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AI Laws in Tennessee
As of 2026-08-12, AI Laws USA tracks 34 AI rules in Tennessee: 11 state-level rules and 23 county or city rules. Federal AI protections apply statewide on top of these — see the federal page. Each entry links to its official source.
Tennessee state-level AI rules (11)
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In effect
ELVIS Act
Tennessee · Effective 2024-07-01 · Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 47-25-1101 to -1108 (ELVIS Act, 2024)
The first US law protecting voices from AI cloning: Tennessee added 'voice' to its right-of-publicity law, so using AI to mimic someone's voice or likeness without permission is both a civil violation and a crime. It also allows lawsuits against those who distribute tools whose primary purpose is producing unauthorized voice or likeness replicas.
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In effect
TN drone trespass / FFUSA
Tennessee · Effective 2014-07-01 · Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-13-609, 39-13-902 to -905
Tennessee prohibits warrantless drone surveillance by law enforcement, makes it a misdemeanor for any person to capture images of an individual or private property from a drone without consent, and bars using drones to surveil critical infrastructure or fireworks/sporting events.
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In effect
TN HB 1847 data center ratepayer protection (2026)
TN · Effective 2026-07-01 · Tenn. HB 1847/SB 2128 (114th G.A., 2026) — signed May 7, 2026; eff. July 1, 2026
Tennessee HB 1847/SB 2128, signed May 7, 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, requires data centers drawing 50 megawatts or more of electricity to pay their proportionate share of transmission and distribution infrastructure costs, rather than spreading those costs across all utility ratepayers. The law prevents large hyperscale data centers from being cross-subsidized by ordinary residential and small commercial customers.
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In effect
Tennessee SB 1580 (AI can't claim to be a mental health professional)
Tennessee · Effective 2026-07-01 · 2026 Tenn. Pub. Ch. 647 (SB 1580); enforced under Tenn. Code Ann. 47-18-101 et seq. (TCPA)
Tennessee makes it unlawful for anyone who develops or deploys an artificial intelligence system to advertise or represent to the public that the system is, or can act as, a qualified mental health professional. Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. The law authorizes a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, along with injunctive relief and damages, and includes a private right of action for affected individuals.
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In effect
Tennessee SB 837 (AI is not a 'person' under TN law)
Tennessee · Effective 2026-04-23 · 2026 Tenn. Pub. Ch. 781 (SB 837); amends Tenn. Code Ann. Title 1
Tennessee amended its rules of statutory construction to make clear that artificial intelligence and related technology are not legal persons. The law specifies that the terms 'person,' 'life,' and 'natural person' do not include artificial intelligence, computer algorithms, software programs, computer hardware, or any type of machine. It also adds definitions of 'human being' and 'natural person' as living members of homo sapiens. The change is purely definitional and creates no penalty.
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In effect
Attorney General Skrmetti Leads 44 States in Demanding Compa
Tennessee · Effective 2025-08-25 · Attorney General Skrmetti Leads 44 States in Demanding Companies End Predatory AI Interactions with Kids
Tennessee's Attorney General led a bipartisan coalition of 44 states in a demand letter to 12 major AI companies to implement safeguards against sexualized AI chatbot interactions with minors, applying consumer-protection authority to AI harms.
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In effect
Tennessee Information Protection Act (opt out of automated profiling decisions)
Tennessee · Effective 2025-07-01 · Tenn. Code Ann. 47-18-3301 et seq. (TIPA); profiling opt-out at 47-18-3304
Tennessee's consumer privacy law gives state residents rights over how businesses handle their personal information, including the right to opt out of profiling that is carried out solely through automated processing and used to make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects. Businesses that act as controllers must also conduct and document data protection assessments for higher-risk processing activities, including certain profiling. The Tennessee Attorney General has exclusive enforcement authority, and there is no private right of action.
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In effect
UT System Policy IT0002 / procedure, Acceptable Use of Gener
University of Tennessee System · Effective 2025-03-01 · UT System Policy IT0002 / procedure, Acceptable Use of Generative AI
The University of Tennessee System's acceptable-use policy for generative AI bars entering FERPA/HIPAA-protected and confidential data into AI tools and requires independent verification and disclosure of AI-generated content.
