Memphis, TN

City Code § 9-44-6 requires an approved UL- or FM-listed smoke detector in every existing apartment, condo, dormitory, townhouse, duplex unit, and every existing motel or hotel guest…

Memphis Code § 9-12-4(A) bans open burning of refuse, garbage, trade waste, trees, limbs, brush and salvage materials citywide, and flatly prohibits burning tires, vinyl, plastics…

Memphis's fire code amendments in City Code § 9-36-4 (adopting the 2021 International Fire Code) put the owner of any LP-gas container on the hook for the installation permit, cap…

Memphis requires a Fire Prevention Bureau permit for any fireworks, pyrotechnic, or flame-effect display, charging $25 plus standby-firefighter cost, and doubles that fee if the…

Memphis Code § 9-12-4(B)(1) lets residents burn for cooking, ceremonial, recreational or comfort-heating purposes, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces, without a permit, as long…

Unincorporated Shelby County property owners must cut rank weeds, grasses, and underbrush the county health department deems a health or traffic hazard. Growth over 12 inches is…

Tennessee Division of Forestry has statewide authority over wildfire prevention, declares hazard seasons, and may issue burn bans during drought conditions affecting all residents.

Memphis's vehicle noise ordinance sets no decibel limit for aircraft. Section 11-56-2(A) instructs officers measuring vehicle noise to disregard traffic, aircraft and other background…

Memphis Code § 9-68-3 prohibits using a drum, loudspeaker or other instrument to create noise for the purpose of attracting attention to a performance, show, sale or display of…

Memphis Code § 9-68-6 prohibits building erection, demolition, alteration, repair, and street or highway excavation in residential districts outside fixed hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m…

Memphis Code § 9-68-5 bans yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on public streets, with particular emphasis between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., whenever the noise annoys or…

Memphis Code § 9-68-7 makes it unlawful to keep any animal, bird or fowl whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs the comfort or repose of anyone nearby. There's no decibel…

Memphis Code § 11-32-15 requires every motor vehicle on city streets to run a muffler "in good working order and in constant operation" to cut excessive noise, smoke and gas; §…

Unincorporated Shelby County sets no decibel-meter reading anywhere in its noise law. County Code Article III instead bans any "unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise" and…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning lets veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, pet clinics, boarding facilities, shelters, and kennels operate only under strict outdoor-run limits…

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code lists animal hospitals and kennels, including animal grooming and boarding, among the uses that cannot operate as a home…

Memphis requires every dog and cat to be implanted with a registered microchip by six months old, or within 30 days of acquisition if the animal is older. Section 8-3-5 also makes…

Memphis requires every cat three months or older to have current proof of rabies vaccination, and it treats unidentified strays differently from owned cats. Section 8-5-10 lets Animal…

Memphis regulates how livestock and fowl, including backyard chickens, may be kept within city limits. Section 8-4-1 bars keeping any livestock or fowl without sufficient water…

Memphis Code § 8-16-10 makes it a misdemeanor to possess more than five companion animals while showing general disregard for their living conditions, including failing to provide…

Memphis makes it unlawful to kill or attempt to kill any wild bird within city limits, with a specific carve-out for pigeons. Section 8-4-4 lets residential and commercial property…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning permits backyard beekeeping but caps colonies by lot size, from 2 hives on a half acre or less up to 8 hives on a full acre or more, and every hive…

Memphis requires dog owners to keep animals leashed, fenced, or otherwise restrained at all times, both on their own property and in public. Section 8-3-6 spells out exact standards…

Memphis has no breed ban; instead Chapter 8-20 declares individual dogs dangerous or vicious based on bite or attack history, then forces owners into registration, insurance…

Memphis requires every dog and cat kept in the city to be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for a listed exemption or buys a fertile permit. Section 8-3-3 makes owning an…

Tennessee classifies wild animals into five classes under TWRA rules and prohibits private possession of Class I species like big cats and great apes statewide, regardless of city…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot, but a lot under 7,000 square feet cannot have one at all. On a lot between 7,000 square feet…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning keeps sheds and other accessory structures at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, bars them from the front yard in single-family and…

