Where to file bankruptcy in Tennessee

Which Tennessee court you file in, its divisions and phone, and what happens after you file.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Each court lists which counties go to which office: Eastern District https://www.tneb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations, Middle District https://www.tnmb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations, Western District https://www.tnwb.uscourts.gov/TNW/Locations.aspx.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 3
Courts: Eastern District, Middle District and Western District

Tennessee bankruptcy courts and divisions

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

Divisions: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Greeneville, Winchester

Clerk's phone: (423) 752-5163

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

Divisions: Nashville (court locations also list Cookeville and Columbia)

Clerk's phone: (615) 736-5584

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Divisions: Western Division (Memphis), Eastern Division (Jackson)

Clerk's phone: 901-328-3500 (Memphis); 731-421-9300 (Jackson)

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Kentucky: Eastern District and Western District
Alabama: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District
Georgia: Northern District, Middle District and Southern District

Your next steps in Tennessee

Pick the right court
You file where you lived for most of the last 180 days.
Check local rules
Local forms and rules are on Eastern District, Middle District and Western District.
Get your counseling certificate
You need the certificate when you file. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Get the forms ready
The forms are free: official bankruptcy forms.
Ask for free help
Legal aid can help for free: HELP4TN (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services): free legal help finder and helpline and Knoxville Bar Association (listed by the Eastern District court).

Free help in Tennessee

Questions about filing in Tennessee

Where do I file bankruptcy in Tennessee?

What is the median income for the means test in Tennessee?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $63,979; 2 people: $82,846; 3 people: $97,511; 4 people: $109,585; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Tennessee?

HELP4TN (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services): free legal help finder and helpline, Knoxville Bar Association (listed by the Eastern District court) and Chattanooga Bar Association (listed by the Eastern District court).

Keep reading about Tennessee

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

After you file: the meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Credit counseling and debtor education

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Tennessee

Short answer

Tennessee bankruptcy courts and divisions

In nearby states

Your next steps in Tennessee

Pick the right court

Check local rules

Get your counseling certificate

Get the forms ready

Ask for free help

Free help in Tennessee

Questions about filing in Tennessee

Keep reading about Tennessee