Smyrna, TN
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Most looked-up rules in Smyrna
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
📋 Other
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Barking Dogs
Light RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, no one can own, keep, or harbor a dog or cat that disturbs the peace and quiet of a neighborhood by loud and frequent barking, whining, or howling…
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 11-401 bars playing a radio, instrument, or amplified sound device so as to annoy or disturb others, particularly from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. It…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, building operations in a residential area are barred outside 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee has no single quiet-hours curfew. Section 11-401 bans unreasonably loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noise at all times and singles out 11:00 p.m. to 7:00…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 11-401 prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing, and unnecessary noise and names car stereos, rattling or grinding vehicles, and exhaust without a…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, Zoning Ordinance Section 1106 caps sound at the property line under a Table of Maximum Permitted Sound Levels keyed to the adjacent land use and…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, a lot under five acres is in violation once grass or weeds reach a height of one foot or more. The fine is up to $50 for each day plus court costs…
Tree Trimming
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 16-102 makes it unlawful for a property owner or occupant to allow tree limbs to project over a street or alley at a height of less than 14 feet, or…
Water Restrictions
Few RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County and its water providers have not imposed mandatory watering restrictions; conservation is voluntary. Tennessee sets no statewide homeowner watering ban. During…
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyOnce a tree in unincorporated Rutherford County is designated on an approved tree preservation plan, Zoning Ordinance Section 1104 G.3 requires a 3-foot minimum protective barricade…
🚗 Parking Rules
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee caps residential property at five motorized vehicles under Municipal Code § 15-605, and the definition counts campers, trailers, golf carts, airplanes and…
Loading Zones
Light RestrictionsUnder § 15-614 of the Smyrna Municipal Code, a driver in a place the Town has marked as a loading and unloading zone can park only for the expeditious loading or unloading of…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, Municipal Code § 15-604 bars parking in front of a public or private driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an…
Overnight Parking
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 15-608 makes it unlawful to park any vehicle on any street between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless the vehicle sits in a designated and marked…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsSmyrna, Tennessee requires motorized vehicles on residential property to sit on a paved, concreted, rock, or gravel driveway, another engineered porous surface, or inside a roofed…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, no one can park, store, or leave an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, rusted, or junked motor vehicle on public or private property for…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Significant RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee bars parking a commercial-use motor vehicle over 12,000 pounds gross vehicular rated weight on a public street in a residential zoning district or on any…
Towing & Impound Rights
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee rewrote its towing law twice in two years. The Modernization of Towing, Immobilization, and Oversight Normalization Act of 2025, at T.C.A. §§ 55-31-101 to 55-31-307, deleted…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsRecreational fires in the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, need no permit if the open fire sits at least twenty-five (25) feet from any structure or combustible material and the fuel area…
Fireworks
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, allows only D.O.T. Class C Common/1.4G consumer fireworks, sold at retail from June 20 through July 5 and December 20 through January 2. Title 7, Chapter…
Outdoor Burning
Significant RestrictionsOpen burning in the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, needs a permit from the Fire Department unless an exemption applies. Title 7, Chapter 5 sorts permits into land clearing, residential…
Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyTennessee sets no wildfire defensible-space or brush-clearance mandate for homeowners in Rutherford County. Overgrowth is handled as a nuisance/high-grass matter, and any cleared brush…
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee makes the 2008 NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code its statewide minimum standard for propane storage and handling, enforced by the State Fire Marshal's Division of Fire…
Wildfire Zones
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee Division of Forestry has statewide authority over wildfire prevention, declares hazard seasons, and may issue burn bans during drought conditions affecting all residents.
