Accident Reports, Motor Vehicle (in Knox County, not the City of Knoxville)
Knox County Sheriff's Department, Records Division, 865-215-2205
Building Permits and Copies of Construction Plans
Codes Administration, 865-215-2325
This office is responsible for the approval of plans and issuance of building permits for areas of Knox County outside the city limits of Knoxville. There was no requirement to submit construction plans for approval until 1985.
Business License and Business Tax Records
County Clerk, Business License Division, 865-215-2392
Deeds to Property and Related Documents
Register of Deeds, 865-215-2330
The Register is the official who is responsible for filing warranty and trust deeds to real property, notices of completion, and liens.
Military Discharges (Form DD-214)
The Knox County Archives (contact information given above) has copies of military discharges (Form DD-214) that were filed with the Register of Deeds from July 1919 to July 1989.
For Tennessee veterans, another source for copies of military discharges would be:
Military Department of Tennessee (National Guard)War Records Division
P.O. Box 41502
Nashville, TN 37204-1501
Phone: 615-313-2664 FAX: 615-313-2688
Click on this link to go to the Tennessee Military Department's Web Page.
Yet another source for military discharges and personnel records is the National Archives and Records Administration's:
Military Personnel Records Center9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Phone: 314-538-4201
Click on this link to go to NARA's Web Page on military personnel records.
Regrettably, a fire at this facility some years back destroyed very many military personnel records of the World War II era.
Property Tax Records
Trustee, 865-215-2305
The Trustee is responsible for collecting taxes on real estate and tangible personal property. Tax bills become due in October of each year and must be paid by March of the following year. Currently,the Trustee can provide property owners with a print-out that shows a ten-year history of tax payments. The Trustee's office has recently added the capability to search property tax information on its web site at www.knoxcounty.org/trustee/tax_search (Java Script required).
Property Tax Assessment Records
Property Assessor, 865-215-2360
The Assessor establishes values for real estate and tangible personal property which is subject to taxation. This official is also responsible for maintaining the tax maps which assign each piece of real estate a map and parcel number.
The Tennessee State Comptroller of the Treasury has an informative web site about property taxation and assessments.
Wills and Other Estate Probate Records
The Probate Division of Chancery Court has responsibility for the administration, settlement, and distribution of the estates of deceased persons. Probate Court can be contacted at 865-215-2389. The Knox County Archives has wills, probate files, and related documents for older cases. The telephone number for the Archives is 865-215-8800.
If the business which you need to conduct with your government or the public records for which you are searching are not mentioned in this brief overview, please call Records Management at 865-215-5656.
