Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501

General jurisdiction

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(a) The court of general sessions is vested with all of the jurisdiction and shall exercise the authority formerly conferred by law upon justices of the peace in civil and criminal cases, suits and actions. The jurisdiction, power and authority of the court shall be coextensive with the county.

(b)
- (1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, judges of courts of general sessions have jurisdiction to try and dispose of violations of municipal ordinances where the sheriff of the county is acting under the authority of §§ 8-8-201 and 12-9-104; provided, that a certified copy of the ordinances of the municipality have been filed with the court. Judges of courts of general sessions shall direct the clerk of the court that all fines collected shall be paid over to the municipality and all court costs collected shall be paid and accounted for according to [former] § 16-15-703(d) [repealed], to help administer the cost of enforcement; provided, that reasonable costs have been set by ordinance of the municipality.
- (2) The judges of courts of general sessions of counties having a population of not less than fourteen thousand six hundred fifty (14,650) nor more than fourteen thousand six hundred seventy (14,670), according to the 1960 federal census or any subsequent federal census, have, in addition to the jurisdiction and powers conferred above, concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court judge and chancellor in that county or counties in workers' compensation cases, divorce cases and those powers specifically conferred upon both those courts of record under § 29-31-101.
- (3) The judges of courts of general sessions of counties having a population of not less than nine thousand two hundred thirty (9,230) nor more than nine thousand two hundred fifty (9,250), according to the 1960 federal census or any subsequent federal census, have, in addition to the jurisdiction and powers conferred above, concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit judge and chancellor in that county or counties in divorce cases.
- (4) Judges of courts of general sessions in any county having a population of not less than seventy-seven thousand seven hundred (77,700) nor more than seventy-seven thousand eight hundred (77,800), according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, in addition to the jurisdiction and powers conferred above, have concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit judge and chancellor in that county in domestic relations cases.

(c)
- (1) All courts of general sessions in this state created by private act have the powers and jurisdiction conferred by this chapter and §§ 18-4-201 - 18-4-203, 20-12-143, 27-5-108, 40-1-109, 40-4-117 and [former] 40-4-118 [repealed], and in addition, have such further powers and jurisdiction as may be conferred by the private act creating that court. It is not the intention of this chapter to divest any court of general sessions of any jurisdiction conferred by any private act.
- (2) This chapter shall not diminish the powers, jurisdiction or provisions governing the operation of any court of general sessions created by private act. It is the intent of the general assembly that each court of general sessions of this state has all the powers and jurisdiction granted by the public acts and applicable private acts.

(d)
- (1) The jurisdiction of courts of general sessions, where they have been created, shall extend to the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in all civil cases, both law and equity; provided, that this section shall not apply to cases of forcible entry and detainer, in which the court shall have unlimited original jurisdiction; and provided further, that this section shall not apply to actions to recover personal property, in which the court shall have unlimited original jurisdiction, including jurisdiction to award an alternative money judgment; and general sessions judges shall have jurisdiction to issue restraining orders and to enforce the penalty provisions for violation of those restraining orders.
- (2) For the purpose of calculating whether a judgment entered by a court of general sessions is within or exceeds the monetary jurisdictional limits established for the courts by subdivision (d)(1), the following amounts shall not be included:
  - (A) Any amount awarded for attorney fees;
  - (B) Any court costs assessed by the court; and
  - (C) Any discretionary costs assessed by the court.

Code 1858, § 4123 (deriv. Acts 1827, ch. 51, § 1; 1841-1842, ch. 186, § 1; 1849-1850, ch. 269, § 1; 1853-1854, ch. 58, §§ 1, 2; 1857-1858, ch. 56, § 3; 1857-1858, ch. 62, § 1); Acts 1865-1866, ch. 51, § 1; 1875, ch. 11, §§ 1-3; Shan., § 5935; mod. Code 1932, § 10136; Acts 1853, ch. 39, § 1; 1959, ch. 109, §§ 2, 22; 1961, ch. 138, § 1; 1965, ch. 114, § 1; 1967, ch. 276, § 1; 1968, ch. 635, § 2; 1969, ch. 44, § 2; 1969, ch. 133, § 1; 1970, ch. 341, § 1; 1973, ch. 88, § 2; 1973, ch. 355, § 2; 1973, ch. 365, § 10; 1974, ch. 432, § 2; 1974, ch. 659, § 1; 1977, ch. 295, §§ 1, 2; 1978, ch. 560, § 1; 1979, ch. 68, § 2; impl. am. Acts 1979, ch. 68, § 3; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 16-1104, 16-1124, 19-301; Acts 1981, ch. 289, § 4; 1982, ch. 655, §§ 1-3; 1982, ch. 930, § 3; 1982, ch. 945, § 2; 1983, ch. 231, § 1; 1983, ch. 283, §§ 1, 2; 1985, ch. 368, § 1; 1986, ch. 698, § 3; 1988, ch. 698, § 10; 1993, ch. 241, §§ 13-15; 1997 , ch. 472, §§ 1-3; 1999, ch. 259, § 1; 2000, ch. 743, § 1; 2000, ch. 764, § 1; 2006, ch. 722, § 1.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 25 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1983–2026 · leading case: Benson v. Herbst

