Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (2026)
False reports
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) It is unlawful for any person to:
- (1) Initiate a report or statement to a law enforcement officer concerning an offense or incident within the officer's concern knowing that:
- (A) The offense or incident reported did not occur;
- (B) The person has no information relating to the offense or incident reported; or
- (C) The information relating to the offense reported is false; or
- (2) Make a report or statement in response to a legitimate inquiry by a law enforcement officer concerning a material fact about an offense or incident within the officer's concern, knowing that the report or statement is false and with the intent to obstruct or hinder the officer from:
- (A) Preventing the offense or incident from occurring or continuing to occur; or
- (B) Apprehending or locating another person suspected of committing an offense; or
- (3) Intentionally initiate or circulate a report of a past, present, or impending bombing, active shooter, hostage situation, fire, or other emergency, knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing:
- (A) It will cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with those emergencies, including, but not limited to, action by a special weapons and tactics team or other division of law enforcement designed to deal with high-risk situations;
- (B) It will place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or
- (C) It will prevent or interrupt the occupation of:
- (i) Any building, place of assembly, form of conveyance, or any other place to which the public has access; or
- (ii) A private residence or residential building.
- (1) Initiate a report or statement to a law enforcement officer concerning an offense or incident within the officer's concern knowing that:
- (b)
- (1) A violation of subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) is a Class D felony.
- (2) A violation of subdivision (a)(3) is a Class C felony.
Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 794,s 1, eff. 7/1/2024.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1990, ch. 1030, § 28; 1998, ch. 690, § 1; 2000, ch. 976, § 1; 2002, ch. 849, § 6.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 53
cases (12 in the last 5 years), 1992–2026 · leading case: State of Tennessee v. Glover P. Smith, 436 S.W.3d 751 (Tenn. 2014).
State of Tennessee v. Glover P. Smith, 436 S.W.3d 751 (Tenn. 2014). “r emergency, knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing: (A) It will cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with those emergencies; (B) It will place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or (C) It will prevent…”
State v. Levandowski, 955 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1997). “In this appeal, [1] we must determine whether a false response from an individual to an *604 inquiry made by a law enforcement officer constitutes a false report within the meaning of Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(1) (1991).”
State of Tennessee v. James Hawkins, 519 S.W.3d 1 (Tenn. 2017). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (2014); id. § 39-17-312(a).”
State v. Johnson, 342 S.W.3d 468 (Tenn. 2011). “Johnson is reversed, and the case is remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
State v. Young, 866 S.W.2d 194 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1992). “Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is, in all things, affirmed.”
Wassom v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 173 S.W.3d 775 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005). “” See Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 39-16-502(a)(1) and (b)(1).”
State of Tennessee v. Sadegh Babanzadeh (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(2). The Defendant relies on State v.”
State of Tennessee v. Stacy Ann Givens (Tenn. Crim. App. 2021). “See Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-16-502 , 7-86-316. The following proof was adduced at trial.”
State of Tennessee v. John M. Fletcher (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “11 See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 , Sent. Comm.”
State of Tennessee v. Jennifer Leigh Sexton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2026). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(1)(C). In State v.”
State of Tennessee v. Tyrone Leroy Watts (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015). “Specifically, as charged here, the State had to prove the following elements of a false report: (1) that the defendant intentionally initiated or circulated a report of a past, present, or impending bombing, fire or other emergency; (2) that the defendant acted knowing that the…”
State of Tennessee v. Cory Lynn White (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(2)(B). A statement is defined as “any representation of fact.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(1)(A) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Kelly Brooke Frye (Tenn. Crim. App. 2021).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a) — 3 cases
State v. Levandowski, 955 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1997). “In this appeal, [1] we must determine whether a false response from an individual to an *604 inquiry made by a law enforcement officer constitutes a false report within the meaning of Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(1) (1991).”
State of Tennessee v. Alvin Dortch (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
State of Tennessee v. Marilyn Sesler (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(1) — 11 cases
State v. Levandowski, 955 S.W.2d 603 (Tenn. 1997). “In this appeal, [1] we must determine whether a false response from an individual to an *604 inquiry made by a law enforcement officer constitutes a false report within the meaning of Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(1) (1991).”
State of Tennessee v. Glover P. Smith, 436 S.W.3d 751 (Tenn. 2014). “r emergency, knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing: (A) It will cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with those emergencies; (B) It will place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or (C) It will prevent…”
Wassom v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 173 S.W.3d 775 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005). “” See Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 39-16-502(a)(1) and (b)(1).”
State of Tennessee v. Sadegh Babanzadeh (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(2). The Defendant relies on State v.”
State of Tennessee v. John M. Fletcher (Tenn. Crim. App. 2024). “11 See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 , Sent. Comm.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(1)(A) — 5 cases
State of Tennessee v. Angela Ayers (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015).
State of Tennessee v. Edwin Millan (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018).
State of Tennessee v. Stacy Ann Givens (Tenn. Crim. App. 2021). “See Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-16-502 , 7-86-316. The following proof was adduced at trial.”
State of Tennessee v. Anthony Noe (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997).
State of Tennessee v. Katrina A. Callahan (Tenn. Crim. App. 2003).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(1)(C) — 3 cases
State of Tennessee v. Jennifer Leigh Sexton (Tenn. Crim. App. 2026). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(1)(C). In State v.”
State of Tennessee v. Curtis Reed Hosendove (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020).
State of Tennessee v. Jerome Johnson (Tenn. Crim. App. 2013).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(1)(c) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Frank Ramsey (Tenn. Crim. App. 2006).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(2) — 5 cases
State of Tennessee v. Glover P. Smith, 436 S.W.3d 751 (Tenn. 2014). “r emergency, knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing: (A) It will cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with those emergencies; (B) It will place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or (C) It will prevent…”
State of Tennessee v. Sadegh Babanzadeh (Tenn. Crim. App. 2019). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(2). The Defendant relies on State v.”
State of Tennessee v. Cory Lynn White (Tenn. Crim. App. 2018). “] Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502 (a)(2)(B). A statement is defined as “any representation of fact.”
Jonathan Bradford Dunn v. State of Tennessee (Tenn. Crim. App. 2008).
State of Tennessee v. Dwayne Simmons (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(2)(B) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Mary Margaret Boyd (Tenn. Crim. App. 2005).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(3) — 2 cases
State of Tennessee v. Christopher Franklin (Tenn. Crim. App. 2009).
State of Tennessee v. Dwayne Simmons (Tenn. Crim. App. 2001).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(3)(B) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Tyrone Leroy Watts (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015). “Specifically, as charged here, the State had to prove the following elements of a false report: (1) that the defendant intentionally initiated or circulated a report of a past, present, or impending bombing, fire or other emergency; (2) that the defendant acted knowing that the…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502(a)(l) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Glover P. Smith, 436 S.W.3d 751 (Tenn. 2014). “r emergency, knowing that the report is false or baseless and knowing: (A) It will cause action of any sort by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with those emergencies; (B) It will place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or (C) It will prevent…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.