7 Things Tennessee Drivers Can Get Ticketed for That Feel Completely Legal

Some driving habits feel completely harmless.

But a few of them can earn you a ticket in Tennessee.

These are the things Tennessee drivers can get ticketed for that feel completely legal.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Traffic laws and fines are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

1. Camping in the Left Lane

Camping in the left lane feels like an annoying habit, not a citation.

Tennessee’s “Slow Poke Law” makes it a citation.

The rule bans sitting in the passing lane of a multi-lane highway unless a driver is overtaking someone in a lane to the right.

It doesn’t matter whether the driver is going the speed limit.

Position is the violation.

A trooper only has to see a car holding the left lane with nobody to pass, and that alone supports a $50 Class C misdemeanor.

Heavy traffic, bad weather, and a left-hand exit ahead all count as valid reasons to stay put, so the citation is aimed at the driver who never checks a mirror.

2. Passing a Stopped School Bus

Does passing a stopped school bus from the opposite lane count as somebody else’s problem?

On an undivided road, Tennessee requires a stop from drivers in both directions, not just the traffic following behind the bus.

Many drivers only learned to check for a divider, a raised median, or a physical barrier the day a trooper pulled them over for rolling on through.

A first violation runs $250 to $1,000, and it rises from there on a second offense.

That’s before anyone gets hurt.

3. Cutting Into a Funeral Procession

Cutting into a funeral procession can look like an open gap in traffic to a driver in a hurry, nothing more.

A trooper reads it differently.

A procession has to be properly marked first, with a flashing amber light and an audio signaling device on the lead car.

Every vehicle behind it needs a flag or other marking device too.

Once it’s marked that way, no driver may pull in between those cars or pass the line on a two-lane road.

A quick errand run in the opposite direction turns into a wait at the shoulder instead.

The civil penalty tops out at $50, small enough that many drivers assume the rule is a courtesy rather than a law.

4. Revving a Loud Exhaust

Tennessee bans a muffler cutout outright, and any exhaust the state calls noticeably louder than a comparable vehicle counts as a Class C misdemeanor on its own.

So does anything that tops 95 decibels.

Ninety-five decibels sits close to a gas lawn mower running a few feet away.

That’s loud.

A shop-installed aftermarket system can cross that line without the owner ever touching the engine.

A modified exhaust pipe often feels like nothing more than a style choice a mechanic sold without a second thought.

5. Flicking a Cigarette Out the Window

Flicking a cigarette out the window takes half a second, and many drivers picture it landing somewhere that doesn’t count.

It counts.

Tennessee’s littering law covers anything dropped or thrown from a moving vehicle, and it lets a trooper infer littering from the act alone, no witness required.

A single cigarette butt is enough on its own to support a misdemeanor citation.

An empty cup or a fast-food bag out the window works the same way.

6. Passing a Stopped Tow Truck

Passing a stopped tow truck without slowing down feels like a police-only rule that doesn’t apply to a regular breakdown.

Tennessee extends the rule well beyond police vehicles.

The statute covers recovery vehicles, utility crews, highway maintenance trucks, and solid-waste trucks running flashing lights, alongside police cars and ambulances.

On a road with at least two lanes running the same direction, a driver has to move over a full lane.

Can’t change lanes safely?

Slow down instead because a first Move Over violation is a Class B misdemeanor that can run as high as $500.

7. Holding Your Phone to Talk

Many drivers assume holding a phone for a quick call is nothing like texting behind the wheel.

Tennessee bans holding a phone in any part of the body while the vehicle is in motion, whether it's for a call or a text.

That covers dialing, scrolling, or just cradling it against a shoulder mid-call.

No exceptions there.

A first offense costs up to $50, and that jumps to $200 inside a work zone or school zone.

The one exception is a car that's lawfully stopped or parked.