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In effect
Tennessee HB 2163 (AI-generated child abuse images are illegal 'material')
Tennessee · Effective 2024-07-01 · 2024 Tenn. Pub. Ch. 911 (HB 2163); amends Tenn. Code Ann. Titles 39 & 40
Tennessee amended its child sexual exploitation statutes so that the definition of unlawful 'material' explicitly covers computer-generated images that were created, adapted, or modified using artificial intelligence. This closes a gap by making clear that AI-generated or digitally altered depictions of child sexual abuse are treated the same as other prohibited material. The law adds statutory definitions of 'artificial intelligence' and 'generative artificial intelligence' for this purpose.
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In effect
Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Policy (200-POL-007)
Tennessee · Effective 2024-01-01 · Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Policy (200-POL-007)
Tennessee's Department of Finance and Administration (Strategic Technology Solutions) sets minimum requirements for valid, reliable, transparent, and ethical use of AI across state departments, requiring monitoring of AI design, deployment, and procurement to minimize negative impacts.
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In effect
TN SB 151 (2017 AV Act)
Tennessee · Effective 2017-07-01 · 2017 Tenn. Pub. Acts Ch. 474; Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-30-101 et seq.
Tennessee's Automated Vehicles Act authorized fully driverless operation on Tennessee roads, set minimum-insurance requirements for AV networks ($5 million coverage), explicitly preempted local AV-specific regulation, and treated the automated driving system as the legal operator for traffic-law purposes.
County and city AI rules in Tennessee (23)
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In effect
Nashville Permanent Data Center Zoning (500k sq ft cap + BZA approval)
Nashville, TN · Effective 2026-07-21 · Metro Nashville-Davidson County, permanent data center zoning ordinance (adopted July 21, 2026; 500k sq ft cap + heavy-industrial + BZA special exception)
Nashville's Metro Council enacted permanent data center zoning restrictions on July 21, 2026 — Davidson County's first-ever data center land-use rules. The ordinance bans data centers over 500,000 square feet anywhere in the county. Data centers under that threshold must be located in heavy-industrial (HI) zones and must obtain a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals after a public hearing. The rules were driven by a proposed data center adjacent to the Nashville Zoo and by the largest public-comment turnout in Metro Council history. A companion temporary moratorium (until December 1, 2026) was enacted the same night. Mayor Freddie O'Connell separately advanced eminent-domain legislation to acquire the Zoo-adjacent DC Blox parcel.
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In effect
Nashville Data Center Moratorium (effective through Dec 1, 2026)
Nashville, TN · Effective 2026-07-21 · Metro Nashville-Davidson County, ordinance adopted July 21, 2026 (data center moratorium, effective through Dec 1, 2026)
Nashville's Metro Council enacted a temporary countywide freeze on new data center permits on July 21, 2026, pausing acceptance and processing of zoning, building, and grading approvals through December 1, 2026, while permanent data center zoning rules are finalized. The moratorium was driven by a proposed data center adjacent to the Nashville Zoo and the largest public-comment turnout in Metro Council history (200+ speakers over a marathon overnight session in July). The Metro Council also advanced Mayor Freddie O'Connell's eminent-domain legislation to acquire the Zoo-adjacent parcel targeted by DC Blox.
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In effect
Hamilton County TN 1-year data center moratorium (eff. July 15, 2026)
Hamilton County · Effective 2026-07-15 · Hamilton County (TN) Commission, one-year data center moratorium (>1 MW), unincorporated areas (adopted July 15, 2026)
Hamilton County, Tennessee's County Commission passed a one-year moratorium on new data centers in unincorporated areas on July 15, 2026. The moratorium applies to data centers with more than 1 MW of electricity demand and runs through approximately July 15, 2027. An exception was carved out for an existing jail-related facility (~12,000 sq ft, inside Chattanooga city limits). Mayor Weston Wamp proposed the resolution after widespread community opposition. Hamilton County borders Walker County, Georgia, where a separate data center moratorium was also recently adopted.
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In effect
Shelbyville TN Data Center + Crypto Moratorium
Shelbyville, TN · Effective 2026-07-09 · Shelbyville, TN City Council data center and cryptocurrency mining moratorium (adopted July 9, 2026)
The Shelbyville City Council passed a temporary moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining plants on July 9, 2026. The dual coverage — AI data centers and crypto mining in the same ordinance — reflects a pattern seen in several Tennessee communities where concerns about electricity use, water consumption, and noise apply equally to both types of large computing facilities. Shelbyville is the county seat of Bedford County in Middle Tennessee.