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Chickens & Livestock
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, no one can keep chickens, other domestic fowl, cows, horses, goats, or similar livestock within 1,000 feet of any residence, place of business, or…
Cat Rules
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful to own, keep, or harbor a cat that is not vaccinated against rabies and registered under the state Anti-Rabies Law, or that does not…
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful to knowingly permit a dog you own or control to run at large within the corporate limits. Owners can be prosecuted even after a loose…
Breed Restrictions
Light RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, the code regulates a dog by behavior, not breed: no one can own or keep a dog known to be vicious or dangerous unless it is confined or securely…
Pet Store Rules
Heavy RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful for a retail pet store to sell or offer for sale a dog or cat. Stores can host a shelter or rescue's adoption showcase if they hold no…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyThe county has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but the PAWS Rules make neglect and cruelty unlawful and let officers seize animals kept without adequate food, water, shelter…
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyUnincorporated Rutherford County splits veterinary uses in two: large-animal veterinary services need a Board of Zoning Appeals special exception in the AR and RL districts, while…
Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee's Apiary Act of 1995 requires every beekeeper who owns one or more colonies to register each apiary location with the state apiarist, then re-register every three years. New…
Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
Garage Conversions
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyConverting a detached garage or accessory building into living space in unincorporated Rutherford County is treated as creating an accessory dwelling unit. It is allowed only where the…
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is allowed by-right in any residential district on a lot of at least one acre, with only one ADU per single-family…
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, a shed and other detached accessory structures must sit at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, stay out of the front yard unless the…
Tiny Homes
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyThere is no separate tiny-home rule in unincorporated Rutherford County. A permanent tiny dwelling is regulated either as a single-family home or, on a lot with an existing house, as…
ADU Rental Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County won't let you rent an accessory dwelling unit to just anyone. Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q.2.a requires the ADU to be occupied by the owner's family members, as the…
ADU Owner Occupancy
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, an accessory dwelling unit is not investment property: Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q.1.a requires the property owner to actually live in either the…
ADU Impact Fees
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyAdding an accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Rutherford County triggers a county development tax under Zoning Ordinance § 1101 Q.1.d, on top of a recorded use covenant and extra…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Short-Term Rental Permits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyBefore renting, you must obtain an initial business license through the Rutherford County Clerk (and your city) and register for state and local taxes. Airbnb, VRBO, and privately…
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County hosts owe three taxes: state business tax on gross receipts, state and local sales tax, and a 5% occupancy (hotel/motel) tax paid monthly to the county and city…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyEvery residential pool in unincorporated Rutherford County must be enclosed by a barrier at least four feet high. Tennessee follows the 2018 IRC Appendix G, requiring a 48-inch barrier…
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa holding more than 24 inches of water needs a building permit from County Building Codes, and the owner signs a…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Retaining Walls
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyRetaining walls are allowed within required yards in all Rutherford County zoning districts as a permitted obstruction, provided they do not impede the vision triangle or block natural…
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, residential fences may not exceed 8 feet in side and rear yards. Front-yard fences may reach 8 feet only if of transparent construction (split…
Material Restrictions
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, the Zoning Ordinance bans barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire and electrified fencing on residential property, along with plywood, scrap…
Neighbor Fence Rules
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee's partition fence statute requires adjoining landowners using land for crops or livestock to share fence costs equally. The law applies statewide and cannot be overridden by…
💼 Home Business
Home Daycare
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, a private home may care for up to four children without a state license as a by-right accessory use under Zoning Ordinance Section 403 A.2.i…
Customer Traffic Restrictions
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County caps client traffic at a minor home-based business under Section 1101 N.2.e: no more than 5 customer or client visits in any single day, and no more than 2 customers…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountySection 1101 N of the Zoning Ordinance lets a home-based business operate inside a residential dwelling or its accessory building in unincorporated Rutherford County, but bars any…
Signage Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, a major home-based business approved by special exception may post only one sign, capped at five square feet, and it must be attached to the…
Cottage Food Operations
Few RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee runs one of the loosest cottage food regimes in the country. The Tennessee Food Freedom Act, T.C.A. § 53-1-118, exempts homemade food items from state licensing, permitting…
Home Kitchen Operations
Few RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Stormwater Management
Significant RestrictionsTitle 14, Chapter 6 of the Smyrna Municipal Code, the Stormwater Management Ordinance, governs all properties within the corporate limits of the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee. Development…
Erosion Control
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, a grading permit from the Public Works Department is required when land disturbing activity disturbs one or more acres, and smaller jobs are covered…
Flood Zones
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, a development permit is required before any grading, filling, or construction begins in a Special Flood Hazard Area. New structures must be…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, new homes and substantially improved residences in AE flood zones must have their lowest floor built at least 3 feet above the Base Flood…
🚷 Public Conduct
Jaywalking
Light RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 15-509 bars a pedestrian from starting to cross the roadway on a Wait or Don't Walk signal, and gives a pedestrian on the Walk signal the…
Loitering Rules
Light RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful to stand, sit, or engage in any activity on a public street, sidewalk, bridge, or public ground in a way that blocks the free passage…
Aggressive Panhandling
Significant RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, bans panhandling at bus stops, sidewalk cafés, schools, near bank entrances and ATMs, near building entrances, on posted private property, and on any day…
Public Alcohol Use
