§ 39-14-507 — Motor vehicles transporting litter

(a) (1) Any motor vehicle that transports litter or any material likely to fall or be blown off onto the highways, shall be required to have such material either in an enclosed space or fully covered by a tarpaulin. (2) (A) If the motor vehicle is a noncommercial, not-for-hire pickup truck, this subsection (a) shall be construed to be complied with if the material on the noncommercial, not-for-hire pickup truck is secured in such a way as to reasonably ensure it will not fall or be blown off the vehicle. (B) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(2)(A), a noncommercial, not-for-hire vehicle is not in compliance with this subsection (a) if hard debris on the noncommercial, not-for-hire vehicle falls or blows off and comes into contact with another motor vehicle while the vehicle is being operated. (3) All other pickup trucks and other motor vehicles are required to comply with subdivision (a)(1). (4) Any motor vehicle having a gross weight of less than sixteen thousand pounds (16,000 lbs.) that is transporting litter to an energy recovery facility, as defined in § 68-211-501 , shall be required to have the material in an enclosed space, unless it is a motor vehicle with a factory installed hydraulic lift system that lifts the entire bed of the truck. (5) This subsection (a) does not apply to motor vehicles transporting recovered materials to a convenience center or scrap dealer for recycling. (6) This section shall not apply to motor vehicles that transport crushed stone, fill dirt and rock, soil, bulk sand, coal, phosphate muck, asphalt, concrete, other building materials, forest products, unfinished lumber, agricultural lime and agricultural products, and that are loaded in compliance with the four inch (4") requirement of § 55-7-109 . This exemption shall not apply to any load if any law enforcement officer sees any part of the material blowing off the vehicle. This section shall also not apply to motor vehicles that transport farm produce going to market, or from field to field, or from field to storage. (b) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b)(2), a violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor. In addition to the penalties for a Class B misdemeanor, the court may impose any of the penalties set forth in § 39-14-503(d) . (2) A violation of subdivision (a)(2)(B) is a Class C misdemeanor.

Legislative History

Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 416, s 3, eff. 7/1/2023. Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 416, s 2, eff. 7/1/2023. Acts 2007 , ch. 595, § 1.