While Tennessee does allow off-highway vehicles to drive on rural roads, it is not possible to register a UTV in Tennessee as street legal for reasons discussed below.

However, it is possible to make a UTV street legal in Tennessee by registering it in another state. The resulting title, registration, and license plate will allow you to drive your side-by-side on roads, highways, and city streets in Tennessee and beyond.

This page covers street legal UTVs in Tennessee from top to bottom including relevant laws, details about OHV areas, and times when a UTV not registered as street legal can be driven on local roads. Review the following resources to learn more.

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We have made our best effort to include all relevant details, but something we did not cover might apply to your situation. We are enthusiasts, not attorneys. This is not legal advice.

Why Tennessee Can’t Register UTVs as Street Legal

To register a UTV as a regular street legal vehicle through Tennessee, it would need to fit Tennessee’s definition of a street legal vehicle and pass a Tennessee motor vehicle inspection, however Tennessee’s laws do not allow for this.

None of the vehicle categories found in the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Code can be used to register a UTV for street legal use. Of the possible candidates:

• Motorcycles cannot have more than three wheels

• Autocycles must have three wheels and be manufactured to meet federal safety standards

• Low Speed Vehicles must be electric, must have a top speed between 20 and 25 MPH, and are restricted to roads marked 35 MPH or less

• Medium Speed Vehicles must have a top speed between 30 and 35 MPH and are restricted to roads marked 40 MPH or less

Additional resources used to reach these conclusions are linked in the Laws, Codes, and Other Resources section below.

How to get street legal

In states like Montana and South Dakota, the vehicle code allows UTVs to be registered as street legal vehicles. You can register your UTV in those states without ever leaving your home. Once registration is complete and the required equipment is installed, your UTV will be street legal in Tennessee with an out-of-state registration (see How to Make Your UTV Street Legal).

Imagine driving from Knoxville to the Great Smoky Mountains in a machine that’s perfectly capable of climbing to the top of Windrock Park without breaking a sweat. Better yet, imagine not having to involve your truck and trailer in the mix or sit through any lines at Driver Services. Our team of experts can register your UTV as street legal while you’re out there having fun! Wait a second, that doesn’t sound fair…

Parts Required to Register Out of State

Because the only way to make a UTV street legal in Tennessee is to register in another state, getting legal does not involve any parts specific to Tennessee. Parts required for road use of other UTVs are listed in a later section below.

Thanks to reciprocity agreements between states, a vehicle only needs to have the parts required by the state where it is registered. That means a UTV with an out-of-state registration can be driven on Tennessee roads without needing any equipment required by Tennessee and without needing to pass a Tennessee inspection.

• Here is what is legally required for registrations in Montana and South Dakota (other states)

• These are the minimum parts we suggest having on any street legal UTV

There are also some parts we suggest leaving off which are rarely allowed on street legal vehicles in any state.

Driving a Street Legal UTV on Public Roads in Tennessee

Because street legal UTVs are a small niche, local law enforcement may not know that a UTV can be made street legal in Tennessee by registering out of state. While we are not attorneys, we always suggest carrying physical copies of your UTV’s registration and insurance proofs and being knowledgeable about the ways your vehicle is legal for road use (see Knowing Your Legality).

Vehicles licensed in other states can be driven legally in Tennessee thanks to registration reciprocity agreements between states. Tennessee’s registration reciprocity statute is linked in the resources below. You should not need to worry about title transfer windows if you maintain residency in another state or your UTV is registered to an LLC in another state. In some cases, it might not be possible to transfer your registration to Tennessee from another state because of vehicle type mismatches between states.

Keep in mind that street legal UTVs in Tennessee need to observe all laws and rules of the road just as a car would.

Helmet laws in Tennessee

• Tennessee does not have specific helmet laws for street legal UTVs

• Occupants younger than 18 are required to wear helmets in OHV areas

• For safety reasons, we suggest wearing a helmet whenever you operate a UTV on public roads

In considering whether helmets would be required for a street legal UTV in Tennessee, the state does require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, but that law does not apply to persons riding in an enclosed cab. Additionally, Tennessee does not require helmets for UTVs that are not street legal in the limited circumstances when they are allowed on public roads.

The state does require eye protection for vehicles that do not have windshields, something that applies to non-legalized UTVs and motorcycles alike. It follows that if your street legal UTV does not have a windshield, local law enforcement might expect you to wear eye protection. For safety reasons and to avoid any potential confusion with local law enforcement, we suggest wearing a helmet and eye protection whenever you drive a street legal UTV in Tennessee.

Keep in mind that helmet laws need to be followed on a state-by-state basis. Before you travel, learn the helmet situation in any state you plan to drive in. See other states

Driving a Street Legal UTV in Tennessee’s OHV Areas

Beyond basic equipment like working headlights, taillights, mufflers, and spark arresters, Tennessee does not require any specific parts for operation within OHV areas, public lands, and other off-road spaces. Additionally, there is no mandatory state-level registration for off-road driving.

Most OHV areas in Tennessee have their own permits, registrations, and equipment requirements in addition to other rules pertaining to decibel limits, helmet use, engine size restrictions by rider age, and rules for driving on their roads, so be sure to check ahead when you plan to travel to ensure you and your machine are correctly prepared.

