Traffic Safety

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how penalties are determined or what happens in cases where the owner cannot be found.

Traffic Safety Rules for Autonomous Vehicles

This bill sets rules for issuing traffic violation notices to owners of autonomous vehicles in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

• It requires POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officers to send a notice by mail within 20 business days if they determine an autonomous vehicle has committed a traffic offense.
• The notice must include the amount of the fine and any additional fees or court costs that may be assessed for nonpayment or contesting the citation.
• If the owner does not pay within 30 days, another notice is sent with an extra 30-day payment period before additional fees are added.

Who It Names or Affects

• Owners of autonomous vehicles in Tennessee
• POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officers

Terms To Know

Autonomous vehicle

A motor vehicle that uses autonomous technology to drive without supervision by a human operator.

POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officer

A police officer who has been trained and approved by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if an autonomous vehicle is involved in a serious accident.
• It doesn't say how penalties are determined for different types of traffic violations.
• There's no information on how the state will handle cases where the owner cannot be found.

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits a political subdivision by ordinance, resolution, or any other means from prohibiting within the jurisdictional boundaries of the political subdivision the use of a motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology if the motor vehic
le otherwise complies with all safety regulations of the political subdivision. However, this bill specifically provides a process for issuing citations for traffic violations by autonomous vehicles as described below.

This bill provides that if a POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officer makes a determination that a traffic offense has been committed by an autonomous vehicle, then a notice of violation or a citation must be sent by first class mail
to the registered owner of the vehicle. A notice of violation or citation mailed to the last known address of the registered owner constitutes valid service. A notice of violation or citation must be sent within 20 business days after the occurrence of
th
e violation, absent exigent circumstances arising from registration irregularities. All notices of violations or citations must have a Tennessee return address and all responses and payments must be made to an address in this state. A notice of violatio
n or citation must allow for payment of the traffic violation or citation within 30 days of the mailing of the notice. Additional penalty or other costs must not be assessed for nonpayment of a traffic violation or citation issued to a registered owner o
f
an autonomous vehicle unless a second notice is sent by first class mail to the owner and the second notice provides for an additional 30 days for payment of the violation or citation.

This bill requires the notice of violation or citation to state the amount of the fine that is being assessed for the alleged violation. The notice of violation or citation must state separately any additional fees or court costs that may be assessed if
the fine is not paid timely or if the violation or citation is contested and the autonomous vehicle is found to have committed the traffic offense. The registered owner may elect not to contest the charge and may, in lieu of appearance in court, submit
th
e fine to the address provided on the notice of violation or citation. If the traffic citation is not paid within the time specified in the prior paragraph, then additional fees or court costs may be assessed. If the traffic citation is not paid and the
owner appears in court, and the autonomous vehicle is found to have committed the traffic offense, then additional fees or court costs may be assessed.

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2253, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1:



Clarifies that "
a
utomated driving system" or "ADS" and "ADS-operated
vehicle
" ha
ve
the same meaning as defined in present law.


Authorizes a state or local law enforcement agency to establish a policy regarding methods in which to enforce traffic offenses committed by an ADS, including providing notices of violation or citations, and if such a policy is established, then the policy must align with the process for issuing citations for traffic violations by autonomous vehicles
described in the above bill summary.


Provides
that
if a state or local law enforcement agency establishes a policy regarding methods in which to enforce traffic offenses committed by an ADS, and a POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officer of the agency makes a determination that a traffic offense has been committed by an ADS, and a notice of violation or citation is issued in accordance with the established policy, then the penalties
described in the above

bill summary
may be used.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2302
By Freeman

SENATE BILL 2253
By Pody
SB2253
011931
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55,
Chapter 30 and Title 55, Chapter 8, relative to
autonomous vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-202(b), is amended by adding
the following as a new, appropriately designated subdivision:
( ) "Autonomous vehicle" means a motor vehicle that uses autonomous
technology to drive the vehicle without supervision by a human operator;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-202, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection (b) and redesignating the existing subsection (b) accordingly:
(1) If a POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officer makes a
determination that a traffic offense under this chapter or chapter 9 or 10 of this title has
been committed by an autonomous vehicle, then a notice of violation or a citation must
be sent by first class mail to the registered owner of the vehicle. A notice of violation or
citation mailed to the last known address of the registered owner constitutes valid
service. A notice of violation or citation must be sent within twenty (20) business days
after the occurrence of the violation, absent exigent circumstances arising from
registration irregularities. All notices of violations or citations must have a Tennessee
return address and all responses and payments must be made to an address in this
state. A notice of violation or citation must allow for payment of the traffic violation or
citation within thirty (30) days of the mailing of the notice. No additional penalty or other
costs shall be assessed for nonpayment of a traffic violation or citation issued to a
registered owner of an autonomous vehicle unless a second notice is sent by first class

- 2 - 011931

mail to the owner and the second notice provides for an additional thirty (30) days for
payment of the violation or citation.
(2) The notice of violation or citation must state the amount of the fine that is
being assessed for the alleged violation. The notice of violation or citation must state
separately any additional fees or court costs that may be assessed if the fine is not paid
timely or if the violation or citation is contested and the autonomous vehicle is found to
have committed the traffic offense.
(3) The registered owner may elect not to contest the charge and may, in lieu of
appearance in court, submit the fine to the address provided on notice of violation or
citation.
(4) If the traffic citation is not paid within the time specified by subdivision (b)(1),
then additional fees or court costs may be assessed.
(5) If the traffic citation is not paid as provided in this section and the owner
appears in court at the time specified, or such later date as may be fixed by the court,
and the autonomous vehicle is found to have committed the traffic offense, then
additional fees or court costs may be assessed.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.