An overview of Tennessee's bicycle laws, reviewed and cited to primary sources. Use the sections below to jump to a specific rule, or the Sources block at the end for the full citation list.
This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws change — verify current rules with your state DOT or a licensed attorney before relying on this for any legal matter. Read full disclaimer.
Helmet rules
Required under age
Required under age 16
Applies to passengers
Yes
Standard
CPSC
Penalty
TCA § 55-52-105 requires every person under 16 to wear a properly fitted and fastened approved bicycle helmet whenever operating or riding as a passenger on a bicycle on any public road, sidewalk, or bike path. Penalties are de minimis — the violation is not punishable by a fine — but the law is intended to support helmet education and parental responsibility.
Tennessee has no statewide statute on sidewalk cycling; municipalities regulate it under their general traffic-ordinance authority. Nashville prohibits bicycle riding on sidewalks in the central business district; Memphis and Knoxville restrict it in their downtown core but permit it elsewhere. Always check the municipal code before riding the sidewalk.
Tennessee's DUI statute (TCA § 55-10-401) applies only to a person who drives or is in physical control of an 'automobile, automobile truck, motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, self-propelled vehicle, or any other motor-driven vehicle.' Because a bicycle is human-powered, the DUI statute does not reach bicycle riders. An impaired cyclist may still be cited under public-intoxication statutes.
Lamp on the front emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front.
Rear requirement
Rear reflector or light
Rear spec
Red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the Department of Safety, visible from 50 to 300 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper-beam headlamps. A red rear lamp visible from 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the reflector.
TCA § 55-8-175(c) permits riding no more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride within a single lane and shall not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.
Bicycles are prohibited on Interstate highways in Tennessee under TDOT policy governing controlled-access facilities. I-24, I-40, I-65, I-75 and I-81 are signed closed to bicycle traffic at on-ramps; cyclists must route on parallel US and state routes.