How to Search Tennessee Wants & Warrants (Start Here)

Active warrants in Tennessee are maintained by law enforcement at state, county, and local levels. There is no single database of all warrants in Tennessee.

What this page covers: Tennessee state warrant databases, most-wanted lists, and county-level warrant search tools where available. What it does not cover: Federal warrants (those are handled by the U.S. Marshals and FBI).

Where to start: Check the state law enforcement agency first for statewide warrant searches. For county-level warrants, contact the county sheriff. Many county sheriffs post active warrant lists on their websites.

Common mistake: Most-wanted lists only show high-priority fugitives. If you need to check whether someone has any active warrant, a most-wanted list is not enough — contact the county sheriff or clerk of court directly.

Most wanted list
Sex offender registry
State police / DPS
Contact Us Statewide via Mobile Phone: *THP
Number of counties
95 counties
Population
7,227,750
Households
2,790,000
Median Income
$67,631
Median Home Value
$232,100
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Tennessee wants & warrants URL verified against the official state publisher at www.tn.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.

Tennessee Wants & Warrants — Key Facts (2026)

Outstanding warrants, fugitive lists, and active sheriff's warrants for Tennessee — what's public, what isn't, and how to verify in 2026.
Public
Public-facing fugitive list
Yes (state portal)
Sealed
Active arrest warrants
Often non-public until executed
NCIC
Federal warrant index
Law enforcement only
$0
Cost of public warrant lookup
Free in most states
24-48h
New filings lag
Typical processing delay
Where a warrant lives (typical visibility)
Sheriff most-wanted list
100%
State fugitive portal
90%
NCIC (federal index)
0%
Sealed arrest warrant
0%
FBI Top-10 (national)
100%
Unit: % publicly searchable.

What Changed in 2026 — Tennessee Wants & Warrants

2026
Tennessee wants & warrants portal active
The official Tennessee portal at www.tn.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for wants & warrants in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for wants & warrants
The FBI Most Wanted Fugitives at www.fbi.gov provides federal-level context that complements Tennessee state records.
2026
Tennessee access in 2026
For 2026, Tennessee continues to publish wants & warrants information through state-authorized portals; check www.tn.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE Tennessee's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.

The 3-Path Tennessee Warrant Search

1
Path 1 — Sheriff most-wanted
Most Tennessee sheriffs publish a 'Most Wanted' page on the county sheriff's official .gov or county site.
2
Path 2 — State fugitive portal
Tennessee's statewide fugitive/warrant list is published by the state law enforcement agency.
3
Path 3 — Federal fugitives
FBI Most Wanted (fbi.gov/wanted) and U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted (usmarshals.gov) are the public federal lists.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Tennessee Wants & Warrants

❌ Myth: "No warrant online = no warrant exists."
✓ Truth: False. Many Tennessee counties never publish active warrants online. Call the sheriff or court clerk to confirm.
❌ Myth: "NCIC is searchable by the public."
✓ Truth: False. NCIC is law-enforcement only. The public cannot directly search the national crime index.
❌ Myth: "FBI Most Wanted = all federal fugitives."
✓ Truth: False. The Ten Most Wanted is symbolic. Thousands of federal fugitives exist; many never appear publicly.
❌ Myth: "Sealed warrants are deleted."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed warrants still exist — they just don't appear in public search. Law enforcement can still see them.
❌ Myth: "Private warrant lookup sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only Tennessee state and county .gov sources are authoritative; third-party sites often have stale or incorrect data.

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Related Wants & Warrants Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Wants & warrants
Sample Tennessee counties: Anderson · Bedford · Benton · Bledsoe · Blount

Wants & Warrants Databases

10 official Tennessee wants & warrants sources.

Wants & Warrants

Offender Search
Official Free
Visitation is canceled this weekend ... Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) Units 1-14 · TDOC offers an online database to access information pertaining to felony offenders currently or formerly in the custody or under the supervision of the Tennessee Department of ...
🌐 tn.gov
Police Department
Official Free
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee provides personalized charitable solutions to help you make a difference and enrich the community in ways that matter to you. for more informtation: http://www.cfmt.org/ If you would like to learn more on doing background checks - see more at: ... The Dickson Police Department is a Secret Safe Place for Newborns Facility in compliance with the Tennessee Safe Haven Law.
Correctional Officer | BradleyCountySheriff
Official Free
Want a full-time, recession-proof job where you only work 14 days per month on average? Consider a career at the Bradley County Sheriff's Office. ... Correctional Officers with Bradley County Sheriff’s Office are certified through the State of Tennessee and are responsible for the safety, security and welfare of inmates and the facility.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office-Tennessee-Press Releases
Official Free
The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office 12 Most Wanted will be updated with the addition of three fugitives wanted in Hamilton County. The first addition is Akeem Olajuwon ONeal b/m age 26, 6 1 weighing 245 lbs. whose last known address was 6th Ave. in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Warrant Search - Mcgtn API - Montgomery County
Official Free
DISCLAIMER: Possible match found based on search, results may vary. Further confirmation must be made by contacting Montgomery County Sheriff’s Officer warrants division at 931-648-0611.
Shelby County Sheriff's Office
Official Free
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee is a full-service law enforcement agency and the pre-trial custodial keeper of those who are charged with crimes.
https://warrants.shelby-sheriff.org/m/warrant_mobi...
Official Free
Do not attempt to arrest or detain any of the subjects of the warrants listed in this database. No attempt should be made to apprehend these individuals except by law enforcement or peace officers. Some individuals may be armed and should be considered dangerous.
Jail Inmates - Inmate Lookup - Shelby County, TN
Official Free
Jail Inmates - Inmate Lookup - Shelby County, TN — imljail.shelbycountytn.gov.
Daily Arrest Reports - City of Jackson, TN
Official Free
Welcome to the official website of City of Jackson in Tennessee.
TBI Most Wanted Suspect Arrested by MNPD Detectives on Lebanon Pike | Nashville.gov
Official Free
Last night the TITANS (The Investigative Team Addressing Neighborhood Shootings) Unit located and subsequently arrested one of the TBI’s most wanted suspects, Michael Cason , 30, in a home on Lebanon Pike.

Tennessee Counties

95 Tennessee counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tennessee's statewide wanted-persons and active-warrant information is published by the Official Tennessee Wants & Warrants. View the current list at www.tn.gov. Additional federal fugitives can be reviewed on the FBI Most-Wanted portal.

Most warrants in Tennessee are issued at the county or municipal level by the local court or sheriff. The Official Tennessee Wants & Warrants (www.tn.gov) publishes statewide and felony-level warrant data; for misdemeanor and traffic warrants you generally must contact the clerk of the issuing court directly. Sheriffs in each county also maintain local active-warrant pages.

No. Only sworn law-enforcement officers can serve and execute warrants in Tennessee. Civilians who locate a wanted person should report the information to the Official Tennessee Wants & Warrants or local law enforcement at www.tn.gov rather than attempt direct contact. Some Tennessee warrants also carry a reward administered by the issuing agency.

A Tennessee warrant generally must be cleared through the court that issued it — by appearing in person, hiring counsel, or filing a motion to quash. The Official Tennessee Wants & Warrants can confirm whether a warrant is currently active in the statewide system at www.tn.gov, but only the issuing judge can recall or quash it.

Yes. Tennessee warrants that meet entry criteria are uploaded to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), making them visible to law enforcement nationwide. The Official Tennessee Wants & Warrants at www.tn.gov manages Tennessee's NCIC interface and entry standards.