Shelby County Public Records / Shelby County Arrest Records

Shelby County Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Shelby County

Arrest records in Shelby County, Tennessee, are generally considered public records under state law. Pursuant to the Tennessee Public Records Act, codified at Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, all state, county, and municipal records are open for public inspection unless specifically exempted by statute. Arrest records maintained by law enforcement agencies in Shelby County fall within the scope of this Act and are accessible to members of the public upon request.

It is important to distinguish between an arrest record and a conviction record. An arrest record documents the act of being taken into custody by law enforcement and does not indicate guilt or a criminal conviction. A conviction record, by contrast, reflects a formal finding of guilt by a court of law. Under Tennessee law, individuals who are arrested but not convicted may be eligible to have their arrest records expunged, thereby removing them from public access. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) maintains the statewide criminal history repository and establishes policies governing law enforcement records access across all counties, including Shelby County.

What's in Shelby County Arrest Records

Shelby County arrest records contain a standardized set of data fields compiled at the time of booking and updated as a case progresses through the criminal justice system. Members of the public reviewing these records may encounter the following categories of information:

Arrestee Identifying Information:

Full legal name and known aliases
Date of birth and age at time of arrest
Race, sex, height, weight, and physical descriptors
Last known address

Arrest Details:

Date, time, and location of arrest
Name and badge number of arresting officer
Arresting agency (e.g., Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

Charge Information:

Specific criminal charges filed
Charge classification (felony, misdemeanor, or infraction)
Tennessee Criminal Code statute cited for each charge

Warrant Information (if applicable):

Warrant number and issuing court
Date warrant was issued

Booking Information:

Booking number and date
Facility where the individual was processed

Bond/Bail Information:

Bond type (cash, surety, or recognizance)
Bond amount set by the court
Bond status (posted, pending, or forfeited)

Court Information:

Assigned court division and docket number
Scheduled hearing or arraignment dates
Case disposition, if available

Custody Status:

Current incarceration status
Projected release date, if applicable
Probation or parole status

Additional Information May Include:

Prior arrest history on file with the county
Fingerprint classification codes
Photographs taken at booking (mugshots)

How To Look Up Arrest Records in Shelby County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain Shelby County arrest records through several official channels. The following steps outline the primary methods currently available:

Submit a Public Records Request to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Individuals may appear in person at the Records Division or submit a written request by mail. Requestors should provide the full name of the subject, date of birth, and the approximate date of arrest to facilitate an accurate search.
Contact the Memphis Police Department Records Bureau. For arrests made by Memphis Police officers within the city limits, requests should be directed to the MPD Records Bureau. Requests may be submitted in person, by mail, or through the department's online portal.
Access Court Records Through the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk. Court filings associated with an arrest, including charging documents and case dispositions, are maintained by the Criminal Court Clerk's office. The clerk's office accepts in-person and written requests during regular business hours.
Query the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The TBI provides criminal history background checks for a statutory fee. Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 38-6-103, the TBI is authorized to disseminate criminal history records to authorized requestors, including members of the public seeking their own records.

Shelby County Sheriff's Office 201 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 222-4700 Shelby County Sheriff's Office

Memphis Police Department Records Bureau 201 Poplar Ave, 3rd Floor, Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 636-4441 Memphis Police Department

Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk 201 Poplar Ave, Suite 301, Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 222-3600 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 901 R.S. Gass Blvd, Nashville, TN 37216 (615) 744-4000 Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

How To Find Shelby County Arrest Records Online

Several official online platforms currently provide access to Shelby County arrest and custody information without requiring an in-person visit.

Shelby County Division of Corrections Inmate Records Portal: Members of the public may search for an individual's current custody status, including whether a person is currently incarcerated, on probation, or on parole, through the official Shelby County inmate records search maintained by the Shelby County Division of Corrections. This resource is available to citizens free of charge.
Shelby County Criminal Court Case Search: Case-level information, including charges, hearing dates, and dispositions associated with arrests, is accessible through the Shelby County Criminal Court online portal. Users may search by defendant name or case number.
Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL): The Tennessee Department of Correction operates the FOIL system, which allows the public to search for individuals currently under state supervision, including those serving sentences for Shelby County convictions.
TBI Criminal History Background Checks: The TBI's online portal allows individuals to request their own criminal history record or, in authorized circumstances, the records of others.

How To Search Shelby County Arrest Records for Free?

Members of the public may access certain Shelby County arrest and custody information at no cost through the following official resources:

SCDC Inmate Records Portal: The Shelby County Division of Corrections provides free online access to current inmate status, probation, and parole information through its public-facing search tool.
Shelby County Criminal Court Online Search: Basic case information, including arrest charges and court dates, is available at no charge through the Criminal Court Clerk's online system.
Tennessee FOIL System: The state's Felony Offender Information Lookup is a free, publicly accessible database for individuals under Department of Correction supervision.
In-Person Inspection at the Clerk's Office: Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, members of the public have the right to inspect public records in person at no charge. Fees may apply only when copies are requested.

