Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB2302: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 30 and Title 55, Chapter 8, relative to autonomous vehicles.
Status: Chaptered, May 4, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary 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 vehicle 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 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 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 of 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 viola
What the bill says
From the amended text:
House Transportation 1 Amendment No. 1 to HB2302 Howell Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 2253* House Bill No. 2302 by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting instead: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-202(b), is amended by adding the following as a new, appropriately designated subdivision: ( ) "Automated driving system" or "ADS" and "ADS-operated vehicle" have the same meanings as defined in § 55-30-102; 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: (b) (1) A state or local law enforcement agency may 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 following: (A) 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 automated driving system, then a notice of violation or a citation must be sent by first class mail to the registered owner of the ADS-operated vehicle. A notice of violation or citation mailed to the last known address of the registered owner constitutes …