FAQ
Click on one of the questions below to go directly to your answer!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will the Sheriff’s Office serve papers for me?
How do I have a tenant evicted from rental property I own or manage?
Where do I go to take out a warrant?
Is the Sheriff’s Office responsible for removing furniture from a property
prior to an eviction?
If I’m a victim of domestic violence, what should I do?
If I’m a victim of crime, how can I be notified when the offender is being
released from jail?
How do I apply for a job at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office?
Who is the Sheriff of Davidson County?
Do the officers in your facilities carry weapons?
How long are inmates housed in your facilities before they go to trial?
Is it possible to get proof of time spent in jail?
What kinds of services does your Correctional Services Division provide to Davidson County?
If I want to know more about some of your Correctional Services, who should I contact?
What kind of work is the Correctional Services Division prohibited from performing?
If I’m an inmate, a former inmate, or an inmate’s family member, how do I file a complaint?
WILL THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SERVE PAPERS FOR ME?
Absolutely. Your first step in the civil process is to go to the General Sessions, Circuit, or Chancery Court Clerk’s office and fill out the provided forms for the type of civil warrant you need. Of course, there is a fee which is payable to the Clerk, varying in cost depending on the type of warrant and the number of people to be served. Assistance with the filing process is available from the Clerk for the asking.
Once the paper is filled out, it is processed by the Clerk’s office is automatically sent to the Sheriff’s Office for service. Upon receipt of the warrant by the Sheriff’s Office, normally the warrant will be served within 10 business days. Of course, this is dependent on the accuracy and amount of information you provide, such as the current address and place of employment of the person to be served. If the court date is set by the Deputy, he or she will make an
attempt to notify you of the date, time, and place you are to appear.
HOW DO I HAVE A TENANT EVICTED FROM RENTAL PROPERTY I OWN OR MANAGE?
For a fee which is set by state law, you can take out a detainer warrant at the Court Clerk’s office. Since the eviction process can get complicated, we suggest consulting an attorney.
Bondsmen are agents that have approval of the judges to act as a surety for the various courts. These bondsmen are available 24 hours a day and are in business to assist in this process. The bonding process is usually started by family, a friend, or employer of the arrestee and is referred to as the Cosigner. The bondsman require a cosigner and the cosigner must sign the Contract stating they are responsible for the full amount of the bond if the Arrestee doesn’t go to court. After contact is made with a bondsman, he will communicate his needs (references and photo ID) and the funds (10 % of the total bond amount plus 37$) for his services. None of this amount is refundable. The Bond Office accepts the bondsman as the surety and enters this into the court record. When the release is processed the arrestee leaves their housing facility and meets with the bondsman to also sign the contract.
An arrestee has the option to post 100 % of the bond amount without a cosigner; of this all is refundable except for court costs after their court date. This is accomplished through the Bond Office.
Here is a list of bonding companies:
| Rader Bonding Company |
515-0552
|
|---|---|
| Sullivan Bonding Company |
254-0009 Or, 244-0541
|
| Capitol Bonding |
242-4208
|
| Nashville Bonding Co. |
255-1800
|
| Able Bonding |
256-0811
|
| Wheeler Bonding Company |
244-3015
|
| Paul’s Bonding |
254-8900
|
| Aaron Bonding |
254-8945
|
| Slater Bonding |
256-8333
|
| E & W Bonding Co. |
255-2299
|
| Binkley Bonding |
259-3225
|
| Mills Bonding Company |
259-5151
|
| Jenkins Bonding |
254-2070
|
| Melton Bonding |
254-7766
|
| A Bonding Co. |
259-2245
|
| Skyy Bonding |
244-8220
|
| All Knight Bonding Co |
242-2663
|
| Butler Bonding |
256-5878
|
| Al’s EZ Bonding |
254-7664
|
| Smiley Bonding Company |
259-2663
|
| Around the Clock Bonding |
352-4774 Or, 254-8444
|
| A Luv Bonding Company |
342-0091
|
| T. Bonding Co. |
673-0660
|
| Free At Last |
242-3733
|
| Bail U Out Bonding |
254-9555
|
WHERE DO I GO TO TAKE OUT A WARRANT?
All civil warrants are issued by the Court Clerk’s office located at 408 2nd Avenue, North Suite 2120 Nashville, TN 37201 , Phone # 615-862-5195.
