Find Smith County 24 Hour Booking
Smith County 24 hour booking records show recent arrests processed through the county jail in Carthage. Smith County is a smaller rural county in Middle Tennessee with about 20,000 residents and around 2,000 bookings per year. The sheriff's office does not run a full online roster, but there are still ways to look up who was booked into the Smith County jail. This page covers how to search for Smith County booking records, what tools are out there, and how to get copies of arrest data when you need them.
Smith County Quick Facts
Smith County Booking Search Options
The fastest way to check on a recent Smith County booking is to call the jail at 615-735-2626. The jail runs 24 hours a day. Give the staff the person's full name and date of birth, and they can tell you if that person is in custody, what the charges are, and what the bond is set at. Phone calls are the main method because Smith County does not have its own official online inmate roster.
There is a secondary option through the BluHorse inmate system. This is a third-party tool that some Tennessee jails use to post booking data online. It may show current inmates in the Smith County jail, though it is not always up to the minute. Check there if you want to search from home before calling the jail. The system shows names and basic booking info for people in Smith County custody.
The screenshot below shows a third-party jail roster page for Smith County where booking information may be listed.
You can also call the Sheriff's Office at 615-735-1500 for questions about older or archived Smith County booking data. For statewide searches, the Tennessee FOIL system tracks convicted felons and the TBI background check service covers all 95 counties.
Smith County Arrest Records Access
Booking records in Smith County are public under the Tennessee Public Records Act. Under T.C.A. § 10-7-503, anyone has the right to inspect and copy government records, and that includes jail booking logs and arrest reports. You do not need to live in Smith County to make a request. The law applies to everyone.
To get copies, contact the Smith County Sheriff's Office at 322 Justice Drive, Suite 200, Carthage, TN 37030. You can go in person during business hours or send a written request by mail. Sheriff Ronnie Lankford's office must respond within seven business days per state law. Fees for copies are based on actual cost as set out in T.C.A. § 10-7-504. Most requests for Smith County booking records are simple and get filled fast.
Juvenile records are sealed. Active cases may have some limits. But adult booking records from the Smith County jail are open to any person who asks for them.
Smith County Jail Details
The Smith County Jail sits at 322 Justice Drive in Carthage. It is a small facility that handles all local arrests from across the county. The jail holds both misdemeanor and felony inmates, including people waiting for trial and those serving short sentences. Every arrest in Smith County goes through this building for processing.
Carthage is the county seat and the center of all court and law enforcement activity in Smith County. Other communities in the county include Gordonsville, South Carthage, and Lancaster. None of these towns has a separate jail, so all bookings funnel through the one county facility. With about 2,000 bookings per year, the Smith County jail sees a steady but manageable flow of inmates compared to urban counties in the state.
| Facility |
Smith County Jail 322 Justice Drive Carthage, TN 37030 Phone: 615-735-2626 |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | Ronnie Lankford |
| Sheriff's Office | 615-735-1500 |
Visitation at the Smith County jail must be set up through the jail. Call 615-735-2626 for the current schedule and rules. Mail can be sent to inmates at the jail address, but all letters are checked for contraband first. For commissary deposits, contact the jail to find out what provider they use and how to add funds.
Note: For records that are no longer in the active system, contact the sheriff's office at 615-735-1500 to ask about archived Smith County booking data.
State Tools for Smith County Searches
Tennessee offers statewide databases that include Smith County records. The Felony Offender Information Lookup shows people convicted of felonies across the state. If someone booked in Smith County was sentenced to state prison, you can find them through FOIL. It is free to use. No account is needed.
The TBI background check system provides a deeper criminal history report that covers the whole state through the Tennessee Online Records Information System. There is a fee for this service. It is worth using if you need a complete picture beyond just the Smith County 24 hour booking list. The state courts at tncourts.gov also list case records for Smith County, including charges and court outcomes for local arrests.
Since Smith County is a smaller county with limited online access, these state tools fill in the gaps. Start with a phone call to the jail for current bookings, then use FOIL and TBI for older or more detailed records. Between these sources, you can get a good picture of any arrest or booking that happened in Smith County.
Cities in Smith County
Smith County includes Carthage, Gordonsville, South Carthage, and Lancaster. All bookings for arrests in these communities go through the Smith County jail in Carthage. Carthage is the county seat and the main hub for courts and law enforcement in the area. None of the cities in Smith County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page.
Nearby Counties
Smith County borders several other Tennessee counties. Check neighboring jail records if someone was arrested close to a county line.