New ATV Laws in Tennessee: Riding, Registration, and Penalties

Tennessee’s new ATV laws took effect through House Bill 810 in 2025, opening state highways and county roads with speed limits of 45 mph or lower to ATVs and other utility terrain vehicles.¹ To ride on those roads, the vehicle has to be titled, registered, insured, and properly equipped, and the operator must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver license. Traditional straddle-seat ATVs were excluded from the older county-road rules, so this is a real expansion of where and how you can legally ride.²

Where You Can Now Ride

Under HB 810, a utility terrain vehicle — a category that now covers ATVs, Class I and Class II off-highway vehicles, low-speed vehicles, and medium-speed vehicles — can operate on any state highway or county road with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less.¹ Interstates and controlled-access highways stay off limits, and so does any road a county, municipality, or the Tennessee Department of Transportation has specifically closed to UTVs.

Local governments can shut down UTV access on specific roads if they decide it’s a safety concern, and TDOT can do the same on state routes in consultation with the Department of Safety. A 45 mph speed limit alone isn’t a guarantee. Before you commit to a route, check with your county clerk or local law enforcement.

Road use is also restricted to daylight, defined in the statute as the period from 30 minutes before dawn to 30 minutes after dusk. Headlights and taillights don’t buy you night riding on a public road.

Who Can Drive on the Road

The operator must be at least 16 years old and hold a valid driver license. A learner’s permit is not enough.¹ The same rule already applied to Class I and Class II vehicles under existing county-road law.²

Passengers have their own limit. No one young enough to require a child passenger restraint system can ride in a UTV on a public road. If the child needs a car seat or booster in a regular vehicle, they can’t ride in your side-by-side on the highway.

Registration, Plate, and Insurance

Any ATV or off-highway vehicle you plan to run on public roads must be titled and registered through your county clerk’s office.³⁴⁵ Title fees vary by county but generally run around $13, with an additional $11 to record a lien.

Registered vehicles must display the off-highway vehicle plate issued under Tennessee Code § 55-4-701. Getting that plate means meeting the state’s financial responsibility requirements — in practice, buying liability insurance before you register.⁶ HB 810 keeps that insurance requirement in place for UTVs on state highways, and Class I and Class II vehicles on county roads have long been subject to the full range of Tennessee motor vehicle laws, including the Financial Responsibility Law of 1977.²

When you shop for coverage, read the exclusions. Most ATV policies do not cover racing, competitive events, unapproved performance modifications, or commercial use. Lending your machine to an unlicensed rider or someone under the influence also tends to fall outside standard coverage.

Helmets and Eye Protection

On a public road, every operator and passenger has to wear a helmet meeting the standards in Tennessee’s motorcycle helmet law. Adults who qualify for the motorcycle helmet exemption may be exempt under HB 810, but § 55-8-185 separately requires every ATV operator and passenger to wear a helmet on any street, road, or highway.¹⁷ The safe read is to helmet up on any public road regardless of age.

Anyone under 18 must wear a helmet whether they’re on a public road or riding off-road. A parent or guardian who knowingly allows a minor to ride without one commits an offense.⁸

If the vehicle has no windshield, the operator and every passenger must wear impact-resistant glasses, safety goggles, or a transparent face shield.²

Equipment Your ATV Must Have

Both the older county-road law and HB 810 require certain equipment on any UTV used on a public road, whether it came from the factory that way or was added later:

Fully functional brakes on all wheels.
At least two headlights, two taillights, and two stoplights.
Two turn signal lamps or equivalent devices.
An audible warning device (horn).
A roll bar, if equipped, in place and operational.
Seat belts for every seat, if the vehicle has them.
A manufacturer-installed or equivalent spark arrester.
A muffler in proper working order and connected to the exhaust system.
An intact windshield if one is installed; no windshield means mandatory eye protection for everyone aboard.

These requirements apply to Class I and Class II off-highway vehicles under § 55-8-203 and to all UTVs under HB 810.²¹ Missing any piece can support a stop and a citation.

Penalties for Getting It Wrong

Operating an off-highway vehicle on a highway without authorization is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $50.⁷ Violating the county-road rules under § 55-8-203 — driving without required equipment, insurance, or a valid license, for example — is also a Class C misdemeanor.² A Class C misdemeanor carries a maximum of 30 days in jail, a fine up to $50, or both.⁹

Because Class I and Class II vehicles on county roads are subject to all motor vehicle laws, reckless driving and DUI apply the same way they would to a car. If you’re on a public road, you’re held to Tennessee’s blood-alcohol standards regardless of what you’re driving.

Riding an off-road vehicle on someone else’s private property without permission is treated more harshly than most road violations. The fine runs between $50 and $250, and the court can suspend your driver license for six months.¹⁰

What HB 810 Does Not Cover

The new law is about riding on public roads. If your ATV never leaves private property with the owner’s permission, you don’t need to register, insure, or plate it, though a title-only filing is still useful proof of ownership.³ Tennessee also does not set a minimum operator age for private-property riding.

State wildlife management areas and national forest lands are a separate regime. TWRA sets its own permit and licensing rules on WMAs, and the U.S. Forest Service restricts riding on national forest land to designated routes shown on the Motor Vehicle Use Map, with wilderness areas closed to any motorized use.¹¹¹² Meeting HB 810’s requirements does not automatically make you legal on those lands. Check the specific area’s rules before you unload.

1
Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee HB 810 – Utility Terrain Vehicles
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-8-203 – Off-Highway Vehicles
3
TN.gov. Off-Highway Vehicles
4
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-111 – Registration Fees
5
TN.gov. Tennessee Code Fee Schedule
6
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-701 – Off-Highway Vehicle License Plate
7
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-8-185 – Use of Off-Highway Motor Vehicles on Highways
8
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-52-201 – Off-Highway Motor Vehicles Safety Helmets
9
Justia. Tennessee Code 40-35-111 – Authorized Terms of Imprisonment and Fines
10
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-206 – Off-Road Vehicles – Prohibited Acts – Penalties
11
TN.gov. North Cumberland WMA
12
US Forest Service. Off-Highway Vehicle Touring