Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (2026)
Venue
✓ current as of May 2026
Except as otherwise provided by law, an action that accrued while the plaintiff inmate was housed in a facility operated by the department or in a facility operated by a private corporation pursuant to a contract with the state or local government shall be brought in the county in which the facility is located.
Amended by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 143,s 1, eff. 7/1/2015.
Acts 1996, ch. 913, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 31
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1999–2024 · leading case: Sandy Eugene Womack v. Corr. Corp. Of Am. D/B/A Whiteville Corr. Facility, 448 S.W.3d 362 (Tenn. 2014).
Sandy Eugene Womack v. Corr. Corp. Of Am. D/B/A Whiteville Corr. Facility, 448 S.W.3d 362 (Tenn. 2014). “We have determined that Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 does not apply to this inmate’s lawsuit because his cause of action did not accrue while he was housed in a facility operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction within the meaning of that statute.”
Hawkins v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 127 S.W.3d 749 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “Relying on Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-803, the court determined that venue was not proper in Davidson County, but that the action should have been brought in the county in which West Tennessee State Penitentiary was located.”
Jeffries v. Tennessee Dep't of Corr., 108 S.W.3d 862 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1997) required the petition to be filed in Bledsoe County where the Pikeville facility is located.”
In re Joseph, 87 S.W.3d 513 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1997) governs the venue of certain actions filed by state prisoners.”
Hayes v. State, 341 S.W.3d 293 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2009). “The trial court found that venue was improper since Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1996) requires that actions that accrue while the plaintiff inmate is housed in a facility operated by TDOC must be brought in the county in which the facility is located.”
Davis v. Holland, 31 S.W.3d 574 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “§ 41-21-803 reads: Venue. — Except as otherwise provided by law, an action that accrued while the plaintiff inmate was housed in a facility operated by the department shall be brought in the county in which the facility is located.”
Lanius v. Nashville Elec. Serv., 181 S.W.3d 661 (Tenn. 2005). “Tenn.Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (2003). Even in the absence of a statute otherwise, the local venue rule in cases involving municipal entities is not absolute.”
Barton Hawkins v. Dept of Corr. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “Relying on Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 , the court determined that venue was not proper in Davidson County, but that the action should have been brought in the county in which West Tennessee State Penitentiary was located.”
Sandy Womack v. Corr. Corp. of Am. d/b/a Whiteville Corr. Facility (Tenn. Ct. App. 2012). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1997) required the petition to be filed in Wayne County where the South Central Correctional Facility is located.”
Larry Williams v. TDOC (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “We construed Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1997) to require that a lawsuit for a cause of action accruing while a prisoner is incarcerated must be brought in the county where the facility housing the prisoner is located.”
Thomas Dyer v. TDOC (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002). “We construed Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 (1997) to require that a lawsuit for a cause of action accruing while a prisoner is incarcerated must be brought in the county where the facility housing the prisoner is located.”
Willie Johnson v. Corr. Corp. of Am. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2006). “CCA contended that under Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-21-803 Mr. Johnson’s complaint should not have been filed in Davidson County.”
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