Grainger County Arrest Records
Grainger County arrest records are kept by the Sheriff's Office at 270 Justice Center Dr in Rutledge. This small east Tennessee county has a population of about 23,500 and one of the lower crime rates in the state at 91 per 10,000 residents. Sheriff James Harville oversees law enforcement and jail operations. The Sheriff's Office is the primary agency handling arrests in the county, along with a few smaller municipal departments. All bookings are processed through the Grainger County jail. Because the county is small, records requests tend to be more straightforward than in larger jurisdictions. This page explains how to search for arrest records in Grainger County.
Grainger County Quick Facts
Grainger County Sheriff's Office Arrest Data
The Grainger County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency in the county. Sheriff James Harville leads the department from 270 Justice Center Dr in Rutledge. The office handles patrol, investigations, court security, and all jail operations. Every arrest made in Grainger County passes through the jail for booking.
The Grainger County Sheriff's Office has a website at graingercountytn.com/sheriff where you can find contact information and department details.
Call 865-828-3613 to reach the main office or 865-828-6202 for the jail. Staff can help with inmate inquiries, bond amounts, and court date questions. The jail is staffed 24 hours a day. During business hours, you can visit the Justice Center in person to check on someone or request copies of booking records.
Tennessee Code Annotated Section 10-7-504 sets the limits on what records are public. Juvenile records and active investigation files are exempt. Standard booking information for adults, including name, charges, bond, and intake date, is public in Grainger County. Anyone can ask for this data in person or by phone.
| Agency |
Grainger County Sheriff's Office 270 Justice Center Dr Rutledge, TN 37861 Phone: (865) 828-3613 |
|---|---|
| Jail | (865) 828-6202 |
| Website | graingercountytn.com/sheriff |
Search Grainger County Arrest Records Online
Grainger County does not have its own inmate search portal. For a small county like this, the fastest way to check on someone is to call the jail directly. But there are also online tools that pull booking data from Grainger County.
The Tennessee jail roster site covers Grainger County.
That site shows current and recent inmates with their names, booking dates, charges, and bond information. Third-party sites like this are free to use, though they may not update in real time.
The TBI runs the TORIS system for statewide background checks. A name-based search costs $29 and pulls criminal history data from every county in Tennessee, including Grainger. The system relies on fingerprint submissions from local agencies. Start a check at the TORIS portal.
FOIL at foil.app.tn.gov covers felony offenders in state custody. It is free but does not show county jail inmates or misdemeanor arrests. For those, use the jail roster sites or call the Grainger County jail. VINELink at vinelink.com provides custody tracking and alert notifications for offenders across Tennessee.
The Tennessee Courts site at tncourts.gov offers case lookup tools. You can search for criminal filings connected to Grainger County arrests by name or case number. Court records typically show more information than booking logs, including charges filed, plea outcomes, and sentencing details.
Grainger County Public Records Requests
Under TCA Section 10-7-503, Tennessee residents can request copies of most government records, including arrest records. For Grainger County, send your request to the county government office at 8095 Rutledge Pike, Rutledge, TN 37861 or call 865-828-3513. You can also contact the Sheriff's Office directly for records they maintain.
Be specific. Include the full name, date of birth, and any known arrest dates. The county has seven business days to respond. Copy fees are $0.15 per page. If the search takes more than one hour of staff time, the county can charge the hourly wage of the worker beyond that first hour. These are standard Tennessee fees that apply to all counties.
Non-residents may have a harder time getting records. Tennessee's Public Records Act is written for state residents, so Grainger County could decline requests from people who live out of state. In practice, many small counties handle these requests anyway, but it is not guaranteed.
Clearing Arrest Records in Grainger County
Tennessee law permits expungement of certain arrest and conviction records. TCA Section 40-32-101 sets out the rules. The Clean Slate Act of 2022 broadened eligibility to include some non-violent misdemeanors and Class E felonies. You must have completed all sentence requirements, including probation, fines, and waiting periods.
File your petition in the Grainger County court where the case was heard. Forms are available on the Tennessee Courts website at tncourts.gov. Processing takes about 6 to 12 weeks. Dismissed charges and not-guilty verdicts are generally easier to expunge and may not need a waiting period. Once a record is sealed, it no longer appears in public searches of Grainger County arrest records or statewide databases.
Grainger County Crime Overview
With a crime rate of 91 per 10,000 residents, Grainger County is one of the safer counties in Tennessee. Most arrests involve misdemeanors like DUI, simple assault, and drug possession. The rural nature of the county means that property crimes such as theft and vandalism also make up a significant share of reports.
Drug-related offenses have been a growing concern in east Tennessee rural counties, and Grainger is no exception. Under TCA Section 39-17-417, drug manufacturing and distribution carry serious penalties. The Sheriff's Office works with regional drug task forces to address trafficking in the area. Despite the low overall crime rate, these cases can bring longer sentences and higher bond amounts compared to other arrests in the county.
Domestic violence calls are another common source of arrests. Under TCA Section 36-3-619, officers in Tennessee must make an arrest when they have probable cause to believe domestic assault occurred. This mandatory arrest policy means that domestic incidents often lead to a booking in the Grainger County jail even when the situation seems minor on the surface.
Cities in Grainger County
Grainger County includes Rutledge, Bean Station, Blaine, and Washburn. All arrests in the county go through the Grainger County jail. Contact the Sheriff's Office for any booking inquiries.
Nearby Counties
Grainger County borders several east Tennessee counties. Verify which county handled the arrest before searching, because each county keeps its own booking records.