Lost & Found Services in Tennessee

Discover how to report or find lost items across major cities in Tennessee. We help you connect with local services, transportation hubs, and more.

Most Populated Cities in Tennessee

Nashville

Memphis

Knoxville

Chattanooga

Clarksville

Murfreesboro

How Lost & Found Works in Tennessee

Tennessee does not have one single statute that tells every finder exactly what to do with a lost wallet, phone, or bag, the way some states do. What governs a lost item in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, or Chattanooga is a mix of old common law duties, the state's general theft statute, and whatever policy the local police or sheriff's department has written down for its property room. Tennessee Code Section 8-8-501 gives county sheriffs authority to dispose of abandoned, stolen, or recovered property that nobody claims, and Section 39-14-103 makes knowingly keeping property that belongs to someone else a form of theft, but neither section spells out a statewide finder's process the way a dedicated lost property law would.

That gap gets filled at the city and county level. Knoxville Police, for example, publish a policy of holding found property for 90 days before the finder can even file a claim to keep it, and other Tennessee departments run their own timelines. Separately, the Tennessee Department of Treasury runs the Unclaimed Property Act for money, uncashed checks, and similar financial assets, which is a different track from a phone left in an Uber. ReportLost is an independent service. A free report creates a public listing; paid options add public-web monitoring, and the $25 team-assisted option also includes relevant local outreach. Agencies and venues set their own filing and holding procedures.

What the Law Says in Tennessee

No single statewide finder statute

Tennessee relies on common law duties and department policy rather than one dedicated lost property statute. A finder who discovers a wallet, bag, or device generally has an obligation to make a reasonable effort to return it or turn it in to local police, but the specific steps and deadlines are set by the city or county, not by a uniform state code section.

Theft of property, T.C.A. § 39-14-103

Tennessee's theft statute covers knowingly obtaining or exercising control over property that belongs to someone else with intent to deprive them of it. Courts and practitioners have applied this same theft framework to lost and mislaid property, so a finder who keeps something valuable instead of trying to return it or reporting it can face theft exposure, with classification tied to the value of the item.

Sheriff disposal authority, T.C.A. § 8-8-501

When recovered or abandoned property is not claimed, this section authorizes the county sheriff to dispose of it. Local police departments build their own hold periods around this authority, for example Knoxville's policy holds found items for 90 days and then gives the finder 10 days to file a claim before the property can be disposed of or released, unless the true owner claims it first.

Tennessee Unclaimed Property Act, T.C.A. §§ 66-29-101 to 155

This separate statute governs unclaimed money, uncashed checks, and similar intangible or financial property held by banks, employers, and other businesses, which gets reported to the state Treasury and searchable through ClaimItTN.gov. It is a different legal track from a lost phone or bag found in public, but Tennessee residents sometimes encounter both systems while searching for missing property.

Where items end up in Tennessee

Lost items in Tennessee tend to funnel through a handful of predictable places. Nashville International Airport and Memphis International Airport both run their own lost and found desks, as do smaller commercial airports around the state. Local transit agencies like WeGo Public Transit in Nashville, Memphis Area Transit Authority, and Knoxville Area Transit hold items left on buses and trolleys. Large venues such as Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium, the Grand Ole Opry, Broadway's honky tonk district, and Beale Street clubs collect items separately, and the Great Smoky Mountains region has its own park and visitor center lost and found points. City police property rooms in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga are usually the final stop once a rideshare driver, a bar, or a stranger turns something in. The city pages below list local contacts. ReportLost is independent; its free public listing, six-month automatic monitoring and twelve-month team-assisted option are described on the report form.

Lost something in Tennessee?

A free report creates a public listing. The $12 option adds six months of automatic monitoring, a ReportLost certificate, an anonymous case address, and QR stickers. The $25 option adds manual research, direct service contact, report submission, local social sharing, and 12 months of monitoring.

Report my lost item →

Tennessee Lost & Found FAQ

Do I get my item back if someone turned it in?

You generally need to prove the item is yours before a Tennessee police property room or a business lost and found will release it. That usually means describing something specific that would not be obvious to a stranger, like a passcode, a case detail, or a private message saved on the device, along with matching identification.

Is a reward mandatory in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee does not require owners to pay a reward to get lost property back. Offering one is always your choice, never a legal obligation.

What happens if nobody claims my lost item?

Local policy controls this, not a single state deadline. Under Knoxville's published policy, for instance, found property is held 90 days and then the finder has 10 days to file a claim, after which the department can dispose of it under the sheriff's disposal authority in T.C.A. § 8-8-501. Other Tennessee cities set their own timelines.

Can the person who found my item just keep it?

Not safely. Tennessee's theft of property statute, T.C.A. § 39-14-103, has been applied to people who knowingly keep lost or mislaid property instead of trying to return it, and the classification of the offense depends on the item's value. Turning it in to local police is the finder's safest route.

Is this the same as unclaimed money held by the state?

No. Tennessee's Unclaimed Property Act, T.C.A. §§ 66-29-101 to 155, deals with things like uncashed checks and dormant accounts held by banks and businesses, searchable through the Treasury's ClaimItTN.gov. A lost wallet, phone, or bag found in public goes through local police property rooms instead, which is the track ReportLost focuses on.

This page provides general information about Tennessee law as of publication and is not legal advice. Procedures vary by city and department, verify details with your local authorities. Last reviewed: July 2026.

All Cities We Cover in Tennessee

Each city page lists the local lost & found contacts and how to report a loss there.