Tennessee Ordinances (2026)

Tennessee enforces the International Residential Code with Appendix Q for tiny houses statewide, setting minimum construction standards local governments cannot weaken.

Tennessee animal cruelty statutes apply uniformly statewide and treat aggravated cruelty as a felony, allowing prosecution of hoarding cases regardless of city or county ordinances.

Tennessee's Right to Farm Act shields established agricultural operations, including livestock and poultry, from local nuisance ordinances and most municipal restrictions on existing farms statewide.

Tennessee state law sets baseline dog-at-large and dangerous dog standards, but enforcement and leash specifics are largely delegated to counties and municipalities under T.C.A. Title 44.

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 ordinance.

Tennessee prohibits feeding bears statewide and restricts baiting of deer, turkey, and elk on TWRA-managed lands, with statewide TWRA rules overriding local feeding policies.

Tennessee state law requires airport zoning regulations that limit structure height near public airports. These FAA-aligned rules apply uniformly and override conflicting municipal zoning.

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

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 state law authorizes municipalities to adopt juvenile curfews and sets default ages and parental responsibility provisions applicable across the state.

Commercial drone pilots in Tennessee must comply with FAA Part 107 nationwide and adhere to state-specific privacy, surveillance, and trespass statutes that preempt most municipal restrictions.

Tennessee preempts most local drone regulation under Tenn. Code 39-13-902 and 39-13-903, restricting cities to limited authority while state law and FAA rules govern recreational unmanned aircraft operations.

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's Water Quality Control Act and TDEC rules require erosion and sediment controls on regulated construction sites, with state inspectors empowered to enforce requirements regardless of city limits.

Tennessee's flood control statutes and NFIP participation require local floodplain management ordinances meeting state and federal minimum standards, with TDEC oversight ensuring uniform baseline protection.

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation administers NPDES stormwater permits statewide, requiring construction sites disturbing one or more acres to obtain coverage regardless of municipal jurisdiction.

Tennessee'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 local ordinance.

Tennessee adopts the International Residential Code, which mandates four-foot barriers around residential pools statewide. Local jurisdictions may add stricter rules but cannot weaken the state minimum.

Tennessee licenses fireworks retailers and regulates consumer fireworks statewide under the Fireworks Act, while permitting cities to restrict or ban discharge within municipal boundaries.

Tennessee Division of Forestry requires burn permits during wildfire season for any outdoor burning of leaves, brush, or debris, with criminal liability for escaped fires.

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

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 permits available.

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 rules.

Tennessee Department of Health regulates mobile food units statewide through Rule 1200-23-01, requiring food service permits, commissary agreements, and inspections that cities cannot waive.

Tennessee's Domestic Kitchen statute permits home production of non-potentially-hazardous foods for direct sale, with statewide labeling and sales channel rules that local governments cannot override through zoning bans.

Tennessee Department of Human Services licenses family child care homes statewide, and local zoning cannot prohibit small home daycares serving up to seven children when state licensing standards are met.

Tennessee requires private employers with 35 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify program to confirm work authorization under T.C.A. 50-1-703.

Tennessee bans sanctuary policies statewide under T.C.A. 7-68-101 and following, requiring local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities or lose state funding.

Tennessee law permits residential rainwater collection without state permits and encourages it as a water conservation measure under green building incentives.

Tennessee's Heritage Tree program identifies historically significant trees but leaves most private tree removal regulation to local governments.

Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation administers statewide drought response and authorizes water systems to impose mandatory conservation restrictions.

Tennessee Department of Agriculture maintains a state noxious weed list and requires landowners to control listed species under quarantine and eradication authority.

Aircraft noise in Tennessee is governed by federal law under FAA authority. Neither the state nor municipalities may regulate flight operations, altitude, or in-flight noise emissions.

Tennessee state law treats persistent barking as a nuisance, while specific decibel limits and quiet hours are set by counties and municipalities under home rule authority.

Tennessee Code Title 55 Chapter 16 governs abandoned vehicles statewide, defining when vehicles may be towed, requiring notice to owners, and setting redemption rights that apply uniformly across all Tennessee municipalities.

Tennessee statutes regulate electric vehicle charging infrastructure, parking enforcement at charging stalls, and IFTA-equivalent fees, with consistent statewide treatment of public charging access.

Tennessee state law in T.C.A. Title 13 authorizes municipalities to declare and abate blighted property, but sets statewide due process and notice procedures cities must follow.

Tennessee follows the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act statewide and does not require just cause for ending a tenancy after lease term expiration.

Tennessee state law expressly prohibits any city, county, or local government from enacting rent control ordinances on private residential or commercial property.

Tennessee's Short-Term Rental Unit Act limits how local governments can regulate vacation rentals and grandfathers properties operating before local bans took effect.

Tennessee limits local zoning interference with bona fide farm operations under T.C.A. 13-7-114 and Right to Farm protections in T.C.A. 43-26-103, preserving rural land use rights.

The Tennessee Right to Farm Act under T.C.A. 43-26-103 protects established farms from nuisance suits when operations existed for at least one year before the complaint.

Tennessee's Short-Term Rental Unit Act protects rentals lawfully operating before local ordinances take effect, limiting how cities can require new permits or revoke existing ones.

Tennessee imposes statewide sales tax on short-term rental stays and authorizes local hotel-motel occupancy taxes, with marketplace facilitators required to collect on behalf of hosts.

Tennessee law protects display of political signs on private property during election periods and prohibits local ordinances that ban or unreasonably restrict campaign signage on residential lots.

Tennessee preempts local plastic bag bans and fees under T.C.A. 7-86-103, enacted in 2019, reserving auxiliary container regulation to the state legislature.

Tennessee bars local bans on polystyrene foam containers under T.C.A. 7-86-103, treating foam packaging as an auxiliary container reserved to state regulation.

Tennessee preempts local plastic straw bans through the auxiliary container definition in T.C.A. 7-86-103, leaving straw distribution unregulated at the municipal level.

Tennessee's solar access law in T.C.A. 66-9-205 voids HOA covenants that effectively prohibit residential solar collectors but allows reasonable aesthetic restrictions statewide.

Tennessee requires electrical permits for residential solar PV installations through the State Fire Marshal in jurisdictions without a local electrical inspector, applying uniformly statewide.

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 visitors.

Tennessee's Home Solicitation Sales Act regulates door-to-door sellers statewide with disclosure, contract, and three-day cancellation rules that apply alongside any local permit requirements.

Tennessee adopts the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code statewide, mandating four-foot barriers around residential pools with self-closing, self-latching gates as a uniform minimum.

Tennessee Department of Health regulates public swimming pools statewide under T.C.A. 68-14-101, requiring permits, lifeguard standards, and Virginia Graeme Baker drain compliance.

Tennessee prohibits the sale of tobacco, hemp, and vapor products to anyone under 21 under T.C.A. 39-17-1504, aligned with the federal Tobacco 21 standard adopted in 2019.

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 15.

Tennessee 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.