(a) It is unlawful for a person to engage in camping:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class C misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $50
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 55-8-212

  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way when any part thereto is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Person: means a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation, or an engaged ADS. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Right-of-way: means the privilege of the immediate use of the roadway. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Vehicle: means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
(1) On the shoulder, berm, or right-of-way of a state or interstate highway; or
(2) Under a bridge or overpass, or within an underpass, of a state or interstate highway.
(b) Notwithstanding § 39-14-414, a violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable only by a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) and community service work not less than twenty (20) hours nor more than forty (40) hours; except, that a person who violates this section must receive a warning citation for a first offense. In lieu of a fine and community service, the court may require a person convicted under this section to remove litter from the state or local highway system, public playgrounds, public parks, or other appropriate public locations for not less than twenty (20) hours nor more than forty (40) hours.
(c) For purposes of this section, “camping” means:

(1) Erecting, placing, maintaining, or using temporary structures, such as tents, tarps, and other temporary shelters, for living accommodation activities, such as sleeping or making preparations to sleep;
(2) Carrying on cooking activities, whether by fire or use of artificial means, such as a propane stove or other heat-producing portable cooking equipment; or
(3) Sleeping outside of a motor vehicle or making preparations to sleep outside of a motor vehicle, including laying down a sleeping bag, blanket, or other material used for bedding.
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