Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307 (2026)
Adoption of statutes and regulations by municipalities - Exceptions
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of chapter 8 of this title, §§ 55-10-101 - 55-10-310, 55-12-139, 55-50-301, 55-50-302, 55-50-304, 55-50-305, 55-50-311, and 55-10-312, and may by ordinance provide additional regulations for the operation of vehicles within the municipality, which shall not be in conflict with the listed sections. All fines, penalties, and forfeitures of bonds imposed or collected under the terms of §§ 55-50-311 and 55-50-312, shall be paid over to the appropriate state agency as provided in § 55-50-604.
- (b) The offenses enumerated in subdivisions (b)(1)-(5) are state offenses and any person arrested for violation of the offenses shall be tried for violation of state law in state courts or in courts having state jurisdiction in which the jurisdiction shall be exclusive. Any existing ordinance presently regulating any of the enumerated offenses and any such ordinance enacted after July 1, 1977, is declared void and of no effect. The enumerated offenses are:
- (1) Driving while intoxicated or drugged, as prohibited by § 55-10-401;
- (2) Failing to stop after a traffic accident, as prohibited by part 1 of this chapter;
- (3) Driving while license suspended or revoked, as prohibited by § 55-50-504;
- (4) Drag racing, as defined and prohibited by § 55-10-501; and
- (5) Possession of five (5) or more grams of methamphetamine, as scheduled in § 39-17-408(d)(2), while operating a motor vehicle in this state. A motor vehicle is in operation if its engine is operating, whether or not the motor vehicle is moving.
Acts 2007, ch. 143, § 1; 2010, ch. 966, § 1.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 9
cases, 2000–2020 · leading case: City of Chattanooga v. Davis, 54 S.W.3d 248 (Tenn. 2001).
City of Chattanooga v. Davis, 54 S.W.3d 248 (Tenn. 2001). “As to section 55-10-307, we hold that this statute does not violate Article XI, section 8 for the sole reasons that a distinction is made between municipalities and unincorporated areas of the state or that different punishments may be imposed by substantially similar or…”
City of Knoxville v. Brown, 284 S.W.3d 330 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307 (a) (“Any incorporated municipality may .”
State v. Godsey, 165 S.W.3d 667 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2004). “Section 24-13 was enacted pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-10-307 which provides that: (a) Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of §§ 55-8-101 — 55-8-180, 55-10-101 — 55-10-310, 55-50-301, 55-50-302,…”
United States v. James Alexander, 467 F. App'x 355 (6th Cir. 2012). “6 While the Tennessee Code empowers municipalities to enact and enforce additional regulations with regard to operation of vehicles, see Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-10-307 ; § 55-10-308, 6 The history of state laws requiring tag lights is worth noting.”
City of Chattanooga v. Kevin Davis (Tenn. 2001). “§ 6-54-306 ; or (2) to adopt by ordinance state statutes without also requiring the adoption of similar penalties, see Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307 . Challenge to Tennessee Code Annotated section 6-54-306 With regard to Tennessee Code Annotated section 6-54-306, we find that our…”
City of Chattanooga v. Kevin Davis (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “T.C.A. § 55-10-307 (a) Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of §§ 55-8-101 -- 55-8- 180, 55-10-101 -- 55-10-310,1 55-50-301, 55-50-302, 55-50-304, 55- 50-305, 55-50-311, and 55-50-312, and may by ordinance provide…”
State of Tennessee v. Edward Allen Carter (Tenn. Crim. App. 2016). “Importantly, Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-10-307(a) provides as follows: Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of Chapter 8 of this title, §§ 55-10-101 – 55-10-310, 55-12-139, 55-50-301, 55-50-302, 55-50-304,…”
State of Tennessee v. Demarcus J. Love (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020). “T.C.A. § 55-10-307(a). The City of LaVergne chose to enact an ordinance that prohibited U-turns to regulate the operation of vehicles pursuant to the authority prescribed in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-10-307(a), which gives municipalities the ability to enact additional…”
City of Chattanooga v. Kevin Davis (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “Accordingly, while T.C.A. § 55-10-307 may be facially valid, it has been applied in an unconstitutional manner.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307(a) — 5 cases
City of Chattanooga v. Davis, 54 S.W.3d 248 (Tenn. 2001). “As to section 55-10-307, we hold that this statute does not violate Article XI, section 8 for the sole reasons that a distinction is made between municipalities and unincorporated areas of the state or that different punishments may be imposed by substantially similar or…”
City of Knoxville v. Brown, 284 S.W.3d 330 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008). “See Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307 (a) (“Any incorporated municipality may .”
State of Tennessee v. Edward Allen Carter (Tenn. Crim. App. 2016). “Importantly, Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-10-307(a) provides as follows: Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of Chapter 8 of this title, §§ 55-10-101 – 55-10-310, 55-12-139, 55-50-301, 55-50-302, 55-50-304,…”
State of Tennessee v. Demarcus J. Love (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020). “T.C.A. § 55-10-307(a). The City of LaVergne chose to enact an ordinance that prohibited U-turns to regulate the operation of vehicles pursuant to the authority prescribed in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-10-307(a), which gives municipalities the ability to enact additional…”
City of Chattanooga v. Kevin Davis (Tenn. 2001). “§ 6-54-306 ; or (2) to adopt by ordinance state statutes without also requiring the adoption of similar penalties, see Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307 . Challenge to Tennessee Code Annotated section 6-54-306 With regard to Tennessee Code Annotated section 6-54-306, we find that our…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-307(b) — 1 case
City of Chattanooga v. Kevin Davis (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000). “T.C.A. § 55-10-307 (a) Any incorporated municipality may by ordinance adopt, by reference, any of the appropriate provisions of §§ 55-8-101 -- 55-8- 180, 55-10-101 -- 55-10-310,1 55-50-301, 55-50-302, 55-50-304, 55- 50-305, 55-50-311, and 55-50-312, and may by ordinance provide…”
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