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TN · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Tennessee?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Tennessee using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
Tennessee DOC Felony Offender Information Lookup
VINELink
Covers Tennessee
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
Tennessee

Which system is holding them in Tennessee?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

In Tennessee, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY JAIL run by the county sheriff (Tennessee has 95 counties and no unified statewide court or jail portal), not a state prison, so TDOC's FOIL will not show a brand-new arrest.

Tennessee participates in the national VINE system (Tennessee VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com).

Many Tennessee county sheriffs also post an online jail roster or 'inmate population' lookup (for example, Davidson/Nashville, Shelby/Memphis, Knox/Knoxville, and Hamilton/Chattanooga counties).

For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county jail's booking or records line.

Jails are run by the sheriff in each of Tennessee's 95 counties, and many post an online jail roster or inmate-population lookup. Use the county sheriff's roster or Tennessee VINE, and call the jail's booking/records line for a recent booking and the bail amount.

Search VINELink (choose Tennessee)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) runs the official Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) (page title 'Tennessee Felony Offender Information').

Search by name or by TDOC/offender ID number for people who are, or have been, in TDOC custody or under TDOC supervision (felony offenders in state prison, on state probation, or on parole).

It does NOT include people held in a county jail, so someone who was just arrested and booked locally will generally not appear here.

Open the Tennessee inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Tennessee state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Find your county in Tennessee

A recent arrest is handled at the county jail. Open the county where the arrest happened for its facilities, phone numbers, and the exact locators to search — all 95 Tennessee jurisdictions are here.

95 counties

Finding your person in Tennessee, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where the person is likely held

    If they were arrested recently and not released, they are almost certainly in the COUNTY JAIL run by the sheriff where the arrest happened. If they were already sentenced to state prison or are under TDOC supervision, they are in the Tennessee DOC system. If the charge is federal, they are in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    For a recent arrest, use Tennessee VINE or the county sheriff's jail roster

    Search VINELink (Tennessee VINE) by name and register for free custody-status alerts, or look up the county sheriff's online jail roster / inmate-population list for the county where the arrest happened. If nothing shows yet, call the county jail's booking or records line to confirm custody and the bail amount.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    For a sentenced state-prison inmate, use TDOC's FOIL

    Use the Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) and enter the name or TDOC/offender ID number to confirm the state facility, custody status, or supervision status.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number instead of the state or county tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name.
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • A TDOC/offender ID number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official sources: TDOC's FOIL for state prison/supervision, Tennessee VINE or the county sheriff's jail roster for county jails, or a call to the county jail. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • FOIL covers felony offenders in TDOC custody or supervision and does not include county-jail detainees, so it is not the tool for a brand-new county arrest.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call the county jail's booking or records line.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in Tennessee

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Tennessee.

Commercial bail available

In Tennessee, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Tennessee allows money bail, and commercial (surety) bail bondsmen legally operate here; bonding is common in Tennessee, and professional bondsmen are approved and regulated at the county level by the courts.

After arrest, a magistrate or judge sets bail.

For many offenses a person may be released on recognizance or on an unsecured appearance bond, or bail may be set that can be satisfied by cash posted with the court, by pledging property, or through a licensed and approved bail-bond agent who posts the bond for a non-refundable fee.

Tennessee courts are directed to impose the least onerous conditions reasonably needed to assure the person's appearance.

Where a surety (commercial) bond is used, the bail agent charges a non-refundable premium, commonly around 10 percent of the bond amount (some Tennessee counties set a minimum fee). Cash posted directly with the court is returned at the end of the case (less any costs) if all required appearances are made. Ask the court about release on recognizance or an unsecured bond before assuming a paid bond is required.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Tennessee contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in Tennessee

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY JAIL run by the county sheriff (Tennessee has 95 counties and no unified statewide court or jail portal), not a state prison, so TDOC's FOIL will not show a brand-new arrest. Tennessee participates in the national VINE system (Tennessee VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com). Many Tennessee county sheriffs also post an online jail roster or 'inmate population' lookup (for example, Davidson/Nashville, Shelby/Memphis, Knox/Knoxville, and Hamilton/Chattanooga counties). For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county jail's booking or records line.

How do I find someone in state prison in Tennessee?

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) runs the official Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) (page title 'Tennessee Felony Offender Information'). Search by name or by TDOC/offender ID number for people who are, or have been, in TDOC custody or under TDOC supervision (felony offenders in state prison, on state probation, or on parole). It does NOT include people held in a county jail, so someone who was just arrested and booked locally will generally not appear here.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Tennessee?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Tennessee. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Tennessee?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name. Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. A TDOC/offender ID number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Does Tennessee have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Tennessee: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 9 sources