Tennessee · Public Records Act

Run the TPRA, from citizenship check to release

For Tennessee state agencies, counties, municipalities, school districts, and utility districts — AccessPoint handles the Tennessee-citizen requirement, the 7-business-day rule, and the §10-7-504 confidentiality catalogue in one platform.

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Tennessee — TPRA at a glance

Response
Promptly, and within 7 business days — produce, deny in writing, or state the time reasonably necessary
Who may request
Tennessee citizens; entities may require proof of citizenship
Confidentiality
The § 10-7-504 catalogue and other state statutes, cited on the response
Fees
Per the OORC schedule of reasonable charges, with the entity's public records policy applied
Oversight
Office of Open Records Counsel — guidance and informal assistance
Languages
English

Built for Tennessee — TPRA

One platform for the whole access-and-privacy mandate, pre-configured for this regime and running in your own Microsoft 365 tenant.

The 7-business-day rule

Tennessee requires a records custodian to act promptly and, within seven business days, to produce, deny in writing, or state the time reasonably necessary to produce. AccessPoint computes the date and tracks which of the three responses was given.

The Tennessee-citizen requirement

The TPRA grants the right to Tennessee citizens, and entities may require proof. Capture the requester's status and any documentation at intake, so the question is settled before work begins rather than after.

The § 10-7-504 catalogue

Tennessee scatters confidentiality across many statutes and gathers much of it in § 10-7-504. Each ground ships as a citable exemption, carried onto the redaction and into the written denial the Act requires.

The OORC charge schedule

Apply the schedule of reasonable charges and your own public records policy, itemize labour and copies, and keep the basis on the file.

Records from Microsoft 365

Collect responsive records straight from SharePoint, Teams, and Exchange with custodian attestations and a chain of custody.

In your own tenant

Requests, records, and audit history stay inside your own Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant — no third-party cloud and no vendor access.

Three ways to answer in seven days

Tennessee gives a custodian three lawful responses. Only one of them is producing the records.

Within seven business days, a Tennessee records custodian must produce the record, deny it in writing with the basis stated, or advise the requester of the time reasonably necessary to produce it. That third option is what makes the TPRA workable on a large request — and it is also where entities get into trouble, because an estimate given once and never revisited reads, months later, as a request that was quietly dropped. AccessPoint records which of the three responses was given, keeps the estimate on the file as a commitment with its own date, and surfaces the request again when that date approaches. The seven-day duty is met, and the promise made to meet it is tracked to its end.

Seven business days Computed on receipt over Tennessee's holiday calendar.
The estimate tracked A time estimate is a commitment with its own due date.
Written denials The basis stated and cited, as the Act requires.

Configured out of the box

Installing the us-tn-tpra jurisdiction pack seeds your tenant with everything this regime needs — a starting point you can adjust, not a lock-in.

Related guide: FOI Workflow Quick Check
  • The Tennessee Public Records Act as the legal-authority spine
  • The 7-business-day response clock with Tennessee's holiday calendar
  • The three lawful responses — produce, deny in writing, or state the time reasonably necessary — tracked distinctly
  • Tennessee-citizen requester capture with proof-of-citizenship handling
  • The § 10-7-504 confidentiality catalogue and other statutory grounds, colour-coded for redaction
  • Fees on the OORC schedule of reasonable charges, with your public records policy applied
  • Written denial and response templates carrying the statutory wording
  • A timestamped audit trail for every decision on the request

Tennessee — TPRA Questions

Does the TPRA really limit requests to Tennessee citizens?
Yes. The Act grants the right of inspection to citizens of Tennessee, and a governmental entity may require proof of Tennessee citizenship before responding. AccessPoint captures requester status and any supporting documentation at intake so the question is resolved up front, and records the basis if a request is declined on that ground.

What must we do within seven business days?
One of three things: make the record available, deny the request in writing stating the basis, or advise the requester of the time reasonably necessary to produce it. AccessPoint tracks which response was given and, where a time estimate was provided, keeps it as a dated commitment that resurfaces as it approaches.

How are fees handled?
Under the schedule of reasonable charges maintained by the Office of Open Records Counsel, together with your entity's own public records policy. AccessPoint applies the schedule, itemizes labour and copy charges, and keeps the calculation on the file.

Where do the records reside?
Entirely within your own Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant. Requests, responsive records, redactions, and audit history never leave your control — no third-party cloud and no vendor access.

Run the Tennessee Public Records Act in Your Own Tenant

Try AccessPoint free for 30 days, configured for Tennessee. No credit card required.

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