Making an Open Records Request for
Government Records in Tennessee
(reprinted from Tennessee Tax Revolt, Inc. website)
The most powerful unit of government is the individual citizen. Government is authorized
to exist by individual citizens and was created to serve individual citizens.
If you or any Tennessee citizen would like to make a request for government records, it is
your legal right to inspect those records.
Your reasons for making the request are no one's business but your own. You may believe
that a government official is committing fraud or you may simply be casually curious.
The government may not ask you for justification for the request. The fact that you are a
citizen of Tennessee is always justification enough.
Tennessee code defines Public Records as: all documents, papers, letters, maps, books,
photographs, microfilms, electronic data processing files and output, films, sound
recordings, or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics made or
received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official
business by any governmental agency.
A records request is very easy to make and doesn't even have to be in writing. However,
it is advisable to put it in writing so the request can be proved in court if need be. The
request can be faxed, emailed or sent by letter.
Follow these simple steps:
1. Decide what information you want. It's YOUR records request so knock yourself
out and ask for anything you like. Government is there to serve YOU and by law must
reveal any and all public records.
2. Be as specific as possible about author, subject matter, and date ranges.
3. Send the request to the "Records Officer" in care of the department head. Each
department has a person assigned to be the records officer and that person is responsible
for fulfilling open records requests.
4. Request that the records be made available in a reasonable amount of time and
follow up with a phone call a few days after the request.
Here is a sample request:
Government Records in Tennessee
(reprinted from Tennessee Tax Revolt, Inc. website)
The most powerful unit of government is the individual citizen. Government is authorized
to exist by individual citizens and was created to serve individual citizens.
If you or any Tennessee citizen would like to make a request for government records, it is
your legal right to inspect those records.
Your reasons for making the request are no one's business but your own. You may believe
that a government official is committing fraud or you may simply be casually curious.
The government may not ask you for justification for the request. The fact that you are a
citizen of Tennessee is always justification enough.
Tennessee code defines Public Records as: all documents, papers, letters, maps, books,
photographs, microfilms, electronic data processing files and output, films, sound
recordings, or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics made or
received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official
business by any governmental agency.
A records request is very easy to make and doesn't even have to be in writing. However,
it is advisable to put it in writing so the request can be proved in court if need be. The
request can be faxed, emailed or sent by letter.
Follow these simple steps:
1. Decide what information you want. It's YOUR records request so knock yourself
out and ask for anything you like. Government is there to serve YOU and by law must
reveal any and all public records.
2. Be as specific as possible about author, subject matter, and date ranges.
3. Send the request to the "Records Officer" in care of the department head. Each
department has a person assigned to be the records officer and that person is responsible
for fulfilling open records requests.
4. Request that the records be made available in a reasonable amount of time and
follow up with a phone call a few days after the request.
Here is a sample request:
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