Public Health Rules in Tennessee (2026)
17 rules on the books across Tennessee, 11 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Restaurant Grade Cards
Letter grade (A/B/C) public-display requirements for food facilities, what triggers a downgrade, and how the LA County DPH grading system works.
Rodent Control
Property owner duties to abate rats and mice, restrictions on second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (CA AB-1788), and integrated-pest-management standards.
Memphis
Significant RestrictionsMemphis Code Chapter 9-80 requires every business building and multifamily dwelling to be ratproofed and kept rat-free…
Read full rule →Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga's property maintenance code requires every structure to be kept free of insects and rodents, with the owner…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Some RestrictionsCity code makes it unlawful to let a property become filthy or breed rodents, flies, or other vermin to the menace of…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin makes it unlawful to let a property become filthy or attract flies, rodents, or vermin, treating unchecked…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsKnox County treats rodent or insect infestation as a public health and safety nuisance under Sec. 38-201. The Health…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville requires business buildings to be ratproofed and bans letting garbage or trash pile up if it could feed…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsTrailer courts in unincorporated Shelby County must actively control rodents and insects under Code § 26-142. Operators…
Read full rule →Rutherford County
Light RestrictionsUnincorporated Rutherford County has no general county-wide rodent ordinance, but the Zoning Ordinance requires every…
Read full rule →Sumner County
Light RestrictionsEvery mobile home community permitted in Sumner County's Mobile/Manufactured Home Community (MHC) district must be kept…
Read full rule →Syringe Disposal
How residents must dispose of home-generated sharps (insulin syringes, EpiPens), including kiosk locations and take-back-mailer programs.
Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville's solid waste code bars discarded hypodermic needles, syringes and other sharps from any garbage container…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis regulates sharps and pathogenic waste from clinics, dental offices, blood banks and medical labs under City…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro requires used needles, syringes, and lancets to go into a sealed hard-plastic or metal container before…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville requires physician's clinics, dental offices, blood banks and medical labs to separate needles from…
Read full rule →Food Handler Certification
CA Health & Safety Code §113948 food-handler-card requirement, retraining cycles, and how LA County DPH enforces certification at food facilities.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsEvery food service employee in Chattanooga must hold a health certificate from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin requires every employee of a retail beer permit holder to carry a current state health card for food handlers…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis doesn't run its own food handler certification program. City Code § 9-52-89 instead requires every food handler…
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