Tennessee dog laws: leash, licensing, bites and breed rules

This is a general summary of Tennessee state law about dogs. It is information, not legal advice. Reviewed November 2026.

Leashes and licensing

Tennessee has a statewide at-large rule, though it is written as a crime tied to control rather than a leash requirement. An owner commits an offense if the dog goes uncontrolled on another person's premises without consent, or on a highway, public road, street or any other place open to the public. A basic violation is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine, which rises if the dog damages property or injures someone. If the dog causes serious bodily injury it is a Class E felony, and if it causes a death it is a Class D felony. Penalties climb further if the dog was trained to fight or attack, or the owner knew of its dangerous nature after it had seriously bitten someone. Exceptions include hunting, livestock work, and a dog being moved by its owner.

Dog licences are local. Counties may license and regulate dogs and cats by resolution, and a registration certificate cannot be issued unless the owner shows an unexpired rabies vaccination certificate.

Rabies vaccination

It is unlawful to own, keep or harbor a dog or cat six months old or older that has not been vaccinated against rabies. Puppies may be vaccinated from three months, and the shot must be given by or under the supervision of a veterinarian. If an animal has bitten a person, or is suspected of it, it may be placed under observation by confinement or quarantine for the time the commissioner or health rules require.

Dangerous dogs and bites

Tennessee's civil bite statute puts a duty on the owner to keep a dog under reasonable control and from running at large. A person who breaches that duty is liable for damages to someone injured in a public place or lawfully on another's private property, even if the dog had never shown dangerous tendencies. The statute does not impose liability when the dog was securely confined, the injured person was trespassing on non-residential land, the dog was defending its owner, or the person provoked the dog. If the injury happens on the owner's own residential, farm or other noncommercial property, the victim must also prove the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous.

The state dog statutes create no dangerous-dog registry. A general sessions judge may order a dog destroyed if it attacked a human and caused death or serious bodily injury, after a petition by the district attorney, and larger counties may adopt their own ordinances for dangerous dogs.

Breed-specific rules

The state dog statutes contain no breed-specific rule. Some Tennessee cities and counties have their own breed ordinances.

Tethering and hot cars

Tennessee does not set a tethering time limit. It is an offense to knowingly tie, tether or restrain a dog so that it suffers bodily injury, and a dog that lives mostly outdoors must have a roofed, enclosed shelter that meets set standards. A person who forcibly enters a locked vehicle to remove a minor or an animal in imminent danger is immune from civil liability for the damage if they determine the vehicle is locked, contact law enforcement, fire or 911 first, leave a windshield notice, stay nearby, and use only necessary force.

Aggravated cruelty, meaning intentionally or knowingly killing, maiming, torturing or seriously injuring a companion animal, is a Class E felony.

Where to check your local rule

Counties and cities often have stricter leash, licence, number-of-dogs and breed rules. Check your city or county animal control website or ordinance code. If your dog has bitten someone or been reported, talk to a lawyer or the animal-control office.