Unicoi County 24 Hour Booking Records
Unicoi County 24 hour booking records track who was brought into the county jail over the past day. The Unicoi County Sheriff's Office processes all local arrests through the jail on North Main Avenue in Erwin. This small northeastern Tennessee county does not run a public online jail roster, so you will need to call or visit for the most current booking data. This page covers how to search Unicoi County booking records, what sources are out there, and how to file a public records request if you need official copies. The jail holds both misdemeanor and felony suspects while they wait for court.
Unicoi County Quick Facts
Unicoi County Booking at the Sheriff's Office
The Unicoi County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. Sheriff Mike Hensley leads the department, which runs patrol, criminal investigations, K9, and corrections divisions. All arrests made in Unicoi County end up at the jail for booking. The process creates a record that includes the person's name, charges, bond, and intake time. These booking records form the basis of the Unicoi County 24 hour arrest list.
Unicoi County does not have an official online inmate roster. That sets it apart from larger counties that post bookings to a web portal. To check who was booked into the Unicoi County jail in the last 24 hours, you need to call the jail at 423-743-1858. Staff there can tell you if a specific person is in custody. Give them the full name and date of birth of the person you are looking for. The jail runs around the clock, so you can call any time of day or night to ask about recent Unicoi County bookings.
The Unicoi County Sheriff's Office main number is 423-743-1864 for non-jail matters. You can reach them by email at sheriff@unicoicountytn.gov as well. The office is at 1570 Jackson Love Highway in Erwin, while the jail sits at a different spot on 102 North Main Avenue.
| Jail |
Unicoi County Jail 102 N Main Avenue Erwin, TN 37650 Phone: 423-743-1858 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Jail staffed 24 hours; Office: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Sheriff | Mike Hensley |
How to Find Unicoi County Arrest Records
There are a few ways to look up Unicoi County booking records. The fastest is a direct call. Dial 423-743-1858 and ask about recent bookings. This works well if you have a name. For a broader look at who is in the Unicoi County jail, third-party sites pull data from public sources and post it online.
The Tennessee state FOIL database at foil.app.tn.gov tracks felony offenders across the state. If someone booked in Unicoi County gets convicted of a felony and sent to state prison, their record shows up in FOIL. This tool is free to use. It does not cover misdemeanors or people still in county custody, but it is a good resource for serious cases that started with a Unicoi County booking.
The screenshot below shows the Tennessee FOIL search page, which covers felony offenders from all 95 counties including Unicoi County.
Always verify booking info by calling the Unicoi County jail directly at 423-743-1858. Very recent bookings might not show up in any online system right away. The jail staff can give you real-time data on who is in custody and what charges they face. For broader searches, the TBI background check system covers all Tennessee counties through the TORIS database.
Unicoi County Public Booking Records
Booking records in Unicoi County are public under Tennessee law. The Tennessee Public Records Act at T.C.A. § 10-7-503 gives anyone the right to inspect and copy government records. This includes jail booking logs and arrest records. You do not have to live in Unicoi County to ask for these records, though Tennessee residency may be needed for some types of requests.
The Public Records Coordinator for Unicoi County is the County Clerk. Send your request to 100 Main Street, PO Box 340, Erwin, TN 37650, or call 423-743-3381. The office must respond within seven business days. Copy fees are based on actual cost. Most booking record requests from Unicoi County are simple and get filled fast. If you need the records for court, ask for certified copies.
Juvenile records are sealed in Tennessee. Ongoing investigations may also limit what the sheriff can share. But standard adult booking data from the Unicoi County jail stays open to the public. Under T.C.A. § 10-7-504, the county can charge you for the cost of copies but cannot make a profit on the fees.
Note: For certified copies of Unicoi County booking records, contact the Sheriff's Office Records Division at 423-743-1864.
Erwin City Jail and Unicoi County Bookings
Erwin has its own police department that runs a short-term municipal jail. When Erwin officers make an arrest within city limits, the person may be held briefly at the Erwin city facility before transfer to the Unicoi County jail. This is important to know because very recent arrests in Erwin might not show up in Unicoi County booking records right away. If you are looking for someone arrested in Erwin in the last few hours, try calling the Erwin Police Department first.
Once the transfer happens, the booking goes through the Unicoi County jail system. The person gets a booking record at the county level. All the same rules apply. The charges, bond, and court dates get recorded in the Unicoi County system. After that point, you search for the person through the county just like any other Unicoi County booking.
The TBI background check system can also help you search for criminal history that spans beyond Unicoi County. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation maintains the TORIS database, which pulls records from law enforcement across the state. There is a fee for this service, but it gives you a fuller picture than just the local Unicoi County jail records. The TBI checks cover arrests, convictions, and dispositions from every county in Tennessee.
What Unicoi County Booking Records Show
Each booking record from Unicoi County contains standard information about the arrest. The jail staff fills this out when someone gets processed into the facility. It creates a permanent record that stays on file.
A typical Unicoi County booking record includes:
- Full legal name and date of birth
- Mugshot photo taken at intake
- Booking date and time
- All charges with statute citations
- Bond amount set by the court
- Arresting agency and officer name
These records stay on file at the Unicoi County Sheriff's Office per Tennessee state retention standards. Criminal history information also feeds into the TBI TORIS system at the state level. Local records are kept as physical files at the sheriff's office. Unless a court orders an expungement, Unicoi County booking records remain accessible to the public. The Tennessee court system at tncourts.gov also tracks the court side of cases that begin with an arrest in Unicoi County, so you can follow a case from booking through trial.
Cities in Unicoi County
Unicoi County includes the towns of Erwin, Unicoi, and Banner Hill. None of these cities meet the population threshold for their own page. All bookings for arrests in Unicoi County go through the county jail in Erwin.
Nearby Counties
Unicoi County sits in the northeastern corner of Tennessee near the North Carolina border. If you cannot find someone in the Unicoi County jail, check the neighboring county booking records as well.