Lawrence County TN Government

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Who We Are:

The Lawrence County Archives was formed in 1988 by the Lawrence County Public Records Commission and the County Executive to create an environmentally controlled and secure place to store old record books and loose original documents, to preserve and organize records, and to make the material available for researchers to use. The Public Records Commission and the Archives also play a major role in records management for all County Offices.

Our Mission:

The mission of the Lawrence County Archives is to house, preserve and provide public access to the permanent records of Lawrence County. We strive to make all records available to the citizens of Tennessee and other government offices in a timely manner, create efficient finding aides, have every record microfilmed, and to collect and provide access to other historical material that would be beneficial to researchers.

How do I request a record?

The Archives complies with the Tennessee Public Records Act. For county government records from 1818 to the mid-1990s, visit or contact the archives by phone or email to begin the process. To request more recent records, contact the relevant county office. For city records, contact the City of Lawrenceburg.

What kinds of records do you have?

We hold the county’s permanent records, most dating from 1818 to the mid-1990s. These include court records, marriage licenses, wills and probate records, deeds, tax records, maps, and many others. For more recent records, you must contact the originating office. Call or email the Archives for more information about our holdings.

What do you charge for copies?

Paper copies cost $.15 per page. There is a $1.00 charge to certify a document. For copies sent by mail, we charge exact postage. The Archives can accept cash, check or money order.

Note that in many cases documents or photographs can be scanned and emailed as a .pdf or .jpg, for which there is no charge.

Can I get a copy of a birth or death certificate at the Archives?

The Archives does not hold birth or death certificates, but they are available through the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. Some older birth and death certificates are available from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

The Archives does hold a few historical birth and death records in other forms, including some school records, about which you can contact us for more information.

How do I get a copy of my marriage license?

For marriages performed in Lawrence County up to 2000, the Archives can provide a certified copy. For more recent marriages, contact the Lawrence County Clerk.

Can I get a copy of my deed?

The Archives has Lawrence County deeds on microfilm up to 1998 (for warranty deeds) and 1992 (for trust deeds). For more recent deeds, contact the Register of Deeds.

Note that while we can provide copies of requested deeds and perform deed searches for historical purposes, we cannot perform legal title searches or offer legal advice. For those and related matters you should contact an attorney’s office or title search company.

Are any of your records online? Do you have a website?

The Archives does not currently have an official website. Some of our microfilmed records have been digitized and are available at websites like Ancestry and FamilySearch, or via the Tennessee State Library and Archives . You are welcome to contact the Archives for more information about how to access our digitized records.

Other information about local history and the Archives collections can be found at the website of the Lawrence County Historian and Genealogical Society.

For updates about our hours and other information, visit our Facebook.

Do you have information on local history and genealogy?

The Archives has an extensive collection of files on local surnames and historical topics, as well as a collection of books on local history and genealogy. Many of the government records in our collection also provide a wealth of genealogical information. The genealogical files, books, and indexes for other records are available for use in our research room. The staff is also available to provide instruction for how to use our materials and how to perform genealogical research in general.

Do you do genealogical research?

Yes, we carry out historical and genealogical research for both onsite and offsite patrons on a regular basis. You can call, email, or come to the archives in person. Please be as specific as possible and include as many details as you can in your request. We often ask additional questions before beginning a project. There is no charge for research. Some research requests take longer to fulfill than others and response time is dependent on the volume and nature of the requests we receive.

How can I find out where someone is buried?

The Archives has a survey of all known cemeteries in Lawrence County, last updated in 2000. The surveys include the name and location of the cemetery and all known names and dates of those buried there. The surveys do not, in most cases, include any information about where in the cemetery a particular grave is located, but there are a few cemeteries for which we do have that information.

How do I get a copy of an obituary?

We are very fortunate to have an extensive collection of all the obituaries published in the Democrat-Union up to the previous year. We are happy to look up names in the index and provide copies. We also have the Democrat-Union and the Lawrence County Advocate available on microfilm up to 1999, and can look up obituaries if provided with the date of death.

Do you have old newspapers?

Yes, we have all the surviving local newspapers on microfilm from the 1880s (and a few earlier) to 1999. For other newspapers you can contact the Tennessee State Library and Archives or the newspaper offices. Unfortunately, our newspapers are not indexed in any way. For this reason, we ask that you provide a reasonably specific timeframe within which the item was published in order for us to perform newspaper searches. Patrons are always welcome to reserve time to browse through the papers for themselves.

Can you help me locate my ancestor’s property?

The Archives has a number of sources, including deeds and maps, that may help determine the location of your ancestor’s property, and we are happy to assist you with your research.

Do you sell books at the Archives?

No. The Archives no longer sells any books. For some books we may be able to provide information about other vendors.