Converting a garage to living space in unincorporated Shelby County is governed by the Unified Development Code. If it creates a separate dwelling it is an accessory dwelling unit…

Unincorporated Shelby County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A permanent tiny house is regulated by the Unified Development Code as a single-family dwelling or, as a second unit…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning lets residents run a home occupation without a special permit as long as it stays clearly incidental to the home's residential use, involves no more…

UDC Section 2.7.4.B caps home-based businesses in Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County to one customer at the residence at a time, with group instruction handled separately under…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning treats in-home day care as a Civic Use with strict siting rules. A Group Day Care Home serving 5 to 12 children must sit on a connector street, an…

UDC Section 2.7.4.B(11) flatly bars any signage tied to a home occupation anywhere in Memphis or unincorporated Shelby County: 'No signage specifically associated with the home…

Homemade food producers in Shelby County are governed by the Tennessee Food Freedom Act (T.C.A. 53-1-118). Foods produced in a home kitchen under the Act are exempt from state…

Tennessee does not issue a microenterprise home kitchen permit because it does not require one. Under the Tennessee Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. § 53-1-118, producing and selling homemade…

Memphis caps stops in a marked loading zone at 30 minutes unless a vehicle is visibly and continuously loading or unloading. Businesses must apply to the city engineer and get…

Memphis fixes the price of a non-consent tow by ordinance instead of leaving it to the tow company. Chapter 6-88 caps a Class A tow of a passenger car or pickup at $225.00 when the…

Memphis regulates electric vehicle charging through the joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code. A private, non-fee charger is an accessory use allowed in any zoning…

Memphis lets the city council designate permit parking districts by resolution, exempting residents' vehicles displaying a valid permit from otherwise-applicable street parking…

Memphis code bars parking or storing boats, campers, trailers and other recreational equipment on any public street in a residential district, and separately bars leaving a recreation…

Memphis Code § 11-40-11(B) bars trucks, truck trailers, tractors and buses from parking or sitting unattended on any residential public street, though standard two-axle pickups, vans…

Memphis Code § 11-40-2 lists 16 places where a vehicle may never stop, stand or park: blocking a driveway, parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, sitting in an intersection or…

Memphis Code § 11-40-11(A) makes it unlawful to park, or knowingly permit parking, of any vehicle on a residential street for longer than 24 consecutive hours. The rule applies to all…

Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County share one zoning code, and its Access Management chapter caps residential driveway width at 16 feet where the driveway meets the street…

When a vehicle is wrecked or abandoned in a Memphis street or alley and obstructs traffic, the police division can have it towed to a designated storage lot and held until the owner…

Curb colors and parking markings in unincorporated Shelby County are set by official traffic control devices under Chapter 24, not by resident painting; owners must obey official…

Memphis doesn't set one citywide headcount for short-term rentals; instead, § 5-44-5(C)(1) makes each owner declare the 'maximum number of transient capacity per night' for their unit…

Short-term rental guests and owners in Memphis must follow the city's general noise ordinance under City Code § 5-44-6(A), now Chapter 9-68, which bars any 'unreasonably loud…

Memphis requires every short-term rental permit applicant to prove at least $1,000,000 in fire, hazard, and liability coverage before the city will issue a permit. City Code §…

Memphis requires short-term rental owners to register electronically or in writing with the Division of Public Works, disclosing insurance, a compliance-verification form, and a local…

Memphis makes a hosting platform solely liable for collecting and remitting STR occupancy and sales tax once it signs a voluntary collection agreement with the city under § 5-44-4(A)…

Memphis revokes a short-term rental permit after three violations of local law tied to the property's operation. City Code § 5-44-7 requires a court to have confirmed each violation…

Memphis short-term rental owners pay a 3.5% privilege tax on top of a $2.00-per-night marketing assessment under City Code § 5-44-4, plus a $300.00 non-refundable permit application…

