u/agentdw

Hi all,

I’m an out-of-state requester trying to get public records from a Tennessee city (Clarksville) related to an active government bid I’m participating in.

They denied/blocked the request unless I provide a Tennessee driver’s license or ID, saying only “Tennessee citizens” can access records under their policy (T.C.A. § 10-7-503).

Problem is:

• I’m not a TN resident
• I am a bidder on the project the records relate to
• So it’s not a random request

Is this normal in Tennessee FOIA practice?
Do agencies actually enforce the residency requirement like this?

Also curious if anyone has dealt with a workaround (proxy requester, etc.).