How To Delete Arrest Records in Shelby County

Tennessee law provides two primary legal mechanisms for limiting public access to arrest records: expungement and sealing. Expungement refers to the legal erasure of a record, effectively removing it from public and law enforcement databases. Sealing restricts public access to a record while allowing certain authorized agencies to retain and view it. The distinction is significant: an expunged record is treated as though it never existed for most purposes, while a sealed record remains accessible to courts and law enforcement.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-101, individuals may petition for expungement of arrest records in the following circumstances:

The charges were dismissed or retired to the docket
The individual was acquitted at trial
No charges were filed following arrest
The individual successfully completed a diversion program
Certain low-level convictions, as specified by statute, may qualify after a waiting period

Steps to Petition for Expungement in Shelby County:

Obtain a copy of the arrest record and case disposition from the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk.
Confirm eligibility based on the nature of the charge and case outcome.
Complete the official expungement petition form, available through the Criminal Court Clerk's office.
File the petition with the Shelby County Criminal Court and pay the applicable filing fee (currently $100 for eligible convictions; no fee for dismissed charges).
Serve copies of the petition on the District Attorney General's office.
Attend any scheduled hearing and await the court's order.
Upon entry of the expungement order, the clerk will notify relevant agencies, including the TBI, to update their records.

Additional information regarding expungements is available through the Shelby County Criminal Court office.

What Happens After Arrest in Shelby County?

The criminal justice process in Shelby County follows a structured sequence from the point of arrest through final case disposition.

Arrest and Booking: Following an arrest, the individual is transported to a Shelby County detention facility, where booking procedures are completed. This includes recording personal information, photographing, fingerprinting, and entering charges into the system.
Initial Appearance: Within 48 hours of arrest, the individual appears before a judicial commissioner or judge, who reviews the charges, advises the defendant of their rights, and sets bond.
Preliminary Hearing or Grand Jury: For felony charges, the case proceeds either to a preliminary hearing in General Sessions Court or to a grand jury for indictment consideration.
Arraignment: Upon indictment, the defendant is arraigned in Criminal Court, where a formal plea is entered.
Pre-Trial Proceedings: Both parties engage in discovery, motions practice, and plea negotiations.
Trial or Plea: The case is resolved either through a negotiated plea agreement or a jury or bench trial.
Sentencing: Upon conviction, the court imposes a sentence in accordance with Tennessee sentencing guidelines.
Post-Conviction: Defendants may pursue appeals, sentence modifications, or, where eligible, expungement of their records.

How Long Are Arrest Records Kept in Shelby County?

Arrest records in Shelby County are subject to retention schedules established under Tennessee state law and applicable county policies. Under the Tennessee Public Records Commission guidelines and the Tennessee State Library and Archives records retention schedules, law enforcement agencies are generally required to retain arrest records for a minimum period that varies based on the nature of the offense and the outcome of the case.

Felony arrest records are typically retained permanently or for a minimum of 25 years following case closure.
Misdemeanor arrest records are generally retained for a minimum of 10 years.
Juvenile records are subject to separate retention rules and are often sealed upon the subject reaching adulthood.
Records associated with open or unsolved cases are retained indefinitely until the matter is resolved.

Different agencies within Shelby County — including the Sheriff's Office, Memphis Police Department, and the Criminal Court Clerk — maintain their own records in accordance with their respective retention schedules. Records retention serves the dual purpose of preserving evidence for potential future proceedings and maintaining accountability within the criminal justice system. Individuals whose records have been expunged by court order are entitled to have those records destroyed or returned in accordance with the expungement statute.

How to Find Mugshots in Shelby County

What Mugshots Are Mugshots are photographs taken by law enforcement at the time of booking following an arrest. They are part of the official arrest record and document the physical appearance of an individual at the time they were taken into custody.

Where Mugshots Are Maintained In Shelby County, booking photographs are maintained by the Shelby County Division of Corrections and the arresting law enforcement agency. The Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office each retain booking photographs as part of their respective records systems.

Finding Mugshots Members of the public may request booking photographs through a formal public records request submitted to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office or the Memphis Police Department Records Bureau. Requests should include the subject's full name, date of birth, and approximate date of arrest.

Can They Be Found Online At present, Shelby County does not operate a publicly accessible online mugshot database through official government channels. Third-party websites may publish booking photographs obtained from public records, though the accuracy and currency of such information cannot be verified by county agencies.

Obtaining Mugshots Officially Official copies of booking photographs may be obtained by submitting a written public records request to the appropriate agency. Fees for copies are assessed in accordance with the Tennessee Public Records Act.

Restrictions on Mugshot Access Booking photographs associated with records that have been expunged are no longer subject to public disclosure. Upon entry of a valid expungement order, law enforcement agencies are required to remove the associated photographs from publicly accessible files. Juvenile booking photographs are generally exempt from public disclosure under Tennessee law.