Shelby County does not require the host to be present during a stay, but it does require a Responsible Party whose name and phone are posted in the unit and who answers complaints 24…

Shelby County's STR ordinance sets no annual cap on the number of nights a property can be rented. It requires a minimum stay by prohibiting paid stays under 24 hours, but does not…

In Memphis's Central Business Improvement District, fences and walls taller than four feet cannot be built within 30 feet of a public street right-of-way, except ornamental iron or…

Retaining walls in Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County are carved out of the Unified Development Code's fence and wall standards entirely. Sub-Section 4.6.7.A exempts them from…

Within Memphis's Central Business Improvement District, no fence may be built with razor wire, ribbon wire, concertina wire, or similar coiled wire, and no fence can cantilever beyond…

In unincorporated Shelby County fences must comply with the Unified Development Code and are reviewed by the Division of Planning and Development through the Develop901 portal; larger…

The Unified Development Code sets fence heights and materials but not private cost-sharing; in unincorporated Shelby County boundary-fence disputes and shared costs fall under…

Memphis Code §§ 9-92-2 and 9-92-12 require every public swimming pool to hold a $150 annual health department permit and to provide safety appliances, life buoys, life hooks, poles or…

In unincorporated Shelby County, a residential swimming pool needs a building permit from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement. The county enforces the…

Memphis bars topping any public tree and requires that any pruning done to fix a safety hazard, protect power lines, or clear street lighting follow ANSI pruning standards, per Code…

Memphis caps weeds, rank grass and noxious growth at 12 inches on lots up to two acres, and at six inches on grass walkways next to city streets. Owners who ignore a five-day cutting…

Memphis's tree ordinance, Chapter 12-70 of the Code, creates the seven-member Memphis Tree Board to advise on planting, maintenance, and conservation of public trees, and gives the…

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code favors native landscaping, directing that trees and shrubs be predominately hardy Tennessee native species and providing an…

Any exterior sign in Memphis's central business improvement district must clear a design review board process before a permit issues. City Code Chapter 12-36 divides downtown into 13…

Commercial, multi-family and mixed-use sites across Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County must curtail light pollution and skyglow under the joint Unified Development Code's outdoor…

Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County require non-residential and multi-family site lighting to stay off neighboring land under the joint Unified Development Code. The Backlight…

Digital billboards and electronic message boards in Memphis must run ambient light monitors that automatically dim the display at night and in cloudy weather. The Unified Development…

Memphis and Shelby County jointly maintain a Historic Overlay District (-H) that protects buildings, structures and sites of social, economic, political or architectural significance…

Any development within a Special Flood Hazard Area in Memphis or unincorporated Shelby County requires a development permit before work begins, under the joint Unified Development…

New residential construction and substantial improvements in a Memphis or Shelby County flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated at least 24…

Any construction activity in Memphis that disturbs one acre or more of land must obtain coverage under Tennessee's general NPDES construction stormwater permit and send the city a copy…

Memphis Code Chapter 13-40 bans dumping trash, petroleum products, paints, pesticides and 29 other listed contaminants into the city's storm sewer system, and declares any stormwater…

Billboards facing Interstate 40, 55 or 240 in Memphis are capped at 672 square feet and can only go up in Commercial Mixed Use-3, Central Business, Employment or Heavy Industrial zones…

In Memphis's Central Business Improvement District, permanent window signs can cover no more than 25 percent of the window they're on, and temporary window signs are capped at 15…

Within the Central Business Improvement District, Memphis flatly bans changeable-copy ground signs of any type, including digital cabinets on pole signs and portable electronic…

The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code treats a garage-sale sign as a temporary residential sign. In most single-family districts it must be 5 feet tall and 7…

Temporary holiday lights and decorations don't need a sign permit anywhere in Memphis, under the joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code. The exemption covers displays…

The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code lets any temporary sign carry a lawful noncommercial message, including a political or election message, without a…

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code lets homeowners install rooftop solar as an accessory use by right in every zoning district, no special permit needed, but…

