Search Knox County 24 Hour Booking
Knox County 24 hour booking records show who was taken into custody in the past day. The Knox County Sheriff's Office runs a dedicated "24 Hours In Custody" page that lists every person booked into the detention facility. Knoxville is the county seat and the largest city in Knox County, which makes this one of the busiest jail systems in East Tennessee. You can look up names, charges, bond amounts, and court dates through the sheriff's online tools. This page explains how to use the Knox County booking search and where to find more records if you need them.
Knox County Quick Facts
Knox County 24 Hours In Custody List
Knox County stands out for having one of the best 24 hour booking tools in Tennessee. The sheriff's office runs a page called "24 Hours In Custody" that shows every person booked in the past day. It pulls data straight from the jail system. Each entry shows the full name, date of birth, ID number, and document type. You also get the book date, charge details, bond type, bond amount, and court info for each person in Knox County custody.
Go to sheriff.knoxcountytn.gov to see the 24 hour custody list. The page loads with the most recent bookings at the top. You can scan through to find a name or just review what happened in Knox County over the last day. Document types on the list include warrants, capias orders, and violation of probation holds. Each charge line shows the bond amount and whether it is a cash or surety bond. Court dates, divisions, and event types are listed when they have been set.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office 24 hour custody page is shown in the screenshot below.
This tool updates throughout the day as new arrests come in. Knox County processes a high volume of bookings given its population of nearly 480,000 people. The list can be long on busy days. If you are looking for a specific person, you may need to scroll through several pages of results on the Knox County site.
Knox County Inmate Population Search
Beyond the 24 hour list, Knox County also has a broader inmate population tool. The Knox County inmate population page shows everyone currently held in the facility. This is useful when you are not sure when someone was booked. The 24 hour list only covers the last day, but the full inmate population page includes people who have been in Knox County custody for weeks or months.
The inmate population page works well when you have a name but no idea when the arrest happened. It pulls from the same system as the 24 hour list but casts a wider net across all current inmates in Knox County. Both tools are free to use and do not require any kind of account or login. The Knox County Sheriff's Office provides this data as a public service for the community.
Common charges in Knox County booking records include aggravated burglary, domestic assault, theft of property, drug offenses, violation of probation, and immigration detainer holds. The range of charges reflects the size and diversity of the Knox County population. Each booking record shows every charge tied to that arrest, so one entry might list multiple offenses.
Public Access to Knox County Booking Records
Knox County booking records are public. The Tennessee Public Records Act under Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503 gives anyone the right to look at and copy government records. Arrest logs and jail booking data from Knox County fall under this law. You do not need to be from Knox County or even Tennessee to ask for records.
The online tools handle most requests on their own. But if you need something that is not on the website, you can contact the Knox County Sheriff's Office. Call inmate services at 865-281-6700. For formal written requests, reach out to the Knox County records custodian. The office has seven business days to respond per T.C.A. § 10-7-504. Copy fees are based on the actual cost of making copies.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office adds a disclaimer to its 24 hour booking data. They note that while every effort is made to confirm the info is right, it should not be relied on for legal action. This is standard language. The data comes from the jail system and is accurate at the time it posts. But charges can change, bonds can be modified, and people can be released. Always verify details directly with the Knox County detention facility if you plan to take legal steps based on what you find.
Note: Juvenile records and sealed cases are not included on the Knox County public booking roster.
Statewide Tools for Knox County Searches
Tennessee offers databases that cover Knox County records at the state level. The Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) tracks people convicted of felonies. If someone booked in Knox County gets convicted and sentenced to state prison, FOIL will have their record. The tool is free and open to anyone.
The TBI background check system through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation gives detailed criminal history reports. These pull from the TORIS database and go beyond what the Knox County jail roster shows. There is a fee for TBI checks. They are worth it when you need a full state criminal history and not just the Knox County 24 hour booking records. The state court system at tncourts.gov also has case files that tie to Knox County arrests once charges move through the court process.
Cities in Knox County
Knox County includes Knoxville and several smaller communities. All bookings for people arrested within Knox County go through the county detention facility.
Knoxville is the county seat and the third largest city in Tennessee. Arrests made by Knoxville Police are processed through the Knox County jail and appear on the 24 hour booking list.
Nearby Counties
Knox County sits in the heart of East Tennessee. If the person you are searching for may have been arrested near a county line, check the neighboring county booking records as well.