Are Autopsy Reports Public in Tennessee? (2026)
Yes. Tennessee autopsy and toxicology reports are public records you can request from the regional forensic center or county medical examiner, with a few exemptions.
5 min read
Tennessee Laws
88 articles · page 1 of 2
Bankruptcy in Tennessee (2026): Exemptions & Means Test
Tennessee opted out of federal exemptions. See the $35,000 homestead ($52,500 for joint owners), the $10,000 personal-property wildcard, and the means test.
6 min read
Common Law Marriage in Tennessee: Is It Recognized? (2026)
Tennessee does not allow couples to form a common-law marriage. Under Tenn. Code Ann. section 36-3-103, marriage requires a license. Tennessee does recognize valid common-law marriages from other states.
8 min read
How Long Is a Life Sentence in Tennessee? (2026 Guide)
Complete guide to life sentences in Tennessee: parole eligibility, LWOP rules, notable cases, recent legislative changes, and sentencing statutes. Updated March 2026.
8 min read
How to Find a Cause of Death in Tennessee (2026)
How to find someone's cause of death in Tennessee: it is on the certified death certificate (restricted to close family for 50 years) and the autopsy report.
5 min read
How to Get a Tennessee Death Certificate (2026)
Order a Tennessee death certificate from the Department of Health Office of Vital Records for $15 per copy. See who is eligible and how to request one.
5 min read
Medical Malpractice Laws in Tennessee (2026): Caps
Tennessee medical malpractice in 2026: a 1-year deadline, 3-year repose, a $750,000 noneconomic cap ($1M catastrophic), plus pre-suit notice rules.
8 min read
Tennessee Adoption Records: Original Birth Certificates and Sealed Files
Tennessee adult adoptees and other eligible relatives can request sealed adoption records through DCS for $150. Here is who qualifies and how it works.
5 min read
Tennessee Age Verification Law: Protect Tennessee Minors Act Explained
Tennessee's Protect Tennessee Minors Act requires age verification for adult content. The 6th Circuit stayed an injunction against it in January 2025, not 2026.
5 min read
Tennessee AI Laws and Regulation (2026)
Guide to Tennessee AI laws, regulation, and legislation covering deepfakes, employment AI, healthcare AI, and more.
10 min read
Tennessee AI Meeting Recording Laws (2026)
Learn how Tennessee consent laws apply to AI meeting recorders. One-party consent rules, penalties, and compliance.
7 min read
Tennessee Alimony Laws: The Four Types of Spousal Support (2026)
Tennessee recognizes four types of alimony under Tenn. Code Ann. section 36-5-121: rehabilitative (preferred), alimony in futuro, transitional, and alimony in solido. No formula; courts weigh 12 factors.
10 min read
Tennessee At-Will Employment Laws: Exceptions and Your Rights
Is Tennessee an at-will state? Yes. Learn the public-policy, implied-contract, and right-to-work rules that limit at-will employment in Tennessee.
7 min read
Tennessee Audio Recording Laws: One-Party Consent Rules and Penalties
Understand Tennessee audio recording laws under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-13-601. One-party consent rules for conversations, wiretapping penalties, and legal exceptions.
9 min read
Tennessee Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
Tennessee background check laws: Ban the Box, lookback periods, Clean Slate, employer and housing checks.
13 min read
Tennessee Biometric Privacy Laws: Collection, Consent & Penalties (2026)
Tennessee biometric privacy law guide covering TIPA sensitive data consent rules, consumer rights, AG enforcement penalties, and the pending biometric data protection act.
10 min read
Tennessee Car Accident Laws: Fault, Insurance, and Your Claim
Tennessee car accident laws: at-fault state, 25/50/25 minimums, modified comparative fault 50% bar, and a critical 1-year injury deadline. Know your rights.
7 min read
Tennessee Car Seat Laws: Requirements and Guidelines
Learn about Tennessee's car seat laws: age and weight requirements, rear-facing rules, booster seat guidelines, and penalties for violations.
5 min read
Tennessee Child Custody Laws (2026): Parenting Plans, Best Interests, and Your Rights
Tennessee child custody explained: permanent parenting plan, primary residential parent, 17 best-interests factors (TCA 36-6-106, eff. 7/1/2025), relocation rules, and how to modify an order.
7 min read
Tennessee Child Support Laws (2026): Guidelines & Calculator
Tennessee uses the Income Shares Model for child support. Learn how orders are calculated, modified, and enforced under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04.
11 min read
Tennessee Court Records: How to Search, What's Public, and How to Seal Them (2026)
Tennessee has no statewide trial court portal. Learn how Davidson, Shelby, and other counties handle court records search, plus appellate PCH access.