Tennessee has no solar-access law overriding HOA covenants, so a homeowners association may restrict or prohibit rooftop solar panels. The Solar Access Law of 1979 (T.C.A. § 66-9-201…

Memphis residents who want to close a residential street or alley for a block party must get a Temporary Road/Alley Closure Permit from the Division of Engineering, costing $50 flat…

Anyone connected with a street fair or carnival in Memphis needs a permit from the director of police services before giving any exhibition inside the city. City Code § 6-4-3 makes…

Memphis parks, playgrounds, and other open spaces are reserved for recreational use; anyone wanting to hold a nonrecreational gathering, a rally, meeting, or similar event, needs…

Memphis requires a permit from the city permit office, issued after consultation with the police director, before anyone may hold a parade, race, or public assembly, per Code Sec…

Memphis requires anyone operating a tattoo establishment, or working as a tattoo operator or artist, to hold a health department permit under City Code § 6-76-2, backed by a…

Memphis requires a police-issued permit before operating any sexually oriented business, adult bookstores, cabarets, theaters, escort agencies and more, under City Code § 6-72-4, and…

Memphis requires anyone operating a massage institute, bathhouse, or working as a massage operator or bather to hold a permit issued by the city treasurer under Code of Ordinances Ch…

Memphis requires every pawnbroker to hold the state license under T.C.A. § 45-6-102 before opening, per City Code § 6-60-2, then layers on local rules: fixed business hours, a Sunday…

Memphis lets a private property owner tow a vehicle without the driver's consent only if warning signage is posted at every entrance and the towing company holds express written, and…

Memphis regulates secondhand dealers through mandatory daily police reporting: City Code § 6-68-3 requires every dealer to deliver police a description of each item bought the day…

Memphis and Shelby County zoning bars new smoke shops from locating within 1,320 feet of any school, place of worship, day care facility, or park, measured parcel to parcel. Vapor…

Memphis regulates electrical work under the 2018 Memphis and Shelby County Electrical Code, which adopts the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC) by reference along with locally drafted…

Every short-term rental in Memphis must have carbon monoxide detectors on each habitable floor and UL 217 smoke alarms in every sleeping area, per City Code § 5-44-6(B)-(C). The…

Memphis builds every construction and permit requirement on the 2015 ICC International Building Code, adopted by reference at Memphis Code Section 14-6-1. The city also locally adopted…

Memphis Code Section 14-14-1 adopts the 2015 ICC International Plumbing Code by reference, together with local amendments, as the 2018 Memphis and Shelby County Plumbing Code. The city…

Every Memphis day care center caring for five or more children for pay must register with the office of planning and development and win joint approval from the building official, fire…

Memphis requires every boiler and unfired pressure vessel in the city to be inspected on a fixed schedule under Code Section 14-12-16: power boilers annually inside and out…

Memphis's Fire Code amendments require monitored sprinkler systems to report through an approved central station under NFPA 72, extend floor control valve requirements from high-rise…

Memphis Code Section 14-16-47 makes the owner or lessee of every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter and amusement device responsible for keeping it in safe operating condition and for all…

Unincorporated Shelby County's version of a green building code is the 2021 ICC International Energy Conservation Code, adopted by reference and amended locally under Joint Ordinance…

Every Memphis property owner abutting a public street must build, repair and keep clean the sidewalk adjacent to their lot when the city engineer so orders. Where no curb and grade…

Memphis Code Section 12-24-2 makes it a misdemeanor to obstruct any sidewalk or walkway with boxes, barrels or other items that block public passage or make the walk unsafe. Bicycle…

Memphis requires a permit from the Division of Engineering before placing a street closure, easement, or encroachment in the public right-of-way, and charges a flat $250 processing fee…

City Code § 9-56-3 makes solid waste collection in Memphis exclusive to the city: no one else may collect, remove or dispose of solid waste here except a private collector holding a…

Every residential solid waste account in Memphis is assigned at least one 90-gallon recycle cart alongside its required 90-gallon garbage cart under City Code § 9-56-12, Note 1, and…

