Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-412 (2026)
Mailbox tampering - Damage or defacement of government property
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) It is an offense for any person to knowingly damage, destroy, remove or otherwise tamper with a residential mailbox or other container such person knows or reasonably should know is used for the receipt or deposit of United States mail. Any person convicted of violating this subsection (a) shall be sentenced to not less than twenty-five (25) hours of public service work.
- (b) It is an offense for any person to knowingly damage or deface real or personal property of the state, or a subdivision thereof, by the painting or other permanent application of graffiti directly onto the property.
- (c)
- (1) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class B misdemeanor. All violations shall be punished by at least twenty-five (25) hours of community service work to be determined by the court.
- (2) A violation of subsection (b) is a Class A misdemeanor. In any sentence imposed for a violation of subsection (b), the court shall include an order of restitution for any property damage or loss incurred as a result of the offense.
Amended by 2020EX2 Tenn. Acts, ch. 3, s 16, eff. 8/20/2020.
Acts 1990, ch. 1010, § 1; 1992, ch. 769, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2010–2024 · leading case: State v. Majors, 318 S.W.3d 850 (Tenn. 2010).
State v. Majors, 318 S.W.3d 850 (Tenn. 2010). “§ 39-14-412(a) *860 (2006). Still another provision prohibits influencing the winning of a prize by “tampering with lottery equipment or materials.”
Hicks v. City of Millersville (M.D. Tenn. 2024). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-412 (a) (establishing the offense of mailbox tampering under Tennessee law).”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-412(a) — 1 case
State v. Majors, 318 S.W.3d 850 (Tenn. 2010). “§ 39-14-412(a) *860 (2006). Still another provision prohibits influencing the winning of a prize by “tampering with lottery equipment or materials.”
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