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful to drink, consume, or hold an open can or bottle of beer or intoxicating liquor on any public street, alley, sidewalk, public park…
🔧 Building Safety
Green Building Code
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee adopts the International Energy Conservation Code, 2024 edition, by reference in Title 12, Chapter 7 of its municipal code. The Town Council edited four…
Building Inspections
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, the codes enforcement and inspection division enforces the building, plumbing, gas, housing, and health codes and issues building and occupancy…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee adopts the National Electric Code, 2017 edition, in Title 12, Chapter 11, with local edits. Only designated circuits are energized after a service release…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, adopts the 2024 International Plumbing Code with local amendments: 100% in the permit fee refund section, a sewer depth of 12, a water service pipe of 1…
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Few RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, the Town Council adopted the 2024 International Residential Code but deleted Section R309, Automatic fire sprinkler systems, in its entirety. The…
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, adopted the 2024 International Building Code and International Residential Code on March 10, 2026, and set the work-exempt-from-permit thresholds at 100…
Childcare Center Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyA child care center in unincorporated Rutherford County must provide an on-site loading and unloading area so parents' vehicles never back onto a street or sidewalk, and must show…
📋 Code Violation Reporting
Common Violations
Some RestrictionsTitle 13, Chapter 1 of the Smyrna Municipal Code lists the everyday nuisance violations in the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee: open storage of appliances and rubbish, litter on construction…
Response Times
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, a property owner who receives a written nuisance notice from the building official has ten days from mailing or service to request a hearing before…
How to Report
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyAnyone who sees a zoning violation in unincorporated Rutherford County can file a written complaint with the Director of Building Codes under Zoning Ordinance Section 1410 A. The…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Some RestrictionsSection 13-104 of the Smyrna Municipal Code lets the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee clean an overgrown or dirty lot at the owner's expense after a ten-day notice, and place a lien on the…
Property Blight
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, it is unlawful for an owner of record to create, maintain, or permit a structure that is unfit for human occupation because of dilapidation, fire…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, makes it unlawful to steal, pilfer, or rummage through materials deposited in a recyclable material collection facility. Recycling centers are also…
Yard Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee provides free chipper service to residential citizens inside the corporate limits under Municipal Code § 17-108. Limbs cannot exceed six inches in…
Illegal Dumping
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, Municipal Code § 17-107 bans disposing of refuse in any quantity, in any public or private place, other than at the sites the Town Council designates…
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 11-401(1)(m) bars garbage pick-up by commercial garbage and waste businesses from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 10:00 p.m…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 17-104 requires refuse containers to sit adjacent to and back of the curb at scheduled collection times, and within six feet of the alley line where…
Recycling Requirements
Light RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee sets a statewide goal to cut per-capita municipal solid waste sent to landfills and incinerators by 25 percent, enforced against each of the state's municipal solid waste…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Obstruction Rules
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, Municipal Code § 16-101 bars any person from using or occupying a public street, alley, sidewalk, or right-of-way to store, sell, or exhibit goods…
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 16-109 requires occupants of property abutting a sidewalk to keep it clean and, immediately after snow or sleet, to remove accumulated snow and ice…
Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 16-210 requires a permit from the Director of Public Works to cut, build, or maintain a driveway across a curb or sidewalk. A driveway cannot exceed…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Parade Permits
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 16-110 makes it unlawful to parade without a permit from the Chief of Police. Applications are due at least seven days ahead with a $100 processing…
Street Fair Rules
Significant RestrictionsRutherford CountyA carnival, circus or street fair on unincorporated Rutherford County land needs a Board of Zoning Appeals temporary use permit issued as a Special Exception. Section 1101 M.1 caps…
📢 Noise from Specific Sources
Delivery Truck Noise
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee has no delivery-truck rule by name. Section 11-401 bans loud and excessive noise from loading or unloading any vehicle, and bars commercial garbage…
Generator Noise
Light RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee does not name generators, but § 11-401(1)(g) requires the exhaust of any stationary internal combustion engine to pass through a muffler or other device…
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, outdoor HVAC equipment counts as a permitted yard obstruction under Section 1101 C.2.e only if it sits at least 18 inches from the property line…
🛏️ Homelessness & Encampment Rules
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
No-Knock Registry
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, a commercial solicitor cannot enter or remain at a home that is on the town's no-solicitation registry or that has a clearly posted sign. The Town…
Solicitor Permits
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, no peddler, street barker, solicitor or transient vendor can work without a permit under Title 9, Chapter 1. A separate permit is required for each…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Vending Zones
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, a permitted peddler or vendor gets no exclusive right to a location in the public streets and cannot hold a stationary spot there. Operating in a…
Food Truck Permits
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee Department of Health regulates mobile food units statewide through Rule 1200-23-01, requiring food service permits, commissary agreements, and inspections that cities cannot…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Repairs & Habitability
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee sets habitability standards through the International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 edition, adopted in Section 12-801 with local edits. Those edits fix…
Eviction Notice & Process
Some RestrictionsTennesseeIn 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…
Landlord Entry & Notice
Some RestrictionsTennesseeIn 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…
Late Fees & Grace Periods
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeIn 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…
Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate
Some RestrictionsTennesseeIn 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…
Rent Control
Few RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Rental Registration
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee's Short-Term Rental Unit Act limits how local governments can regulate vacation rentals and grandfathers properties operating before local bans took effect.