Memphis Code § 9-56-11 requires leaves, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and roots to go out in disposable containers or carts at the front property line, or the back line where…

Memphis Code § 9-60-2 bans throwing, dumping or depositing litter on any property, public or private, and on parkways, streets, parks or recreation areas unless the site is designated…

Memphis Code § 9-56-26.1 regulates commercial dumpsters in the downtown solid waste collection district bounded by the Mississippi River, Auction Street, Danny Thomas Boulevard and…

Memphis provides bulk waste pickup for items that do not fit in the standard roll cart. Residents must call 311 or use the Memphis 311 app to schedule a bulk pickup. Items should be…

Memphis collects your green garbage cart and gray recycling cart weekly on the same day, with twice-monthly Outside-the-Cart bulk pickup. Find your day in the Memphis Curbside…

Memphis provides curbside recycling collection through a separate blue recycling cart. Recycling is single-stream, meaning all accepted recyclables go in one cart. Accepted materials…

Memphis residents must place their city-issued roll cart at the curb with the handle facing the house and the opening facing the street. Carts must be at least 3 feet from mailboxes…

Memphis does not run its own business-tax classification system: it adopts Tennessee's Business Tax Act by reference and layers on two local rate carve-outs for contractors. The city…

Memphis doesn't levy a formal vacancy tax, but Code § 9-94-3(D) requires a $200 non-refundable annual registration fee per parcel for any single-family or condo property declared…

Memphis doesn't ban general loitering: it targets known drug dealers, drug purchasers, and gang members who loiter in a manner showing intent to sell, buy drugs, or engage in gang…

Memphis Code § 9-88-2 bans smoking in public elevators, MATA buses, hospital lobbies, theaters, and every restaurant seating 50 or more unless it maintains an adequate nonsmoking…

Memphis bans open containers and public consumption of alcohol on streets, sidewalks, and other city-controlled areas inside the Central Business Improvement District. Sec. 7-4-15…

Memphis Code § 11-28-4 bans mid-block jaywalking only between two intersections where traffic signals are actively operating: there, pedestrians must use a marked crosswalk. Everywhere…

Memphis bans panhandling in aggressive manners under City Code § 6-56-6: coming within three feet, touching without consent, using profane language, following after a refusal, blocking…

Skateboards are allowed on Memphis's downtown common mall area, the Main Street pedestrian mall, without a permit, but Sec. 12-48-7 puts real rules on how they're ridden there: riders…

Memphis runs no red-light camera program; its only automated photo enforcement targets speeding in active school zones and reverse "S" curves under Sec. 11-21-1. Cameras cite drivers…

Memphis Code § 11-24-9 bars drivers from parking, stopping or standing in a marked bicycle lane except where the city has posted signs allowing timed parking or the city engineer has…

Tennessee rebuilt this area in 2025. Public Chapter 255 repealed Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-8-191, the old low speed and medium speed vehicle section, effective April 24, 2025, and folded…

Memphis makes it a misdemeanor to panhandle while seated on or leaning against a public bench, planter, monument, or other public property, or against private property without…

Memphis charges a 4% privilege tax on hotel and motel room charges under City Code § 5-20-2, collected by operators and remitted monthly to the city treasurer. Small hotels are exempt…

Memphis Code Chapter 9-80 requires every business building and multifamily dwelling to be ratproofed and kept rat-free under the health officer's supervision. On written notice of a…

Memphis doesn't run its own food handler certification program. City Code § 9-52-89 instead requires every food handler in the city to meet the standard set by Tennessee's food…

Memphis regulates sharps and pathogenic waste from clinics, dental offices, blood banks and medical labs under City Code § 9-56-6(B): after use, needles must be broken off at the hub…

Anyone going house to house in Memphis to solicit money, subscriptions, or contributions for a charitable, religious, educational, or benevolent cause needs a permit from the Board of…

Tennessee enforces solicitation refusal at private residences through trespass law, allowing posted no-soliciting signs to create criminal liability for non-compliant door-to-door…

