Tenn. Code Ann. § 54-20-103 (2026)

As used in this part:

• (1) "Automobile graveyard" means any establishment or place of business that is maintained, used or operated for storing, keeping, buying, or selling wrecked, scrapped, ruined, or dismantled motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts. Ten (10) or more of those vehicles constitute an automobile graveyard;

• (2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of transportation;

• (3) "Department" means the department of transportation;

• (4) "Interstate system" means that portion of the national system of interstate and defense highways located within this state, as officially designated, or as may hereafter be so designated, by the department of transportation and approved by the United States secretary of transportation, pursuant to title 23 of the United States Code;

• (5) "Junk" means old or scrap copper, brass, rope, rags, batteries, paper, trash, rubber, debris, waste, or junked, dismantled or wrecked automobiles, or parts of junked, dismantled or wrecked automobiles, iron, steel, and other old or scrap ferrous or nonferrous material;

• (6)
  • (A) "Junkyard" means an establishment or place of business that is maintained, operated, or used for storing, keeping, buying, or selling junk, or for the maintenance or operation of an automobile graveyard. "Junkyard" includes scrap metal processors, used auto parts yards, yards providing temporary storage of automobile bodies or parts awaiting disposal as a normal part of the business operation, when the business will continually have like materials located on the premises, garbage dumps and sanitary landfills;
  • (B) "Junkyard" does not include a recycling center;

• (7) "Main traveled way" means the traveled way of a highway on which through traffic is carried. In case of a divided highway, the traveled way of each of the separated roadways for traffic in opposite directions is a main traveled way. "Main traveled way" does not include such facilities as frontage roads, turning roadways, or parking areas;

• (8) "Primary system" means that portion of connected main highways, as officially designated, or as may hereafter be so designated, by the Tennessee department of transportation, and approved by the United States secretary of transportation, pursuant to title 23 of the United States Code; and

• (9) "Recycling center" means an establishment, place of business, facility or building that is maintained, operated, or used for the storing, keeping, buying or selling of newspaper or used food or beverage containers for the purpose of converting those items into a usable product.

Impl. am. Acts 1959, ch. 9, § 3; Acts 1967, ch. 304, § 3; impl. am. Acts 1972, ch. 829, § 7; Acts 1974, ch. 720, § 1; T.C.A., § 54-2303; Acts 1981, ch. 264, § 12; 1981, ch. 432, § 1.