SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Shelby County is a county in Tennessee with about 911,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 6 county office pages for Shelby County, every one opened and checked, and lists 1 more whose site blocks automated checks.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney General, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Shelby County public records live

Each kind of Shelby County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Shelby County

A person arrested in Shelby County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Shelby County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified an online jail or inmate page for Shelby County. The sheriff's office is the place to ask, and the state inmate locator in the statewide sources below covers state prisons.

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Court records and case lookups in Shelby County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Shelby County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Shelby County.

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County Clerk of Shelby County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Shelby County.

  • Website: shelbycountytn.gov/74/County-Clerk (page title: County Clerk | Shelby County, TN)
  • Phone: 901-222-3000
  • Address: 150 Washington Avenue Memphis, TN 38103
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Shelby County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Shelby County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Register of Deeds

  • Website: register.shelby.tn.us (page title: Willie F. Brooks, Jr. | Shelby County Register of Deeds)
  • Address: 1075 Mullins Station Rd., Bldg. W-3 Memphis, TN 38134
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: Assessor of Property

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Birth, death and marriage records in Shelby County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Shelby County are issued by the office below. The Tennessee state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

  • Website: shelbytnhealth.com/285/BirthDeath-Certificates (page title: Birth/Death Certificates | Shelby County Health Dept., TN)
  • Phone: 615-685-4700
  • Address: 814 Jefferson Avenue Memphis, TN 38105
  • Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Checked: October 2, 2026, the page answered.

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District Attorney General for Shelby County

The District Attorney General is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Shelby County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Shelby County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Shelby County.

  • Website: shelby-sheriff.org/public-records-requests (page title: Public Records Requests | Shelby County Sheriff's Office)
  • Phone: 901-222-5656
  • Address: 201 Poplar Ave., Room 9-15 Memphis, TN 38103
  • Checked: October 11, 2026, the page answered.

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Statewide Tennessee sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the Tennessee state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Shelby County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Shelby County

Shelby County has 7 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of each linked city; the linked names open them.

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Shelby County Arrest Records

The Shelby County arrest records guide names the 12 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 26,802 arrests the six agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Shelby County Records Guides

SearchSystems has eight more guides to Shelby County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Shelby County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Shelby County criminal records (the court file, the Tennessee criminal history and the local arrest records), Shelby County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Shelby County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the Tennessee Public Records Act requires), Shelby County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Shelby County DUI (the DUI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Shelby County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Shelby County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Shelby County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

Who records deeds in Shelby County?

The Register of Deeds, at register.shelby.tn.us. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Shelby County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Shelby County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Shelby County vital records at shelbytnhealth.com, phone 615-685-4700, or from the Tennessee state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Shelby County?

Through the records request page at shelby-sheriff.org/public-records-requests. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
911K
County Seat
Memphis
Libraries
24
Schools
250