Tennessee court guide
Anger Management in Tennessee: General Sessions, Probation and Your Class
Will a Tennessee court take an online class?
There is no state list for anger management in Tennessee. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get a full refund if your certificate isn't accepted.
In Tennessee, most anger classes are ordered in General Sessions court, and probation may be run by the county or a private company. Either way, your probation officer says yes or no to a class. Here is what to ask first.
Tennessee at a glance
- Provider list
- No statewide list. The state certifies BIPs only.
- Typical length
- No standard. Often 8 hours; 12 or 16 when the court wants more.
- Domestic violence
- A certified BIP of 24+ weekly sessions. This class doesn’t satisfy it.
On this page
How Tennessee courts order an anger class
Tennessee judges add reasonable conditions to probation and diversion. No statute requires "anger management"; judges choose it case by case. You'll see it in:
- General Sessions misdemeanor probation. This is where most anger classes come from. Misdemeanor probation can last up to 11 months and 29 days per offense. Depending on the county, it is supervised by a county probation office or by a private probation company the county contracts with.
- Felony probation from criminal and circuit courts, supervised by the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC).
- Judicial diversion. The judge holds off on a conviction while you serve probation with conditions. Finish them and the charge can be dismissed.
- Pretrial diversion. You sign an agreement with the district attorney. Prosecution is on hold for up to two years while you complete conditions.
- "Retired" cases. Some courts take a case off the docket on the condition that you finish something, like a class, within a set time. Retired is not the same as dismissed. Ask your lawyer.
- Juvenile court, parenting plans and employers may ask for a class too.
Your probation order or diversion agreement is the paper that counts. It names the class, and sometimes the hours or provider.
Is there a Tennessee list of anger management providers?
No statewide list exists for anger management. The state's Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council certifies batterer intervention programs, not anger management classes.
What you will run into is local practice:
- Davidson County (Nashville). General Sessions probation publishes a treatment provider page, and the Sheriff's Office runs its own anger management class. Ask whether an outside online class can count.
- Private probation companies. In some counties a private company supervises misdemeanor probation, and you pay its fees, sometimes for classes too. If your company offers its own class, ask whether you may take a different one.
- Shelby, Knox and Hamilton counties: we found no published anger management provider list.
Good Standing Courses is not on any Tennessee state, county, court or probation provider list.
Not for domestic violence orders
Domestic assault means a BIP, not anger management
If your charge is domestic assault, Tennessee law points to a batterer's intervention program (BIP) certified by the Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council. An uncertified program can be used only when no certified one exists in the county. The council's rules call for at least 24 weekly group sessions of 90 minutes or more. Many programs run about 26 weeks.
When a BIP is ordered, an online anger management class does not satisfy it. Good Standing Courses is not a Batterer Intervention Program and is not certified by the council. If your order lists both, ask which provider counts for each part.
How long Tennessee anger classes usually are
Tennessee has no standard length. Your order or your officer sets it. Lengths you may see:
- 8 hours for many first misdemeanors and diversion agreements.
- 12 hours or 12 weekly sessions when the court wants more.
- 16 hours or more for repeat cases.
No hours on your order? Call your officer before you buy.
Choose your hours
$29
Warning signs, cooling down, your anger control plan
Enroll · $29 for the 4-hour class$49
+ hot thoughts, assertive talk, conflict, stress and alcohol
Enroll · $49 for the 8-hour class12 hours: see the 12-hour class
$65
+ anger at home, at work, on the road and online
Enroll · $65 for the 12-hour class16 hours: see the 16-hour class
$79
+ resentment, shame and guilt, mindfulness, staying on track
Enroll · $79 for the 16-hour class
Paperwork says "impulse control" or "decision making"? That's our Impulse Control & Decision Making class.
Court-accepted in most jurisdictions. Educational course, not therapy. Acceptance is decided by your court or officer. See a sample certificate
Ask before you buy
What to ask your Tennessee probation officer
- "Can I use an online, self-paced anger management class, or do I have to use a provider from your treatment provider list?"
- "Is my probation run by the county or by a private probation company, and does the company require its own class?"
- "How many hours, and is there a deadline before my probation ends or my next court date?"
- "Is this an anger management condition, or a batterer's intervention program condition?"
- If you're on diversion or your case was retired: "Does the district attorney's office or the court clerk need a copy too?"
Your officer can read our page for probation officers and check your certificate at /verify.
If your court says no
If your court, judge or probation officer doesn't accept your certificate, we refund 100% of the course fee. Send the written rejection within 60 days of finishing; the class you bought must match the type and hours in your order. Read the refund terms.
We never ask for your case number, court or date of birth. If you need them on the certificate, you type them into your own copy of the PDF.
Tennessee: questions and answers
Is there a court approved anger management list in Tennessee?
There is no state list for anger management in Tennessee. The state certifies batterer intervention programs only. Some probation offices publish their own provider pages. Our class is court-accepted in most jurisdictions, your officer decides, and you get a full refund if your certificate isn't accepted.
What's the difference between anger management and a BIP?
A BIP is a state-certified group program for domestic assault cases, about six months of weekly sessions. Anger management is a shorter class for anger that didn't involve a partner or family member. We only offer anger management.
My probation is with a private company. Can I still take your class?
Maybe. Ask your officer first. Some companies offer their own classes and may expect you to use them.
I'm on judicial diversion. Does the class help my case get dismissed?
Finishing your conditions leads to dismissal, and the class may be one of them. Ask your lawyer what's left. You can download a progress report any time.
Can my officer see that I actually did the hours?
Yes. Our timer only counts active time and logs every session on our server. Your officer enters the certificate ID and your last name at our verify page and sees the same hours and dates.