§ 18-1-202 — Documents disposable

(a) (1) In all cases that have been finally disposed of, for a period of more than ten (10) years, the clerks of the courts of record are empowered and authorized under the direction and order of the judges of their respective courts to dispose of the records, dockets, books, ledgers and other documents in all such cases, except the clerk shall retain and safely keep the pleadings, original process and original opinion, if any, all original rules, appearance and execution dockets, minute books, plat or plan books; provided, that all other records, dockets, books, ledgers and documents maintained by the clerks may be disposed of by the clerks after they have ceased to be current after a period of ten (10) years; provided, however, that the disposition is ordered by the respective judges of the courts. (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1), the clerks of the juvenile courts are empowered and authorized under the direction and order of the judges of their respective courts to dispose of original pleadings, process, opinions, records, dockets, books, ledgers, and all other documents in delinquent and unruly juvenile court cases after a period of ten (10) years following the juvenile reaching eighteen (18) years of age. Prior to ordering the clerk to dispose of original documents, the court must notify the district attorney general of the proposed order and provide the district attorney general reasonable time to file a notice of opposition to the proposed order. (b) In civil cases, a judge may order the clerk to destroy discovery materials, briefs, cost bonds, subpoenas and other temporary records three (3) years after the final disposition of the case or three (3) years after records sealed by order of the court have been unsealed. When the order is entered, the court clerk shall notify the parties of the three-year disposition schedule for temporary records, and that the parties may remove temporary records filed by the party during the three-year period. For the purpose of this subsection (b), "final disposition of a case" means the time when judgment has been entered and the appeal times have lapsed for all parties. This subsection (b) shall not apply if any party is a minor.

Legislative History

Amended by 2019 Tenn. Acts, ch. 242,s 1, eff. 5/2/2019. Acts 1953, ch. 207, § 2 (Williams, § 10074.2); T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 18-111; Acts 1998, ch. 696, § 1.