license | $107.50 |
| Marriage license with premarital course | $47.50 |
| Card processing fee | 2.25% plus 25 cents |
For exact copy and certification charges, contact the Circuit Court Clerk or check the court fee schedule.
How to Interpret Montgomery County Court Records
Court files use shorthand that can confuse first-time readers. A charge is not a conviction. A disposition shows how the case ended, such as a guilty plea, a dismissal, or a verdict. A nolle prosequi means the state chose not to pursue the case. A no true bill means a grand jury declined to indict. A capias is a Tennessee process to bring a person before the court.
Bond entries also vary. A cash bond is paid in full. A surety bond runs through a bondsman. A property bond is secured with proof of property. When a docket entry is unclear, the safest move is to call the clerk and ask what the code means for that case.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online data can lag behind the paper file. The Circuit Court Clerk's site has posted live court-date reset notices, which shows that dates change. Chancery trial dockets go up a week ahead and motion dockets post on Tuesdays, but neither is updated after posting. Always treat an online date as a starting point, not a promise.
Note: Confirm hearing dates, charges, and case status with the clerk's office before you rely on anything you find in the online system.
History of Montgomery County Courts
Clarksville has long been the county seat, and the courts grew up around the downtown government cluster near Millennium Plaza, Commerce Street, and the Historic Court House. The modern setup splits work between the Courts Complex for legal matters and the Historic Court House for county government. Recent technology steps include the free online records system, e-filing through eFlex and Tybera for the 19th Judicial District, the Genesis juror portal, and jail tablets with video visits and offsite scanned mail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Montgomery County court records online?
Use the Circuit Court Clerk's online records page, then open the Montgomery County Online Court Records System. Search by party name or by case year and case number. Pick the Court Type and Case Type, then log in with the public credentials to read the full record.
Is the court records search free?
Yes. The Circuit Court Clerk says Montgomery County chose to offer the web inquiry service free of charge, even though similar systems in other places charge a subscription fee.
What years are available online?
Criminal and traffic cases are online from November 1, 1999 to current. Civil cases are online from May 1, 2006 to current. For older files, contact the Circuit Court Clerk directly.
More on the Montgomery County Court Records FAQ page.