IS THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING FURNITURE FROM A PROPERTY PRIOR TO AN EVICTION?
No. The physical removal and storage of items removed from the property is the responsibility of the plaintiff.
IF I’M A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
If it is an emergency situation, please dial 911 and speak to an operator for immediate assistance. Otherwise, please contact the Police Department’s
domestic violence unit at 615-880-3000, and they will help you with the appropriate paperwork.
The role of the Sheriff’s Office in this situation is limited to the service of an order of protection. Depending on the amount of information you furnish, we can
generally serve the individual with the order in under 48 hours. When filling out the order of protection information sheet, you should list all known addresses where we might find the individual, including the address where he/she is living if different from your address, place of employment, and any other addresses where he/she may be found. You may also wish to register with the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (“VINE”) Hotline at 1-800-456-3202.
IF I’M A VICTIM OF CRIME, HOW CAN I BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE OFFENDER IS BEING RELEASED FROM JAIL?
Call the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) Program at 1-800-456-3202. This is a free service. Visit DCSO’s VINE web page to read more.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR A JOB AT THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE?
Please visit our Employment Opportunities web page.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE?
The DCSO is different from most Sheriff’s Offices in the state. Our law enforcement duties, as set forth by the Metropolitan Government charter, are to house inmates and serve civil warrants. The MNPD is the primary criminal law enforcement agency in Davidson County.
WHO IS THE SHERIFF OF DAVIDSON COUNTY?
The Davidson County Sheriff is Daron Hall. He was sworn in on September 3, 2002, succeeding Sheriff Gayle Ray, under whom he served as Chief Deputy. Click here to learn more about Sheriff Hall.
DO THE OFFICERS IN YOUR FACILITIES CARRY WEAPONS?
DCSO Correctional Officers do not carry firearms in the jails. This is for the protection of the officers and the inmates, and you will find this is standard practice throughout the country. Correctional officers who are certified may carry what is known as a chemical weapon. By policy, chemical weapons may only be used when less serious methods of gaining control over a subject have not been successful. Strict guidelines for the use of this weapon are followed and reports
must be filed any time this weapon is used. Any police officer or Deputy from another agency must place his/her firearm in a lock-box before entering any secured area.
HOW LONG ARE INMATES HOUSED IN YOUR FACILITIES BEFORE THEY GO TO TRIAL?
About 40-45% of all arrestees get out within the first eight hours. The average length of stay for an inmate who does not make bond, is not given a pre-trial release, etc., is 18 months.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET PROOF OF TIME SPENT IN A DAVIDSON COUNTY JAIL?
Yes. Call Records Management (615-862-8162) to find out how long your request should take and whether there will be a cost associated with the research and/or any photocopying. Because of varying workloads, we cannot guarantee an immediate response, so it is important that you call first.
WHAT KINDS OF SERVICES DOES YOUR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DIVISION PROVIDE TO DAVIDSON COUNTY?
The DCSO Correctional Services Division provides the following services: litter removal from public streets and rights-of-way…alley clean-up…grass cutting for Metro agencies, athletic fields, and ball parks. We also participate in various special projects for non-profit agencies. Some of these services include setting up and tearing down of tables and chairs, fencing, tents, and general cleanup before and after events. We assist various Metro agencies with moving offices and cleaning up. Inmate labor is also used for small Metro and renovation and demolition projects for non-profit entities.
IF I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SOME OF YOUR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, WHO SHOULD I CONTACT?
Call the Correctional Services Division at 615-880-3897. You can also call that Division’s Director, Mike Raines, by dialing direct 615-862-5288.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DIVISION PROHIBITED FROM PERFORMING?
Any work for private business or work on private property.
IF I AM AN INMATE, A FORMER INMATE, OR AN INMATE’S FAMILY MEMBER, HOW DO I FILE A COMPLAINT WITH DCSO?
Former inmates or family members of inmates may file complaints by contacting the Chief of Security of the facility where the complaint originated. The general phone numbers of each facility can be found on the individual facility pages.
Currently, incarcerated inmates must follow the established grievance process in the facility where they are housed. The grievance form may be obtained from the inmate’s counselor. It should be completed and returned to the inmate’s case manager. Currently incarcerated inmates can find more information on this process in the DCSO inmate handbook.
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