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Benson v. Herbst (2007) tennctapp · cites it 4× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (a). The formula “jurisdiction shall extend to” a particular sum appears to have originated in statutes governing the monetary limits on the jurisdiction of justices of the peace.”

Sarah Hohenberg v. Shelby Cnty., Tenn. (2023) ca6 · cites it 2× “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (a), (d)(1); 17 Tenn.”

Ware v. Meharry Medical College (1995) tenn · cites it 4× “Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a) (Supp. 1993).”

Philpot v. Tennessee Health Management, Inc. (2007) tennctapp · cites it 2× “Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501. 13 . The agreement also provided that all appeals from general sessions court judgments, whether by the plaintiff or the defendants, were subject to arbitration.”

United States v. Franklin (2008) ca6 · cites it 4× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (d)(1). In some counties general sessions courts have jurisdiction over juvenile, divorce, domestic relations, and workers’ compensation cases.”

Riden v. Snider (1991) tennctapp · cites it 2× “While a general sessions court may hear suits in equity pursuant to T.C.A. § 16-15-501, the statute does not confer upon the court the extraordinary jurisdiction of a chancellor.”

Wilma Griffin v. Campbell Clinic, P.A. (2014) tenn “See Tenn,Code Ann, § 16-15-501(d)(1) (Supp.2007) (“The jurisdiction of courts of general sessions, where they have been created, shall extend to the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in all civil cases, both law and equity-”).”

Crawford v. Gilpatrick (1983) tenn · cites it 4× “See T.C.A. § 16-15-501. The 1959 Act did prescribe qualifications for judges of general sessions courts, having the basic general session court jurisdiction, as those “provided by the Constitution of the State of Tennessee for inferior courts.”

Coleman v. Indymac Venture LLC (2013) tnwd · cites it 2× “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a). Second, the decision of the General Sessions Court was a final decision on the merits.”

City of Alcoa v. Blount County (1983) tennctapp · cites it 2× “, § 13-3-409 specifically excepts all private acts in the same manner as T.C.A., § 16-15-501 does to the general laws pertaining to general sessions courts.”

Lucas D. Bottorff v. Anne A. Sears (2019) tennctapp · cites it 4× “9, 1994) (stating that Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (d)(1) gives the general sessions courts unlimited jurisdiction in cases involving unlawful detainer).”

Reeners v. McCormick (2025) tnmd · cites it 4× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 governs the jurisdiction of General Session Courts in Tennessee.”

Show all 25 citing cases →

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a) — 3 cases

Ware v. Meharry Medical College (1995) tenn “Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a) (Supp. 1993).”

Coleman v. Indymac Venture LLC (2013) tnwd “” Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a). Second, the decision of the General Sessions Court was a final decision on the merits.”

United States v. Franklin (2008) ca6 “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (d)(1). In some counties general sessions courts have jurisdiction over juvenile, divorce, domestic relations, and workers’ compensation cases.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(b) — 1 case

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(b)(2) — 1 case

Ware v. Meharry Medical College (1995) tenn “Tenn.Code Ann. § 16-15-501(a) (Supp. 1993).”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(c) — 1 case

Crawford v. Gilpatrick (1983) tenn “See T.C.A. § 16-15-501. The 1959 Act did prescribe qualifications for judges of general sessions courts, having the basic general session court jurisdiction, as those “provided by the Constitution of the State of Tennessee for inferior courts.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(d) — 1 case

James E. Gunter v. U.C.H.R.A. and Kristi A. Poore (2001) tennctapp

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501(d)(1) — 4 cases

Benson v. Herbst (2007) tennctapp “Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (a). The formula “jurisdiction shall extend to” a particular sum appears to have originated in statutes governing the monetary limits on the jurisdiction of justices of the peace.”

Richard Hamilton v. Randy Holderman (2016) tennctapp

Lucas D. Bottorff v. Anne A. Sears (2019) tennctapp “9, 1994) (stating that Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501 (d)(1) gives the general sessions courts unlimited jurisdiction in cases involving unlawful detainer).”

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