Nashville Jail Roster
Nashville Jail Roster searches start with Davidson County because Metro Nashville and Davidson County share the same jail system. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office, criminal court clerk, and police records all play a role once someone is booked in Nashville. This page shows how to look up current inmates, recent bookings, and follow-up court records tied to Nashville arrests and Davidson County cases. Use the county tools first, then move to state sources if you need a broader background picture or older records. That mix helps when you need a quick result or a fuller Nashville trail.
Nashville Quick Facts
Nashville Jail Roster Through the Sheriff's Office
The Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Sheriff's Office handles all jail roster records for the city. The office is at One Jerry Newson Way, Nashville, TN 37201. You can call them at 615-862-8170. Every person taken into custody in Nashville goes through the same intake process at the Downtown Detention Center, no matter which agency made the arrest. Metro Nashville Police, state troopers, and federal agents all bring their arrests here.
The Downtown Detention Center sits at 200 James Robertson Parkway. It holds up to 762 inmates across minimum, medium, and maximum security areas. The offender info line runs around the clock at 615-862-8123. Staff at the center log each person's name, charges, bond amount, and booking time. This data feeds into the online search system right away, so you can look up new bookings within hours of an arrest.
The following screenshot shows the Nashville/Davidson County Sheriff's Office website where you can access jail roster record information.
This is the main page for the Sheriff's Office, which links to inmate search tools and detention facility details for Nashville.
Search Nashville Jail Roster Records
The Davidson County Active Inmate Search is the fastest way to check on someone in custody in Nashville or Davidson County. Go to the site. Type in a first name, last name, or both. You can also use a date of birth, OCA number, warrant number, or CIS number to narrow results. The search runs right away.
Each result shows the person's name, race, sex, date of birth, control number, admit date, and release date. Click on a name to see the full detail page. That shows all charges, warrant info, bond amounts, and case status. The system also has a Recent Bookings tab that pulls up everyone brought in during the past 48 hours. This is handy if you want to scan new Nashville jail roster without having a specific name in mind. Bond amounts can change after a court hearing, so the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk's Office at 615-862-5670 can give you the most current bond figure for Nashville cases.
The screenshot below shows the Davidson County Active Inmate Search portal used for Nashville jail roster record lookups.
The system updates often and is one of the most used inmate search tools in the state.
Nashville Jail Roster Court Records
Once an arrest leads to formal charges, the case moves from the jail to the court system. The Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk keeps all court records tied to Nashville Jail Roster cases. The office is at 408 2nd Avenue North, Suite 2120, Nashville, TN 37201. Call 615-862-5601 for help with Davidson County court files.
The Clerk runs a free Public Case Search tool on their site. You can search by name, case number, or citation number. Results include hearing dates, charges, plea info, and case outcomes. This is where you go when you need more than just the booking data. If someone was arrested in Nashville but the case is now in court, the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk has the full file. Court records and jail roster work hand in hand in Nashville. One gives you the arrest details, the other shows what happened after in Davidson County.
Here is a screenshot of the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk portal, which provides public case search for Nashville arrest cases.
This tool complements the inmate search by showing the legal outcomes for cases that started with a Nashville booking.
Metro Nashville Jail Roster and Booking Data
The Metro Nashville Police Department makes the most arrests in Davidson County. Their Central Records Division stores all police reports. The office is at 811 Anderson Lane, Suite 100, Madison, TN 37115. Call 615-862-7631. You can submit records requests in person, by mail, or by email. The MNPD charges $13 per background check, but that only covers Davidson County arrests and Nashville records.
Of the 29,327 adult arrests in Nashville during 2023, physical arrests made up 14,562 cases. State citations added another 8,231, and summonses totaled 6,534. Those numbers give you a sense of the volume. Nashville jail roster records flow in at a rate that few other Tennessee cities match. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, all booking records in Nashville are open to public inspection. You do not need to explain why you want them. The custodian must make them available promptly or respond within seven business days.
Note: Nashville background checks through the police only cover local arrests, not statewide criminal history.
Nashville Jail Roster and Tennessee Law
Booking reports in Nashville are public records. That is settled law. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, custodians must let any Tennessee citizen inspect records during business hours. Requests do not have to be in writing. You can walk into the Sheriff's Office, the Criminal Court Clerk, or the police records office and ask to see booking data. They must comply.
Fees for copies follow the state schedule set by the Office of Open Records Counsel. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-4-604, the first hour of staff time to find records costs nothing. Black and white copies run about $0.15 per page. Color copies cost $0.50. If a Nashville office charges more, they must prove their actual costs are higher. The online tools from the Sheriff's Office and Criminal Court Clerk are free to use, so most people never pay a dime for basic Nashville jail roster record searches.
Statewide Nashville Jail Roster Tools
Tennessee runs two state databases that can help you look beyond local Nashville jail roster. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs TORIS, a name-based criminal history search. Each search costs $29 and comes back as a PDF. TORIS covers the whole state, so you see arrests from every county, not just Davidson. Nashville users often turn to TORIS when the local Davidson County Jail Roster does not give the full picture. This is helpful when you need a full picture of someone's criminal record.
The Tennessee Department of Correction runs the Felony Offender Information Lookup, or FOIL. It is free. Search by name, TDOC ID, or State ID. FOIL shows booking photos, sentence details, aliases, and current location for anyone who has been in state prison. If a Nashville arrest led to a state prison term, the record shows up here. FOIL is available 24 hours a day. Between the local Nashville tools and these state systems, you can track an arrest from the initial booking all the way through a prison sentence.
How to Get Nashville Jail Roster
You have several paths to get jail roster records in Nashville. The quickest is the online inmate search at dcso.nashville.gov. That covers anyone currently in custody or recently released. For court case details, use the Criminal Court Clerk site at ccc.nashville.gov. Both are free and work from any device, and both help you track Nashville arrests through the Davidson County system.
For in-person requests, visit one of these offices:
- Davidson County Sheriff's Office, One Jerry Newson Way, Nashville, TN 37201
- Downtown Detention Center, 200 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37201
- Criminal Court Clerk, 408 2nd Avenue North, Suite 2120, Nashville, TN 37201
- Metro Nashville PD Central Records, 811 Anderson Lane, Suite 100, Madison, TN 37115
Bring a valid ID. You can ask for records at any of these locations during business hours. Staff will pull up the booking data and let you view it on the spot. If you need copies, the standard fees apply. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. You can also mail a request to any of these offices if you can't visit in person. Include the full name of the person, approximate date of arrest, and a return address. Processing takes a few business days for mailed requests.
Davidson County Jail Roster
Nashville and Davidson County share a merged government, so all Nashville Jail Roster records go through the Davidson County system. The county page explains how Nashville jail roster records connect to Davidson County booking records, the detention facilities, judicial districts, and related records. For a full look at Davidson County jail roster and county-level booking resources, check the
Nearby Jail Roster Cities
Several cities near Nashville have their own booking processes through their respective county jails. Pick a city below to find jail roster record details for that area. For Nashville, use Nashville jail roster searches and Nashville booking records first, then compare other city jail roster records only when the arrest happened there. For Nashville, start with Nashville jail roster, Nashville booking records, Nashville arrest records, and Nashville jail records before checking any other nearby city records.