4 min read
Tennessee Dashcam Laws: Legality, Mounting Rules, and Evidence Use
Learn Tennessee dashcam laws including mounting rules, audio recording consent, insurance implications, and using dashcam footage as evidence in court.
8 min read
Tennessee Data Breach Notification Laws: Reporting Rules & Timelines (2026)
Tennessee requires data breach notification within 45 days under Tenn. Code 47-18-2107. Learn about the private right of action, FIPS 140-2 encryption safe harbor, and CRA reporting at 1,000+.
7 min read
Tennessee Data Privacy Laws: TIPA Consumer Rights Guide (2026)
Tennessee Information Protection Act (TIPA) gives consumers opt-out rights for data sales and targeted ads. Learn about TIPA thresholds, penalties up to $7,500, the NIST defense, and breach notification rules.
17 min read
Tennessee Death Records: Are They Public + How to Get One
Tennessee is a closed-record state: certified death certificates go only to family or legal reps until records are 50 years old. See who qualifies, the $15 fee, and how to order.
5 min read
Tennessee Debt Collection Laws: The 25% Cap and the Child Credit Most Debtors Miss
Tennessee caps wage garnishment at 25%, plus a per-child credit and a way to pause it with a payment plan. What is verified, and what Tennessee law leaves open.
6 min read
Tennessee Deepfake Laws: AI Images, Voice Cloning & Penalties (2026)
Tennessee has enacted multiple deepfake laws: the ELVIS Act (voice cloning, eff. July 2024), the Preventing Deepfake Images Act (NCII felony, eff. July 2025), and a new election-deepfake disclosure law (eff. July 2026).
9 min read
Tennessee Defamation Laws: Libel & Slander (2026)
Tennessee defamation laws: slander is 6 months (T.C.A. 28-3-103), libel is 1 year (28-3-104), plus the Tennessee Public Participation Act anti-SLAPP.
8 min read
Tennessee Divorce Laws (2026): Grounds, Residency, and Process
Tennessee divorce laws: irreconcilable differences requires a written MDA, 2-year separation option, 60/90-day wait, equitable distribution. Residency: 6 months.
7 min read
Tennessee Dog Bite Laws: Liability and Victim Rights
Tennessee dog bite laws explained: strict liability under TCA 44-8-413, the residential exclusion, one-year filing deadline, and damages caps.
10 min read
Tennessee Drone Laws (2026): Warrants, Privacy & Shoot-Downs
Tenn. Code Ann. Section 39-13-609 requires police to get a warrant before using a drone to gather evidence. See the exceptions and evidence-deletion rule.
8 min read
Tennessee DUI Laws: Penalties, BAC & License (2026)
Tennessee DUI laws: the 0.08% BAC limit, first-offense penalties under TCA 55-10-402, the mandatory 1-year interlock, license revocation, and the look-back.
8 min read
Tennessee E-Scooter Laws: Sidewalk, Helmet & Age Rules (2026)
Tennessee's electric foot scooter law caps device eligibility at 20 mph, but the actual operating speed limit is 15 mph under T.C.A. 55-8-306. Full rules here.
7 min read
Tennessee Emancipation Laws: How to Get Emancipated in Tennessee (2026)
Tennessee removes the disabilities of minority under Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 29-31-101 to 29-31-105. A minor petitions by next friend in chancery or circuit court. Marriage and military service also emancipate. No fixed minimum age.
8 min read
Tennessee Employee Monitoring Laws: Workplace Surveillance and Social Media (2026)
Tennessee employee monitoring laws explained: the social media password ban under the Employee Online Privacy Act, one-party consent recording, and GPS tracking rules.
10 min read
Tennessee Expungement Laws: T.C.A. § 40-32-101 Explained
Learn how Tennessee expungement works under T.C.A. § 40-32-101: eligible misdemeanors and felonies, the 5-year waiting period, the $100 fee, dismissed charges, diversion, and how to file your petition.
7 min read
Tennessee Final Paycheck Laws: The Payday-or-21-Days Rule
Tennessee requires final wages by the next regular payday or 21 days after separation, whichever is later. See the deadline, penalties, and property-hold rule.
6 min read
Tennessee GPS Tracking Laws: Is It Legal to Put a Tracker on a Car? (2026)
Tennessee makes it a Class A misdemeanor to put a GPS tracker on a car without the consent of all owners. See T.C.A. 39-13-606 exceptions and penalties.
11 min read
Tennessee Grandparents' Rights: Hawk v. Hawk and the Substantial Harm Standard
Tennessee requires grandparents to prove danger of substantial harm to win visitation, a rule its own courts set in Hawk v. Hawk before Troxel existed.
