Tennessee Municipal Courts

Tennessee’s Municipal Courts are known as “city court,” and they are limited jurisdiction courts for the state. Their focus is on violations that take place within their local municipalities. The most common type of issues seen in Municipal Courts are traffic violations and speeding tickets. However, they also handle other code violations like high grass or wild dogs and other things that affect public safety and welfare.

Most cities in Tennessee have Municipal Courts. These courts are allowed to issue fines of between $50 and $500 to offenders along with other court fees. These courts can also hold preliminary hearings and field misdemeanor crimes as well.

Municipal Courts are managed by a Municipal Court judge along with a Municipal Court Clerk. Both are either appointed by the city council/Governor, or they may be elected. Each of the Municipal Court judges and a list of all City Court Clerks is posted on the Tennessee State Courts website. For people interested in learning more about Municipal Courts, they are urged to contact the AOC General Counsel at (615) 741-2687.

The Tennessee State Courts website is geared towards self-represented litigants, and most people who come into Municipal Courts will be without legal representation. Therefore, they can use the help-center to gather forms, brochures, guides, and other resources to help them navigate through the court system while dealing with their case. These courts make ADA accommodations along with offering language assistance if needed.

For patrons of Municipal Court, the Tennessee State Courts website also has a court locator so that offenders can find their court quickly to resolve parking tickets or other minor violations and pay the fees or fines in person. If anyone needs additional help, they can always use the email form on the judicial branch website to ask questions or get more information.