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Are side-by-sides street legal in Tennessee?

Tennessee's law on side-by-sides and ATVs on public roads, quoted from its own page, with the conditions, equipment and plate rule.

The law in Tennessee

Side-by-side (UTV): On some roads. Tennessee allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below.
"(c)(1) A utility terrain vehicle may be operated on any state highway where the speed limit is forty-five miles per hour (45 mph) or less or any county road in the state, and is not: (A) A part of the interstate and national defense highway system;"
ATV (quad): On some roads. Tennessee allows an ATV on certain public roads, under the conditions below.
"(a) For the purposes of this section, "utility terrain vehicle" means: (1) A low speed vehicle; (2) A medium speed vehicle; (3) A Class I off-highway vehicle; (4) A Class II off-highway vehicle; or (5) An all-terrain vehicle. ... (c)(1) A utility terrain vehicle may be operated on any state highway where the speed limit is forty-five miles per hour (45 mph) or less or any county road in the state, and is not: (A) A part of the interstate and national defense highway system;"
Dirt bike: Tennessee publishes no road rule for a dirt bike that we could find. Ask the county sheriff before riding a public road.

Public Chapter No. 255 (Senate Bill No. 728), AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, relative to utility terrain vehicles., checked November 2026.

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Side-by-side (UTV) · Tennessee

Some roads

On some roads. Tennessee allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below.

"(c)(1) A utility terrain vehicle may be operated on any state highway where the speed limit is forty-five miles per hour (45 mph) or less or any county road in the state, and is not: (A) A part of the interstate and national defense highway system;"

Conditions

"A controlled access highway;"
"Prohibited by a county or municipality on any road under its jurisdiction if the governing body of the county or municipality has determined that the prohibition is necessary in the interest of safety;"
"A utility terrain vehicle may be operated only at a rate not to exceed thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph)."
"The utility terrain vehicle must be operated only during daylight hours, which includes the thirty (30) minutes before dawn and the thirty (30) minutes after dusk, unless otherwise specified in this section;"
"The operator must be sixteen (16) years of age or older;"

Registration and plates

"The utility terrain vehicle must be registered in accordance with chapters 3 and 4 of this title; (2) The utility terrain vehicle must be covered by a liability policy that meets the requirements of the financial responsibility law in chapter 12, part 1 of this title;"

Required equipment (7)

If the utility terrain vehicle is equipped with any of the following from the manufacturer, or added later, then they must be operational and utilized at all times while operating the vehicle:
Brakes;
At least two (2) taillights, stoplights, and headlights;
A roll bar;
Seat belts for each seat;
A manufacturer-installed or equivalent spark arrester;
A windshield, with or without wipers, except, that if the vehicle is not equipped with a windshield, then the operator and each passenger shall wear glasses containing impact-resistant lenses, safety goggles, or a face shield;

Driver's license

"The operator must possess a valid driver license, which does not include a permit;"

Riding in Tennessee

44 off-road parks listed in Tennessee. National forest roads open to your vehicle today.

See Tennessee off-road parks

Other states

Side-by-side and ATV road laws in other states

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Common questions

Street legal UTV questions

On some roads. Tennessee allows a side-by-side on certain public roads, under the conditions below. Source: Public Chapter No. 255 (Senate Bill No. 728), AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, relative to utility terrain vehicles..

On some roads. Tennessee allows an ATV on certain public roads, under the conditions below. Source: Public Chapter No. 255 (Senate Bill No. 728), AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, relative to utility terrain vehicles..

Tennessee's law says: "The utility terrain vehicle must be registered in accordance with chapters 3 and 4 of this title; (2) The utility terrain vehicle must be covered by a liability policy that meets the requirements of the financial responsibility law in chapter 12, part 1 of this title;"

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