Memphis limits how loud trucks and buses can be anywhere in the city, on public or private property. Section 11-56-2 sets maximum sound levels by weight class: trucks and buses over…

The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code sets a separate minimum yard setback table for every residential zoning district, not one citywide number. In the R-15…

The joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code caps residential building height at 40 feet in the R-15 and R-6 single-family districts, dropping to 30 feet for the…

In unincorporated Shelby County the Unified Development Code caps cumulative accessory-structure footprint at 75 percent of the principal structure, and sets a 40 percent…

Memphis parks close to the public overnight under a seasonal curfew: 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from March 15 through October 31, and 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from November 1 through March…

Memphis bars minors from public streets, parks and other public places late at night: 17- and 18-year-olds face an 11 p.m. cutoff on weeknights (midnight weekends), while minors 16 and…

Memphis Code § 9-8-19 requires every occupied building's water lines, fixtures, vents, drains and sewer lines to be kept free of leaks and defects at all times, with repairs made to…

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code limits a dwelling to two garage or yard sales per calendar year, three consecutive days each, before a Temporary Use Permit is…

Memphis requires anyone selling food as a pedestrian vendor or push cart operator, from a non-motorized cart in a mall, shopping center, historic district, or city park, to get a…

No mobile food preparation vehicle may operate in Memphis without a permit issued under City Code § 9-52-86, which builds on the general food-establishment permit process of § 9-52-3…

Memphis confines mobile food preparation vehicles to specific zoning districts under City Code § 9-52-93, Office General, Commercial Mixed Use 1-3, Central Business, Campus Master…

The Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code sets aside a Conservation Agriculture (CA) zoning district to shield working farmland from encroaching development. Any parcel…

Memphis aggressively enforces blight through Code Enforcement under Ordinance No. 5708 (International Property Maintenance Code) and the Environmental Court. The Blight Elimination…

Memphis requires owners of vacant lots to maintain their properties free of high weeds, trash, and debris under Ordinance No. 5708 and the Memphis City Code. Grass and weeds on vacant…

Memphis requires anyone operating a short-term rental to obtain a permit from the Division of Public Works before advertising or renting the property, under City Code § 5-44-5. The…

In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-505 gives a tenant 14 days to cure nonpayment of rent or another remediable breach before the lease terminates. Dangerous or violent conduct allows…

In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-304 requires landlords to comply with building and housing codes, make repairs to keep the unit fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe…

In URLTA counties, a Tennessee landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice before entering to show the unit to prospective tenants in the last 30 days of tenancy, may enter without…

In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-201(d) caps any late fee at 10% of the rent past due and requires a five-day grace period before a fee may be charged. If the grace period ends on a…

In URLTA counties, Tenn. Code 66-28-512 lets either party end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, and a week-to-week tenancy…

Tennessee has no statewide rent control and no cap on rent increases. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102, no local government may enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance controlling…

Tennessee sets no statutory cap on security deposits. Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-301, landlords in counties over 75,000 must hold deposits in a separate account, let the tenant…

Tennessee adverse possession requires 7 years of possession when the claimant holds recorded color of title (Tenn. Code 28-2-101 to -102), or 20 years of open, continuous, hostile…

Because Tennessee prohibits marijuana sale and distribution, no recreational or full medical dispensaries may legally operate, and municipalities cannot authorize dispensary land uses…

Tennessee prohibits all marijuana cultivation, possession, and personal use under Tenn. Code Title 39 Chapter 17, leaving no authority for municipalities to legalize home growing.

Tennessee prohibits local governments from setting minimum wages above the federal floor under T.C.A. 50-2-112, reserving wage authority exclusively to the state.

Tennessee bars local governments from mandating paid sick or family leave on private employers under T.C.A. 50-2-112, leaving leave decisions to employer discretion.

Tennessee preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under T.C.A. 50-2-112, preventing cities from regulating private employer scheduling practices.

