Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408 (2026)
Vandalism
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) For purposes of this section:
- (1) "Damage" includes, but is not limited to:
- (A) Destroying, polluting, or contaminating property;
- (B) Tampering with property and causing pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person;
- (C) Intentionally spilling, pouring, or otherwise administering chemicals or other toxic substances to or on the merchandise with the intent to:
- (i) Render the merchandise unusable or unsellable; or
- (ii) Alter the merchandise from its original or intended form;
- (D) Destroying, harming, or decreasing the value of merchandise offered for sale by a retail merchant in any other manner; or
- (E) Intentionally marring, marking upon, or defacing, in a temporary or permanent manner, state or local government property or any entrance or curtilage to or fixture on the property, with the exception of temporary marking of sidewalks;
- (2) "Merchandise" includes any goods, chattels, foodstuffs, or wares of any type of description, regardless of the value;
- (3) "Polluting" means the contamination by man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, or radiological integrity of the atmosphere, water, or soil to the material injury of the right of another. Pollutants include dredged soil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt, and industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste;
- (4) "Retail merchant" means any person primarily engaged in the business of making retail sales. For purposes of this subdivision (a)(4), "primarily" means that at least fifty percent (50%) of the taxable gross sales of the business are retail sales; and
- (5) "Retail sale" or "sale at retail" means any sale other than a wholesale sale.
- (1) "Damage" includes, but is not limited to:
- (b) A person commits the offense of vandalism who knowingly:
- (1) Causes damage to or the destruction of any real or personal property of another or of the state, the United States, any county, city, or town knowing that the person does not have the owner's effective consent;
- (2) Solicits, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another to commit vandalism of a retail merchant, while acting with the intent to promote or assist the commission of vandalism of a retail merchant, or to benefit in the proceeds or results of the offense;
- (3) Damages merchandise offered for retail sale by a retail merchant; or
- (4) Facilitates commission of vandalism of a retail merchant or acts as an accessory after the fact to vandalism of a retail merchant.
- (c)
- (1)
- (A) A person violating subdivision (b)(1) or (b)(3) is a principal under § 39-11-401 and shall be punished as for theft under § 39-14-105, after determining value under § 39-11-106.
- (B) In addition to any sentence imposed for a violation of subdivision (b)(1) or (b)(3), the court shall include an order of restitution for any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred as a result of the offense.
- (2) A person violating subdivision (b)(2) is a principal under § 39-11-402 and shall be punished as for theft under § 39-14-105, after determining value under § 39-11-106.
- (3) A person violating subdivision (b)(4) by facilitating a felony act of vandalism committed under subdivision (b)(1) or (b)(3), shall be punished one (1) classification lower than the value of the act of vandalism committed under subdivision (b)(1) or (b)(3).
- (4) A person violating subdivision (b)(4) as an accessory after the fact, under § 39-11-411, to a felony act of vandalism committed under subdivision (b)(1) or (b)(3) commits a Class E felony.
- (5) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1)(A), a person violating subdivision (b)(1) by intentionally marring, marking upon, or defacing, in a temporary or permanent manner, state or local government property or any entrance or curtilage to or fixture on state or local government property, where the value determination under § 39-11-106 is less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), commits a Class A misdemeanor, unless the state or local government property is designated as a historic landmark or listed on the national register of historic places, in which case the violation shall be punished in accordance with subdivision (c)(1). In addition, a second or subsequent violation of subdivision (b)(1) with respect to state or local government property shall be punished by a mandatory fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000).
- (1)
Amended by 2020EX2 Tenn. Acts, ch. 3, Secs.s6, s7, s8 eff. 8/20/2020.
Amended by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 183, s 1, eff. 4/17/2015.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1997 , ch. 284, § 3; 2005, ch. 353, § 16.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 101
cases (13 in the last 5 years), 1995–2026 · leading case: State v. Gentry, 538 S.W.3d 413 (Tenn. 2017).
State v. Gentry, 538 S.W.3d 413 (Tenn. 2017). “Defendant also argues that theft of real property is too severe a criminal offense to charge under the circumstances of this case and that other less severe criminal charges, such as criminal trespass, Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-405 (2014 & 2017 Supp.”
State v. Electroplating, Inc., 990 S.W.2d 211 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1998). “Both defendants were charged with violating Tennessee Code Annotated sections 69-3-114(b) and 69-3-115(c) by discharging chromium on September 4, 1994 (Count 1), and with felo-niously and knowingly causing property damage to Metropolitan Government's sewer system in violation of…”
S. Trust Ins. Co. v. Matthew Phillips, 474 S.W.3d 660 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2015). “See Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-14-408 (defining the offense of vandalism); § 39-14-301 (defining -the offense of arson).”
