Public records are public.

Wilson County's policy is built on the Tennessee Public Records Act, found at T.C.A. § 10-7-501 et seq. The law is straightforward:

Read that again. Public records are presumed open. Not "if convenient." Not "if approved." Open by default unless a specific legal exemption applies.

A public record is any document, file, or piece of information created or received as part of official government business. That includes:

If the record exists because of government work, it is likely a public record under Tennessee law.

Open records requests keep government transparent. They allow citizens to verify how decisions are made and how money is spent. They build trust through access. And they give the public visibility into operations that are not always posted online.

Some information is easy to find. A lot of it is not. The open records process bridges that gap.

You can download the form from the links at the top of this page, or pick up a paper copy at the Human Resources Office.

Once your form is complete, you submit it by email, by mail, or in person — see the contact info at the top of this page for all three.

For inspection-only requests, you can also visit the Wilson County Clerk's Office at 228 East Main Street, Room 101, Lebanon, TN 37087, or call (615) 444-0314.

Every request goes through the Public Records Request Coordinator (PRRC). In Wilson County, that role is filled by the County Clerk or their designee.

The PRRC's job is to:

From there, the records custodian takes over and handles the actual fulfillment.

If the records can't be produced right away, the county is required to respond within seven business days with one of the following:

That seven-business-day window is not optional. It's built into the law.

Your request may be:

If the county isn't the right custodian, they're required to point you in the right direction when they know who is.

Wilson County government includes several offices that operate under their own separate public records policies. That means the standard county process does not apply to them. These offices include:

If you're looking for records held by one of these offices, you'll need to go directly to them. Always ask which policy governs your request before you file.

Copies are a different matter. The county charges:

You'll receive an itemized estimate before being charged, and prepayment may be required for larger requests — particularly those expected to exceed $50.

Payment can be made in cash, by personal check, by money order, or by credit card where available. Payments are made payable to the Wilson County Clerk.

If a document contains confidential or legally protected information, the county will:

The reason given has to be specific enough to be meaningful, but general enough not to reveal the confidential information itself. That balance is baked into the law.

If more than four requests come in from the same individual — or from a group the county determines is working in concert — within a single calendar month, the county can aggregate those requests under the state's Frequent and Multiple Request Policy.

You have the right to appeal that determination to the Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel.

The open records process is one of the most powerful tools a citizen has — but it only works if people actually use it.

If you want to understand how decisions get made, how your tax dollars are spent, or how your local government operates when no one is watching, this is your access point.