This section is about vehicles that do not have street legal registrations.

Tennessee allows UTVs and other off-highway vehicles to drive on public roads in the following circumstances:

• OHVs may operate on all county roads as defined in Tennessee Statute 55-8-203

• Specific roads designated for OHV travel can be found throughout Tennessee Statute 55-8-185

• OHVs can only operate on approved roads between a half-hour after sunrise and a half-hour before sunset

OHVs may be pushed, not driven, next to the road when no other option exists to travel to or from an OHV area.

Approved roads

Roads open to OHV travel are marked by distinct OHV signage. Local jurisdictions like cities, towns, and counties may allow or restrict OHVs on other roads or in other ways at their discretion, so be sure to check the resources of the area you plan to travel to.

There is an incomplete list of approved roads in the Tennessee Statutes, but we suggest contacting Driver Services or local law enforcement for the most up-to-date list of approved roads in your area.

Crossing roads

OHVs crossing public roads must do so quickly and safely with headlights and taillights turned on, crossing at an angle of about 90 degrees to the road after making a complete stop and yielding to traffic. For roads with more than two lanes, including limited-access highways, crossings can only be made at designated OHV crossing locations marked by special signage. OHVs may not cross interstate highways in Tennessee.

Required equipment

Off-highway vehicles must meet the following requirements to drive on public roads in Tennessee:

• At least 2 headlights illuminating objects at least 200 feet away

• At least 2 taillights

• At least 2 stop lights

• Front and rear turn signals

• Roll bar

• Brakes

• Horn

• Seatbelts for each seat

• Windshield (or occupants must wear eye protection) (wipers optional)

• Muffler and spark arrester (manufacturer-installed or equivalent, properly connected)

• Operator must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license

• Headlights and taillights must be switched on when driving on public roads

Required registration

To operate on public roads in Tennessee under the exceptions given above, your vehicle must have a Class I or Class II OHV license plate and registration issued by Tennessee. Which one you need depends on how your vehicle is classified in the next section. Learn more about the process of registering here: Tennessee Department of Revenue: Off-Highway Vehicles.

Defining your vehicle

In Tennessee law, the term Off-Highway Vehicle applies to machines with a steering wheel and non-straddle seating that are “designed primarily to be operated off public highways”. For our purposes, there are two OHV classes in Tennessee that cover anything generally referred to as a UTV:

• Class I OHV: Most regular UTVs, side-by-sides, and the like

• Class II OHV: Large or obscure UTVs, dune buggies, sand rails, rock crawlers, and the like

Specifically:

• Class I OHVs must have 4-6 nonhighway tires, a top speed over 35 MPH, width of 80” or less, weight of 2,500 lbs. or less, and seating for up to 4 people.

• Class II OHVs are not limited on weight, width, or top speed but must have seating for 2-4 passengers and be “designed to be primarily used for recreational purposes.”

Additional details can be found in this chart from the Tennessee Department of Revenue which will help you determine which registration you need to pursue. You can also refer to:

• Tennessee Off-Highway Vehicle Titling, Registration, and OHV Plates

• Tennessee Code Title 55 Chapter 4 Part 7 (OHV registration and license plates)

Special exceptions

Additional road use exceptions exist for certain agricultural, industrial, and governmental purposes. Contact Driver Services or local law enforcement to learn more.

For questions beyond the scope of this guide, try contacting:

• Tennessee Driver Services

• Tennessee Department of Revenue

• Tennessee Wildlife Resources

These are the sources we used to create this guide. If you find any inaccurate or outdated information, please contact us and we will be happy to address it.

Note: Tennessee State Courts and Tennessee Secretary of State both link directly to the LexisNexis hosting of the Tennessee Statutes. To ensure ease of access, we have provided Justia links below using the most recent versions at the time of publication.

Start here

Tennessee Off-Highway Vehicle Titling, Registration, and OHV Plates and Equipment Requirements Chart

List of roadways in Tennessee approved for OHV travel (For reference only – contact local law enforcement for most current information)

Operating as an OHV

Tennessee Code Title 70 Chapter 9 (Tennessee Off-Highway Vehicle Act)

Tennessee Statute 70-9-105 (OHV helmet use)

Road use of OHVs not registered as street legal

Tennessee Code Title 55 Chapter 4 Part 7 (OHV registration and license plates)

Tennessee Statute 55-3-101 (Registration required)

Tennessee Statute 55-8-101 (Definition of Off-Highway Vehicle)

Tennessee Statute 55-8-185 and Tennessee Statute 55-8-203 (OHV use on public roads, crossings, equipment, definition of a county road)

Other resources

Tennessee Statute 55-1-103 (Definitions of autocycle and motorcycle)

Tennessee Statute 55-1-116 (Definition of a highway)

Tennessee Statute 55-4-120 (Tennessee vehicle registration reciprocity)

Tennessee Statute 55-8-101 (Definitions of Low and Medium Speed Vehicles, other categories)

Tennessee Statute 55-8-191 (Operation of Low and Medium Speed Vehicles)

Tennessee Statute 55-9-302 (Tennessee motorcycle helmet law)

Tennessee Statute 55-9-304 (Motorcycle eye protection)

Tennessee Statute 55-9-308 (Helmet and eye protection requirements; not applicable to autocycles)