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HB1874 • 2026

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 4, relative to hybrid electric vehicles.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Martin G, Gardenhire
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/26/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and official text do not provide specific details about the calculation method for inflation adjustment starting in 2028, leaving this as an open question.

Clarifying Definition of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This bill changes how Tennessee defines hybrid electric vehicles and sets rules for their registration fees.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines a 'hybrid electric vehicle' as one that uses both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or another power source.
  • Excludes low speed and medium speed vehicles from the definition of hybrid electric vehicles.
  • Keeps existing additional registration fees for hybrid electric vehicles at $100 until December 31, 2027.
  • Adjusts the fee by inflation starting January 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Owners of hybrid electric vehicles in Tennessee
  • State agencies responsible for vehicle registration and titling

Terms To Know

Hybrid Electric Vehicle
A car that uses both an electric motor and a gasoline engine to power the vehicle.
Low Speed Vehicle
A small, low-speed vehicle like a golf cart or neighborhood electric vehicle.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not change fees for all-electric vehicles.
  • It is unclear how the inflation adjustment will be calculated after January 1, 2028.
  • The exact impact on state revenue from hybrid electric vehicle registration fees is unknown.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/26/2026

  2. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 628

  3. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 628

  4. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  10. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  12. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026

  13. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  14. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  16. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0

  19. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 2/23/2026

  20. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026

  21. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/17/2026

  23. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  24. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  25. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  26. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  27. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  28. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  31. 2026-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law imposes additional vehicle registration fees for all-electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. For hybrid electric vehicles specifically, until December 31, 2027, such additional fee is
$100
,
and
, on or after
January 1, 2028,
such $100

fee is
adjusted by an amount each year to reflect the effect of annual inflation or deflatio
n.

For the purposes of such additional registration fees on hybrid electric vehicles, this bill clarifies that a "hybrid electric vehicle" is a vehicle propelled by a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power source a
nd components. Further, the term does not include low or medium speed vehicles.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1742
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 1874
By Martin G
HB1874
009450
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55,
Chapter 4, relative to hybrid electric vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-4-116(e), is amended by deleting
subdivision (2) and substituting instead the following:
(2) "Hybrid electric vehicle":
(A) Means a vehicle propelled by a combination of an electric motor and
an internal combustion engine or other power source and components thereof;
and
(B) Does not include a low speed vehicle or a medium speed vehicle;
and
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.