Find Chattanooga Bankruptcy Records
Chattanooga bankruptcy records are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Southern Division. Hamilton County residents and businesses file in this division, and the records are open to the public under federal law. You can search cases online through PACER, for free by phone through VCIS, or in person at the Historic U.S. Courthouse on East 11th Street.
Chattanooga Bankruptcy Quick Facts
Eastern District of Tennessee, Southern Division
Chattanooga cases are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Southern Division. The courthouse is the Historic U.S. Courthouse at 31 East 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. The clerk's office phone is (423) 752-5163. The court is open Monday through Friday.
The Eastern District has three divisions: Northern in Knoxville, Southern in Chattanooga, and Winchester. Cases from Hamilton County and surrounding counties go through the Southern Division in Chattanooga. The court handles Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 filings for individuals and businesses in its coverage area.
Filing fees are set by Congress and do not vary by division. Chapter 7 costs $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 runs $1,717. These fees must be paid when you file unless you apply for a fee waiver or installment plan. A waiver is available to individuals whose income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. The court grants installment plans in limited circumstances at the judge's discretion.
Searching Cases Through PACER
PACER is the federal system for searching bankruptcy and other federal court records. You can access it at pacer.uscourts.gov. Registration is free. Once you have an account, log in and select the Eastern District of Tennessee under bankruptcy courts. Search by debtor name, case number, or filing date.
Search results show the case number, debtor name, chapter type, filing date, and status. Opening the docket sheet gives you a full history of case activity, with every filing listed in order. Individual documents cost 10 cents per page to view or download, with a $3 cap per document. If your total quarterly charges stay below $30, you are not billed for that period.
To search all federal districts at once, use the PACER Case Locator. It searches by debtor name or tax ID across every federal court in the country. This is helpful if you are not sure which district a person filed in, or if you think they may have filed in more than one state. Once you find a match, follow the link to that district's PACER system for the full case record.
Free Phone Search: VCIS
The Voice Case Information System lets you search Chattanooga bankruptcy cases for free by phone. Call 866-222-8029 and use extension 813 for the Eastern District. The line is automated and runs 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
You can search by debtor name or case number. VCIS reads back the case number, filing date, chapter, trustee, and attorney of record. It also tells you the date and location of the creditors meeting and whether a discharge has been entered. There is no charge and no account required. This option is good for quick checks when you just need to confirm a case exists or see its current status.
Chattanooga City Government Records
The Chattanooga city government website provides a range of public records and department resources for residents and researchers. While the city does not manage federal bankruptcy records, the site has links to local court resources, city court records, and Hamilton County services.
The city government site can help you find property records and business license information that may be relevant to a bankruptcy case. Cross-checking these local records can give context about assets listed in a federal filing, such as real estate or vehicles.
Hamilton County Court Records
The Chattanooga City Court Records page links to court record access tools for city court matters. For Hamilton County circuit court cases, the clerk's office is at 600 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. Phone: (423) 209-7500. Online case search is available through hamiltonclerk.com/court-search/.
State circuit court records and federal bankruptcy records are two separate systems. However, a creditor may have obtained a judgment in the Hamilton County courts before a debtor filed for bankruptcy. Checking the state court system alongside PACER gives you a more complete view of the legal and debt history. The Hamilton County online case search at hamiltonclerk.com/court-search/ lets you look up civil and criminal cases by name or case number.
What a Chattanooga Bankruptcy File Contains
Every bankruptcy case file starts with the petition. It lists the debtor's full name, address, and the chapter being used. The attached schedules break down everything: real property, personal property, current income, monthly expenses, all debts, and a statement of financial affairs. The creditor matrix names each creditor and how much they are owed.
As the case moves forward, more documents are added. You will find the notice of the meeting of creditors, trustee reports, any motions or objections, court orders, and the discharge order if the case ends in discharge. Chapter 13 cases also include the repayment plan and any amendments. All of this is available through PACER under the open access rules in 11 U.S.C. § 107(a).
One item that is always redacted in public records is the full Social Security number. Only the last four digits appear. Courts can also seal specific documents if there is a valid reason, but most content in a case file is openly accessible. If you pull up a docket and see sealed entries, those documents are not available to the public.
Tennessee Public Records Law
Federal bankruptcy records are public under 11 U.S.C. § 107(a). That statute makes papers filed in a bankruptcy case and court dockets available for examination by anyone at reasonable times without charge. The court can seal records in specific cases, but open access is the general rule.
For state-level records in Hamilton County, Tennessee's Public Records Act applies. T.C.A. § 10-7-503 requires all state, county, and municipal records to be open for personal inspection during normal business hours unless an exception applies. You can review that statute at law.justia.com. This law governs the Hamilton County clerk records, not the federal court system.
Eastern District Bankruptcy Court
The Eastern District of Tennessee Bankruptcy Court website covers all three divisions, including Chattanooga's Southern Division. You can find local rules, required forms, fee schedules, and contact information for the courthouse here.
The court site also lists the CM/ECF electronic filing system for attorneys, general orders affecting court operations, and the court's calendar. Local rules fill in details not covered by the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, so reviewing them matters if you plan to file or respond to a motion. All forms posted on the site are free to download.
TN Court Info System
The Tennessee Court Info system provides access to state court case information across Tennessee's judicial districts. It covers circuit, chancery, and general sessions courts.
This system is useful when you need to look up state civil cases that may intersect with a federal bankruptcy filing. Judgments and liens entered in Tennessee state courts can become part of a bankruptcy estate or trigger motions to avoid them. Checking TN Court Info alongside PACER gives you a fuller record of any debtor's legal history in Tennessee courts.
Nearby Cities
Other Tennessee cities with bankruptcy record resources: