Tennessee
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Tennessee. For more information, contact the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Hand-held Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| Yes (Primary) |
Learner or Intermediate License (Primary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | Yes | |||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and >20) in forward-facing infant seat; 4 - 8 (and <4'9") in booster seat; <8 (and <4'9") in rear seat if available; rear seat recommended for 9 - 12 | 9 - 15 (or <12 and >4'9") | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Office.
| Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment | |||
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| .20 | Mandatory for all convictions (eff. 7/1/13) |
Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | ||||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
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| Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Min. Duration (Months) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Nighttime Driving Restriction | Passenger Restriction (except family, unless noted) |
||
| 15 | 6 | 50 (10) | 16 | 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. | No more than 1 | 17 | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| 1967 | <16 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 5 | >60: fee reduced >65: no expiration |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >16 | Front | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| State Law |
| Permitted |
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Office.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Frequency | Legality |
| Yes | Once or twice a month | Upheld under state and federal Constitution |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violation / State Law | Permitted Locations/Criteria | Citation Issued To / Liability | Image Taken | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: Permitted (with limited exceptions) | Statewide except non-work zone interstates | Registered owner/ Registered owner |
Not addressed | Not reportable; no points ($50; points) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red light: Permitted (with limited exceptions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violations Affected | Enhanced Penalties | Workers Must Be Present | Signs Must Be Present |
| Speeding | $250-$500 | Yes | Yes |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Office.