Security Deposit Rules
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🛴 Mobility & Curb Rules
Shared E-Scooter Rules
Heavy RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee prohibits shared dockless scooters and bikes town-wide. Section 15-802 makes it unlawful to provide or offer a Dockless Small Vehicle anywhere within the…
Golf Carts & Low-Speed Vehicles
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Adult Entertainment
Heavy RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, no adult-oriented establishment can operate without a town license processed through the Police Chief, and no license issues unless the premises are…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Significant RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County bans automobile and vehicle repair as a home-based business in unincorporated areas. Zoning Ordinance § 1101 N.2.f lists it among activities the Planning Director…
Tobacco Retail License
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee regulates vapor product retailers under T.C.A. 39-17-1504 and related statutes, requiring age verification, restricting youth access, and prohibiting sales to those under 21.
🪧 Sign Regulations
Political Signs
Few RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, temporary non-commercial signs, including political and campaign signs, may be posted on any residential lot at any time. On lots of five acres or…
Garage Sale Signs
Few RestrictionsRutherford CountyGarage and yard-sale signs are temporary signs under Section 1206 of the Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance. They must be removed within 48 hours of no longer serving a purpose, cannot…
Freeway-Facing Signs
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyGround signs facing I-24 in unincorporated Rutherford County get their own category under Zoning Ordinance Section 1205 B.3.g: one Interstate On-Site Ground Sign per lot, up to 200…
Window Signs
Light RestrictionsRutherford CountyWindow signs in unincorporated Rutherford County don't need a sign permit, but Zoning Ordinance Section 1205 A.7 caps their total area at 25 percent of the window or glass door they're…
Digital Billboards
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, electronic message signs are regulated as automatic changeable copy under Zoning Ordinance Section 1205 G, not banned outright. The county requires…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyThe Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance defines light trespass as light from an outdoor luminaire that shines beyond the property at a brightness exceeding 0.1 foot-candles at the…
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyRutherford County has no formal dark-sky ordinance, but its zoning performance standards require all site lighting to be shielded so that substantially all directly emitted light falls…
Billboard Lighting
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyOff-premise billboards along I-24 in unincorporated Rutherford County must use external lighting only, with no internal illumination, under Zoning Ordinance Section 1205 B.3.i.v. The…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyUnincorporated Rutherford County's Table 1 sets residential setbacks by district: AR requires a 50-foot front, 20-foot rear and 10-foot side yard, tightening to a 30-foot front and…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, the maximum building height is 35 feet in the AR, RL, and RM residential districts (45 feet in RMF Multi-Family). Accessory structures also may not…
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyUnincorporated Rutherford County caps how much of a lot a building can cover by district: 20% for residential uses in the AR and RL districts and 40% flat in the RM district, per Table…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Board Governance
Some RestrictionsRutherford CountyIn unincorporated Rutherford County, a minor subdivision of up to three lots off a private street or road easement can skip full Subdivision Regulations compliance only if the…
Assessment & Dues
Few RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsTennesseeA 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…
EV Charger Rights
Few RestrictionsTennesseeSince 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…
Flag Display Rights
Light RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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'…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeA 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…
Rental Restriction Limits
Light RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeBecause Tennessee prohibits marijuana sale and distribution, no recreational or full medical dispensaries may legally operate, and municipalities cannot authorize dispensary land uses…
Home Cultivation
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee prohibits all marijuana cultivation, possession, and personal use under Tenn. Code Title 39 Chapter 17, leaving no authority for municipalities to legalize home growing.
💼 Employment Preemption
Minimum Wage Preemption
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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.
Paid Leave Preemption
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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.
Worker Scheduling Preemption
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee preempts local predictive scheduling and fair workweek ordinances under T.C.A. 50-2-112, preventing cities from regulating private employer scheduling practices.
🔫 Firearms
Concealed Carry
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Local Firearms Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeOpen 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.
Firearms in Vehicles
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Social Gambling Rules
Heavy RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee'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…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeThe 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…
Recording Police
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Stop & Identify Laws
Light RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Few RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Lane Splitting & Filtering
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsTennesseeA 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…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…
Window Tint Limits
Some RestrictionsTennesseeTennessee 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…