Smith County 72 Hour Booking

Smith County 72 hour booking records cover all recent arrests at the Smith County Jail in Carthage. This Middle Tennessee county has about 20,157 residents and covers 325 square miles. Sheriff Ronnie Lankford runs the department from 322 Justice Drive. The jail is a minimum to maximum security facility that handles adult inmates charged with both misdemeanors and felonies. Smith County keeps things straightforward for booking inquiries. You call the jail, give them a name, and they tell you what they have. The county had a low violent crime rate of 49 per 100,000 in 2018, so the booking list is typically short.

Smith County Sheriff's Office

The Smith County Sheriff's Office is at 322 Justice Drive, Suite 200, Carthage, TN 37030. Sheriff Ronnie Lankford leads the department. The main phone number is (615) 735-2626, which also serves as the jail line and records line. County Mayor Jeff Mason oversees the county government side.

All 72 hour booking records for Smith County come through this facility. The jail houses adults awaiting trial or serving their sentence. To get a booking sheet, current status, release terms, or required bail information, call 615-735-2626 directly. The jail staff can pull that information up quickly. For formal public records requests, contact the Smith County Government at 122 Turner High Circle, Carthage, TN 37030, addressed to the Public Record Coordinator (County Mayor).

The screenshot below shows the Tennessee Felony Offender Information Lookup, a statewide resource for checking on anyone in the state prison system.

The FOIL search is free and covers all Tennessee state prison inmates and parolees, not just Smith County.

How to Search 72 Hour Bookings

The most direct route is calling the jail. Dial (615) 735-2626 and ask about the person by name. Staff can confirm if they are in custody, tell you the charges, and share the bond amount. This works at any hour.

You can also visit the Sheriff's Office at 322 Justice Drive in Carthage during business hours. Bring a photo ID. The staff will look up the records on the spot. Written requests can be mailed to the Public Record Coordinator at 122 Turner High Circle, Carthage, TN 37030. Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, the coordinator has 7 business days to respond. For statewide searches, VINELink covers Smith County and lets you search by name for current inmates. You can also sign up for free alerts when someone's status changes.

Smith County Booking Record Details

Booking records in Smith County follow the standard Tennessee format. Each record includes the person's full name, date of birth, physical description, booking date and time, and booking number. Charges are listed with the statute citation and classified as misdemeanor or felony. Bond amounts appear for each charge. The arresting agency is noted.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, booking records in Smith County are public and available for inspection during business hours. Juvenile records are restricted. If someone got a citation instead of being arrested under Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-7-118, no booking record exists. Officers in Tennessee can now issue citations for certain misdemeanors, and when they do, the person never goes through the jail booking process.

Note: Smith County is a smaller county, so the 72 hour booking list is usually short compared to urban areas.

72 Hour Booking Fees and Resources

Phone inquiries are free. In-person checks cost nothing. The TBI TORIS portal runs $29 per name for a full Tennessee criminal history. The Felony Offender Information Lookup is free for state prison records.

Public records are available through the Smith County Government. All record requests must be made to the public record coordinator in person or by mail. Tennessee residency is required for formal requests. Inmates can receive mail at: Inmate Name, Smith County Jail, 322 Justice Drive, Carthage, TN 37030. All mail is searched for contraband. For visitation and commissary information, call the jail at 615-735-2626.

How Booking Works in Smith County

When someone gets arrested in Smith County, they are taken to the jail at 322 Justice Drive in Carthage. The facility is minimum to maximum security and holds adults charged with misdemeanors and felonies. During intake, staff take a mugshot, collect fingerprints, and log the person's name, date of birth, height, weight, and other details. A booking number is assigned to track the case.

Each charge is entered with the applicable Tennessee statute. Bond is set based on the severity of the charges and any prior record. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-11-118, the arrested person must have an initial court appearance without unnecessary delay. Most people see a judge within 48 to 72 hours of being booked. The judge reviews probable cause, informs the person of their charges, and sets bail conditions at that hearing.

Smith County has four cities: Carthage, Gordonsville, South Carthage, and Lancaster. Local police in these areas bring their arrests to the same jail. The Sheriff's Office handles the county-wide law enforcement. With a population of about 20,157 and a low violent crime rate of 49 per 100,000, the 72 hour booking list in Smith County is usually short. But the same public records rules apply here as they do in the biggest Tennessee counties. Anyone can request to see these records during business hours.

Requesting Records by Mail

Written requests go to the Public Record Coordinator (County Mayor) at Smith County Government, 122 Turner High Circle, Carthage, TN 37030. Include the full name of the person you are looking for and an approximate arrest date if you have one. The coordinator has 7 business days to respond. Tennessee residency is required for formal requests. There is no charge to inspect records in person at the jail. Copies carry a per-page fee under the state's public records law.

Smith County 72 Hour Booking Search Tools

Several online tools can help you search for booking records beyond the local jail roster. The Felony Offender Information Lookup (FOIL) is a free statewide tool from the Tennessee Department of Correction. It covers anyone convicted of a felony who has been in state custody. You can search by name or TOMIS ID number. FOIL shows custody status, prison location, parole dates, and booking photos for Tennessee felony offenders.

VINELink is another free tool. It lets you track an inmate's custody status in Smith County and get alerts by phone, email, or text when that person is released or transferred. Registration takes just a few minutes. This works for any Tennessee jail or prison facility. The Tennessee Drug Offender Registry lets you search people convicted of drug crimes by county or last name. All of these tools are free to use and open to the public.

For a statewide criminal history search, the TBI TORIS portal costs $29 per name-based search. It returns adult arrest and conviction data from across Tennessee. Results come as a PDF document. You can pay online with a credit card.

Note: Smith County covers 314 square miles in central Tennessee, and the jail in Carthage serves all residents including those in Gordonsville, South Carthage, and Lancaster.

Cities in Smith County

Smith County includes Carthage, Gordonsville, South Carthage, and Lancaster. All arrests in these areas go through the Smith County Jail in Carthage.

Nearby Counties

Smith County is in Middle Tennessee. Each neighboring county has its own jail system.

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