5 min read
Tennessee Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do
Learn Tennessee hit and run laws, penalties for leaving the scene, driver duties under TCA 55-10-101 through 55-10-104, and how to protect your legal rights.
9 min read
Tennessee Identity Theft Laws: Treble Damages Under TCA 39-14-150
Tennessee's Identity Theft Victims' Rights Act lets victims recover triple damages plus fees, sue where they live, and get a new license number.
8 min read
Tennessee Landlord-Tenant Laws (2026): Deposits, Notice, and Tenant Rights
Tennessee has no security deposit cap. Landlords have 30 days to return deposits. URLTA applies in counties over 75,000. Repair-and-deduct for essential services. 2026 guide.
6 min read
Tennessee Landlord-Tenant Recording Laws: Rights and Restrictions
Learn Tennessee landlord-tenant recording laws. Tenant rights to record landlords, landlord surveillance limits, security cameras in rentals, and evidence use.
7 min read
Tennessee Laws on Recording in Public: What You Can and Cannot Film
Learn Tennessee laws on recording in public places. First Amendment rights, audio and video rules, government buildings, private property limits, and penalties.
8 min read
Tennessee Laws on Recording Police: Your Rights and Limits
Learn your rights to record police in Tennessee. First Amendment protections, one-party consent rules, body camera laws, and what officers can and cannot do.
9 min read
Tennessee Lemon Law (2026): How to Qualify & Get a Refund
Tennessee's lemon law covers new vehicles with 3+ repair attempts or 30 cumulative days out of service. Learn thresholds, remedies, and how to file a claim.
13 min read
Tennessee Marriage & Divorce Records: How to Get a Copy (2026)
Tennessee's vital records office keeps only the past 50 years of marriage and divorce records. Learn where older records went, the fees, and who has the decree.
6 min read
Tennessee Medical Recording Laws: Patient Rights and Provider Rules
Learn Tennessee medical recording laws for patients and providers. HIPAA and one-party consent rules, recording doctor visits, telehealth, and hospital policies.
8 min read
Tennessee Medical Records Retention Laws (2026 Guide)
Tennessee medical records retention laws: how long hospitals and doctors keep your records, HIPAA rules, and patient rights.
13 min read
Tennessee Motorcycle Accident Laws (2026): Deadlines
Tennessee motorcycle accident law: the short 1-year deadline to sue, the 49 percent comparative-fault bar, a universal helmet law, and no lane splitting.
8 min read
Tennessee Name Change Laws: How to Legally Change Your Name
How to legally change your name in Tennessee under TCA 29-8-101, and the state's permanent bar for murder and sex-offender convictions.
4 min read
Tennessee Nursing Home Camera Laws: No Statute, Resident Rights
Tennessee has no nursing home camera law. See what the 26-item resident bill of rights does not cover, and how one-party consent law applies to a camera.
4 min read
Tennessee Phone Call Recording Laws: One-Party Consent Rules
Learn Tennessee phone call recording laws under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-13-601. One-party consent rules, interstate call guidelines, penalties, and evidence use.
13 min read
Tennessee Police Bodycam Laws: Access & Records Rules
Tennessee has no dedicated bodycam statute. See how Tenn. Code Ann. 10-7-504(u) governs footage access under the Public Records Act, and why it sunsets in 2027.
8 min read
Tennessee Police Report: How to Get a Crash Report, Incident Report, or Body Camera Video
How to get a Tennessee crash report through purchasetncrash.gov, request an incident report, and what TCA 10-7-504(u) says about bodycam video through 2027.
5 min read
Tennessee Pornography Laws (2026): Legality, Age Verification, and Penalties
Is porn legal in Tennessee? What the age-verification law requires, CSAM and revenge-porn penalties, and obscenity rules under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-902.
9 min read
Tennessee Power of Attorney Laws: Durable, Medical, and Financial POA (2026)
Tennessee Power of Attorney law (Tenn. Code 34-6-101 to 34-6-112): durable POA rules, execution, agent powers, and the separate health care POA under sections 34-6-201 to 34-6-218.
7 min read
Tennessee Probate and Intestate Succession: What Happens Without a Will (2026)
Tennessee probate explained: the Chancery Court process, common vs. solemn form, the $50,000 small estate affidavit, and who inherits without a will.
8 min read
Tennessee Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)
Tennessee property records are kept by each county's Register of Deeds. Learn how to search free online, get certified copies, and spot deed scams.
8 min read
Tennessee Public Records Act: Who Can Request and How
Tennessee restricts public records access to citizens of the state. Learn the statutory language, what an out-of-state requester can do, and the 7 day clock.
11 min read