Tennessee allows permitless concealed and open carry for adults 21 and older (or qualified 18-20 year olds) under T.C.A. 39-17-1307 and 1351, with optional enhanced and concealed…

Tennessee law preempts virtually all local regulation of firearms, ammunition, and components, reserving authority exclusively to the state legislature under T.C.A. 39-17-1314.

Open carry of handguns is lawful in Tennessee under permitless carry, but rifles and shotguns are subject to general unlawful-carry rules in T.C.A. 39-17-1307.

Tennessee allows eligible adults to carry handguns openly or concealed in private motor vehicles without a permit under T.C.A. 39-17-1351 and 39-17-1307, preempting stricter local…

Tennessee bans gambling outright, but Title 3, Chapter 17 lets a qualifying 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) nonprofit run one raffle, reverse raffle, cakewalk, cake wheel, or bingo event per…

Tennessee's gambling statute contains no exemption for private, social, or friends-only wagering. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-501(1) defines gambling as risking anything of value on a…

Tennessee has no general homeowners' association assessment statute, so a subdivision HOA's dues, budget, and late fees come from its recorded declaration rather than from state law…

A Tennessee condominium association must hold at least one meeting of the members every year, and notice of any meeting must go out not less than 10 and not more than 60 days in…

Since July 1, 2026 a Tennessee homeowners' association may not prohibit a property owner from installing an electric vehicle charging station for personal use on the owner's own…

Tennessee law voids any homeowners' association covenant or rule that prohibits, or has the effect of prohibiting, a property owner from flying the flag of the United States or an…

Tennessee sets no dollar cap on association fines. The only fining statute in the state is T.C.A. § 66-27-402(a)(11) in the Tennessee Condominium Act of 2008, which lets a unit owners'…

A Tennessee condominium association has an automatic lien on a unit from the moment an assessment or a fine falls due, and T.C.A. § 66-27-415(a)(1) lets it foreclose that lien by…

Tennessee does not cap rentals, set a minimum lease term or fix a vote threshold for adopting a leasing amendment. What it does instead is grandfather you: under T.C.A. § 66-27-703 an…

The Tennessee General Assembly has never passed a checkpoint statute. The phrases sobriety checkpoint and checkpoint return zero results in a full-text search of the Tennessee Code…

Tennessee has never enacted a statute granting a right to record police, and a full-text search of the Tennessee Code turns up no such provision. What it has instead, since July 1…

Tennessee got its first identification statute on July 1, 2025, and it deliberately stops short of a duty to identify. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-611 lets an officer ask for your name…

Tennessee has not legislated on consent to search a vehicle. There is no statutory logging duty, no odor rule, and no clause saying lawful possession of anything cannot justify a…

Tennessee preempts local plastic bag bans and fees under T.C.A. § 7-51-2002 (enacted 2019), which makes the state the exclusive regulator of auxiliary containers such as bags.

Tennessee does not impose a statewide flavor ban on tobacco or vape products, and local flavor bans are generally preempted by uniform state licensing under Title 39, Chapter 17, Part…

Tennessee allows auxiliary road lighting lamps, but T.C.A. § 55-9-402(a)(2) lets only two of them burn at any one time on top of the two required headlights. Anything that shows to the…

Tennessee is one of the few states whose statute names the windshield as a lawful place to put a device. Section 55-8-199(b)(2)(A) permits a device "mounted on the vehicle's…

Tennessee prohibits lane splitting outright. Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-8-182(c) says no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of…

Tennessee draws a hard line on plate covers. Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-4-110(b) says no tinted materials may be placed over a license plate "even if the information upon the license plate…

A radar detector is legal to own, carry and use in a private passenger vehicle in Tennessee. A full text search of the Tennessee Code returns no provision using the phrase "radar…

Tennessee allows studded tires, but only during a fixed statewide season that runs from October 1 through April 15 each year. Outside that window Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-9-106(a) bans any…

Tennessee sets a single figure for every window on a car: aftermarket film may not drop visible light transmittance below 35 percent, and nothing except the manufacturer's standard…