State v. Brooks, 909 S.W.2d 854 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “The offense of vandalism is defined in T.C.A. § 39-14-408 as follows: (a) Any person who knowingly causes damage to or the destruction of any real or personal property of another or of the state, the United States, any county, city, or town knowing that he does not have the…”
State v. Clark, 2 S.W.3d 233 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1998). “00), in violation of T.C.A. § 39-14-408, all of which is against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee.”
State v. Adams, 238 S.W.3d 313 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2005). “§ 39-14-408. The evidence at trial shows that the appellant was placed in the back seat of Officer Higginbotham’s patrol car.”
State of Tennessee v. Shane M. McAnally, 209 S.W.3d 639 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2006). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408 . In order to convict the appellant of vandalism, the State was required to prove that he knowingly caused damage to the sheriff’s patrol car.”
State of Tennessee v. Steven Swinford (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408 (b)(1), (b)(3).”
State of Tennessee v. Ellen Becker Goldberg (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “” T.C.A. § 39-14-408(b)(1). As charged here, damage includes “[d]estroying, polluting, or contaminating property” or “[t]ampering with property and causing pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person.”
State of Tennessee v. Noah Hamilton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408 (a). Damage is defined under this section as “[d]estroying, polluting, or contaminating property; or .”
State of Tennessee v. Marcellus Hurt (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408 (a)(1)(B). In the instant case, however, the victim was not giving his opinion on the value of his car but was testifying regarding the cost of the repairs to the vehicle.”
State of Tennessee v. Don Birdwell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010). “T.C.A. § 39-14-408, Sentencing Comm’n Comments; id.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(2) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Anthony Noe (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(a) — 20 cases
State of Tennessee v. Thomas Bolton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2014).
State of Tennessee v. John Lindsey, III (Tenn. Crim. App. 2012).
State of Tennessee v. Aaron Benard Barnett (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
State of Tennessee v. Courtney Hunt-Guy, A/K/A Courtney Hunt (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010).
Larry Darnell Pinex v. State of Tennessee (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(a)(1) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Alexander Friedmann (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(a)(1)(A) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. John Edward Dawson (Tenn. Crim. App. 2016).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(a)(1)(B) — 2 cases
State of Tennessee v. David Byron Alexander, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020).
State of Tennessee v. Dung Tran (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(a)(2010) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Glen Sewell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(b) — 3 cases
State of Tennessee v. Darren Antonio Smith (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
State of Tennessee v. Anthony Noe (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997).
State of Tennessee v. Marty Mitchell Clark (Tenn. Crim. App. 2006).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(b)(1) — 15 cases
State of Tennessee v. Ellen Becker Goldberg (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “” T.C.A. § 39-14-408(b)(1). As charged here, damage includes “[d]estroying, polluting, or contaminating property” or “[t]ampering with property and causing pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person.”
State of Tennessee v. Adam Christopher Butler (Tenn. Crim. App. 2016).
State of Tennessee v. Mark L. Watson (Tenn. Crim. App. 2017).
State of Tennessee v. Douglas Beauregard (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018).
State of Tennessee v. David Byron Alexander, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(b)(1)(A) — 3 cases
State of Tennessee v. Thomas Bolton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2014).
State of Tennessee v. Randy Ray & Bobby Pryor (Tenn. Crim. App. 2003).
State of Tennessee v. Jason Lee Fisher (Tenn. Crim. App. 2013).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(c) — 6 cases
State of Tennessee v. Michael Dean Sexton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2017).
State of Tennessee v. John Lindsey, III (Tenn. Crim. App. 2012).
State of Tennessee v. Thomas Bolton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2014).
State of Tennessee v. Glen Sewell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
State of Tennessee v. Darren Antonio Smith (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(c)(1) — 10 cases
State of Tennessee v. Ellen Becker Goldberg (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “” T.C.A. § 39-14-408(b)(1). As charged here, damage includes “[d]estroying, polluting, or contaminating property” or “[t]ampering with property and causing pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person.”
State of Tennessee v. Terrance Patterson (Tenn. Crim. App. 2007).
State of Tennessee v. Douglas Beauregard (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018).
State of Tennessee v. Daniel Earl Gentry (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019).
State of Tennessee v. David Byron Alexander, Jr. (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(c)(1)(A) — 2 cases
State of Tennessee v. Tyrone McCurdy (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025).
State of Tennessee v. Kevin Smith (Tenn. Crim. App. 2026).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-408(c)(1991) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Anthony Noe (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997).
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treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.