Tenn. Code Ann. § 38-6-118 (2026)

• (a)
  • (1) The Tennessee bureau of investigation shall establish within the bureau an expunged criminal offender and pretrial diversion database. Such database shall consist of the name, date of birth, social security number, charging offense, date of dismissal and date of expunction of a criminal offender who has:
    • (A) Been granted diversion either under title 40, chapter 15 or § 40-35-313; provided, however, that the bureau shall not be required to enter or maintain information into its database concerning any dismissal or expunction order dated on or after July 1, 1999, if the charge dismissed or expunged is classified as a Class B or C misdemeanor;
    • (B) Had the public records of such offense expunged following the dismissal of charges against the offender by reason of the successful completion of either the diversion program; or
    • (C) Had the public records of such offense expunged following the dismissal of charges for any other reason.
  • (2) The bureau shall obtain the information for the database from the abstracts or copies of orders sent to it by judges pursuant to §§ 40-15-105, 40-32-101 and 40-35-313. The bureau shall also obtain information for the database from its confidential records maintained for law enforcement purposes, the public portion of which were expunged prior to October 1, 1998.

• (b)
  • (1) When a judge, district attorney general, defendant, or defendant's counsel requests a certificate from the bureau relative to a defendant's eligibility for pretrial diversion pursuant to title 40, chapter 15 or § 40-35-313, the bureau shall conduct a criminal history record check based upon the defendant's name, date of birth and social security number to determine if the defendant:
    • (A) Has a prior felony or Class A misdemeanor conviction;
    • (B) Has ever previously been granted a type of diversion; and
    • (C) Has ever had an order expunging the public records of a criminal offense following the dismissal of charges entered on behalf of such defendant.
  • (2) The bureau shall certify the results of such search to the requesting judge, district attorney general, defendant, or defendant's counsel. The bureau shall not be required to search any other source or database in order to make the certification required by this section.

• (c) Funding for the operational expenses of this section shall be as stated under [former] § 40-32-101(d)(2) [repealed].

• (d)
  • (1) Except for the purpose of certifying to the requesting judge, district attorney general, defendant, or defendant's counsel the information required in subsection (b), the expunged criminal offender and pretrial diversion database created by this section is not a public record and shall be maintained as confidential by the bureau; provided, however, that the bureau shall forward all information on expunction orders to the administrative office of the courts for the sole purpose of ensuring the expunction of records from the databases maintained pursuant to §§ 16-1-117 and 16-3-803(i).
  • (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (d)(1), when a person petitions the court for expunction pursuant to § 40-32-101(g)(3), the bureau may inform the district attorney general for that judicial district if the petitioner has been granted a prior expunction for another criminal offense.

• (e) Upon a defendant's request for diversion pursuant to title 40, chapter 15, or § 40-35-313, all of which require a certificate from the bureau relative to the defendant's eligibility for diversion, the defendant shall pay a fee of one hundred dollars ($100) to the bureau for remittance to the state treasury to be deposited in the general fund of the state.

Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 992,s 1, eff. 5/21/2024.

Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 35, Secs.s 1, s 2 eff. 3/14/2023.

Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 668, s 2, eff. 4/2/2020.

Acts 1998, ch. 1099, § 11; 2000, ch. 645, § 4; 2002, ch. 495, § 5; 2004, ch. 484, § 1; 2012, ch. 1041, §§ 1, 2.