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In effect
Hamblen County TN AI Datacenter Moratorium
Hamblen County, TN · Effective 2026-07-06 · Hamblen County, TN Commission AI Datacenter Moratorium (adopted July 6, 2026)
Hamblen County, Tennessee commissioners voted on July 6, 2026 to enact a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in the county. The moratorium is officially labeled 'AI Datacenter Moratorium' on the Hamblen County government website — one of the few local governments in the data-center wave to explicitly name 'AI' in the title of the moratorium rather than referring only to 'data centers.' The pause is part of a broader wave of Tennessee county action against data center development.
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In effect
McMinnville Data Center Moratorium
McMinnville, TN · Effective 2026-06-09 · McMinnville, Tenn., data center moratorium (June 9, 2026; 18-month term)
McMinnville, Tennessee's Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously passed an 18-month moratorium on data center permitting on June 9, 2026, after more than 90 minutes of citizen comment. The moratorium gives the city time to evaluate impacts on the electrical grid, water and stormwater systems, environmental and public health, noise, and community fit. It was prompted by a developer's plan to build a 96,000-square-foot data center designed to support an Nvidia GB200 NVL72 AI supercomputing platform drawing 25 megawatts.
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In effect
Coffee County Data Center Moratorium
Coffee County, TN · Effective 2026-06-09 · Coffee County, Tenn., Commission data center moratorium (June 9, 2026; 12-month term)
Coffee County, Tennessee commissioners unanimously passed a 12-month moratorium on data centers on June 9, 2026, giving the county time to amend its Agricultural District zoning language before a large data center could arrive under current rules. County Mayor Dennis Hunt said existing agricultural zoning would permit a data center without restrictions, and wanted to prevent that. The day after passage, the county planning commission met to discuss potential zoning updates including building height limits, well usage, environmental testing, light-pollution restrictions, and distance requirements from residences, farms, and water sources.
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In effect
Cedar Hill Data Center Moratorium
Cedar Hill, TN · Effective 2026-06-01 · Cedar Hill, Tenn., data center moratorium resolution (June 1, 2026; 2-year term)
Cedar Hill, Tennessee's city commission unanimously approved a resolution on June 1, 2026 imposing a two-year moratorium on data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities. The preemptive pause — no data centers are currently proposed in Cedar Hill — cites concerns about electrical infrastructure, water usage, wastewater capacity, transportation, emergency services, noise, and impacts on surrounding properties. Cedar Hill Mayor John Edwards said he acted after watching a fight over three proposed data centers in nearby Franklin, Kentucky.
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In effect
Rutherford County TN County AI Use Policy
Rutherford County, TN · Effective 2025-10-21 · Rutherford County Mayor policy (2025) (2025-10-21)
Rutherford County TN adopted AI use policy for county employees: bars PII/PHI/CJIS in public LLMs, requires departmental approval, and bans AI-only adverse decisions affecting residents.
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In effect
Williamson County TN Generative AI Use Policy
Williamson County, TN · Effective 2025-09-09 · Williamson County Mayor policy (2025) (2025-09-09)
Williamson County TN (Franklin/Brentwood) adopted generative AI use policy: prohibits CJIS/PHI/PII in public LLMs, requires human review of AI outputs, and mandates departmental inventory of AI-enabled tools.
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In effect
Johnson City Data Center Moratorium
Johnson City, TN · Effective 2025-06-05 · Johnson City, Tenn., Commission data center moratorium (adopted June 5, 2025; extended May 22, 2026 to Dec. 3, 2026)
Johnson City, Tennessee passed a one-year moratorium on data center construction on June 5, 2025, applying to land use applications and building permits for new data centers in the I-2 heavy industrial district. A companion text amendment limits data centers to the I-2 district. The Commission voted unanimously on May 22, 2026 to extend the moratorium to December 3, 2026, giving the city more time to study noise and other impacts and develop permanent regulations. The local utility BrightRidge also imposed a separate moratorium on data center project proposals in the region.
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In effect
Nashville Surveillance Equipment Council-Approval Ordinance (Metro Code 13.08.080)
Nashville, TN · Effective 2017-05-16 · Ord. BL2017-646 (2017-05-16)
Requires Metro Council approval before any law-enforcement deployment or contracting of surveillance technology on public rights-of-way.
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In effect
Paris TN temporary data center moratorium (2026)
Paris, TN · Effective 2026-06-30 · City of Paris, Tenn. — Paris Commission action, June 30, 2026 (voice vote)
The Paris Commission voted (voice vote, all present in favor, one commissioner absent) on June 30, 2026 to enact a temporary moratorium on data centers. It has no fixed end date — it remains in effect until an outside consultant finishes reworking the city's zoning ordinances, which the city attorney estimated could take almost a year.
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In effect
Two-year moratorium on data centers, crypto mining, battery storage
Anderson County, Tennessee · Effective 2026-06-16 · Anderson County, TN data-center moratorium (June 16, 2026)
Two-year moratorium on data centers, cryptocurrency mining facilities, and battery storage facilities in Anderson County. The pause is intended to give the county time to research the topic, see what other jurisdictions are doing, and develop regulations before approving large-scale projects.
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In effect
Metro Nashville Police Drones as First Responder Trial Progr
Nashville, TN (Metro Nashville Police Department) · Effective 2026-05-22 · Metro Nashville Police Drones as First Responder Trial Program
Metro Nashville Police runs a DFR trial using three Skydio drones dispatched only to specific emergency calls, with no facial recognition or routine patrol and non-evidentiary footage deleted after 7 days.
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In effect
Memphis xAI Colossus Permits
Memphis, TN · Effective 2024-08-29 · Shelby Co. Health Dept., Air Construction Permit, xAI Colossus (2024)
Shelby County Health Department air-permit approval for gas turbines powering xAI's Colossus AI data center in south Memphis, subject to ongoing environmental-justice challenges.
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In effect
Metro Nashville GenAI Policy
Nashville, TN · Effective 2024-07-01 · Metro Nashville ITS, ISM-20: Artificial Intelligence and Generative Artificial Intelligence Use (Aug 2025)
Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County administrative policy on generative AI tool use by employees, with disclosure and data-handling rules.
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In effect
Memphis SkyCop Surveillance Program
Memphis, TN · Effective 2024-01-01 · Memphis PD, SkyCop / RTCC Operational Policy (2023)
Memphis Police Department SkyCop and Real Time Crime Center policy governing operation of city-wide surveillance cameras, integrations, and retention.
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Enacted (not yet in effect)
Somerville 18-Month Data Center Moratorium
Somerville, Tennessee · Somerville 18-Month Data Center Moratorium
The Somerville Town Council approved an 18-month pause on data centers amid a dispute over a proposed bitcoin mining facility.
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Blocked / in litigation
Memphis xAI Permit Challenge
Memphis, TN · Inside Climate News, June 2026
Memphis NAACP and community groups filed an administrative challenge to the air permits supporting xAI's Colossus data center, citing methane-gas-turbine emissions in South Memphis.
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Proposed / pending
Spring City TN 2-year data center moratorium (final reading July 30, 2026)
Spring City, TN · Spring City, TN 2-year data center moratorium, first reading July 16, 2026; final reading July 30, 2026
Spring City, Tennessee (Rhea County, on Watts Bar Lake) is considering a two-year moratorium on data centers. Commissioners advanced the measure on first reading on July 16, 2026; a final reading is set for July 30, 2026.
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Proposed / pending
Nashville/Davidson County temporary moratorium on data centers
Nashville-Davidson County · Metro Nashville/Davidson data-center moratorium ordinance (first reading June 10, 2026)
Temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, approval and issuance of zoning, building or grading permits for data centers across Davidson County. Cites high electrical demand, backup generators, fuel storage, battery systems, substations, cooling, noise, lighting, stormwater, security fencing, and 24-hour operations. Two companion zoning bills (also introduced June 2) would define data centers in Metro code, create size-and-power categories, and set siting conditions.
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Proposed / pending
Knox County Data Center District (pending)
Knox County, TN · Knox County, Tenn., proposed Data Centers Zoning District + moratorium resolution (pending, June 2026)
Knox County commissioners are drafting a new zoning category just for data centers, requiring conditional-use approval for facilities over 10 megawatts or using more than 20,000 gallons of water a day. A companion resolution would freeze new data center permits countywide until June 30, 2027 while the rules are written.
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