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State law change will let some UTVs travel Hendersonville streets; committee hears options
Summary
City staff told the Hendersonville Public Safety Committee that a new Tennessee law will allow qualifying utility task vehicles to use streets with posted limits of 45 mph or less, subject to equipment and operator requirements.
City staff briefed the Hendersonville Public Safety Committee on Aug. 12, 2025 about a change in Tennessee law that adds utility task vehicles (UTVs) to the existing low-speed-vehicle (LSV) and medium-speed-vehicle (MSV) classifications.
Staff said the revised public chapter expands the definition of vehicles that may operate on public streets if they meet specific equipment and speed requirements. “Basically, the low speed vehicle, is less than 35 miles per hour. The medium speed vehicles are less than 40 miles per hour,” staff explained, and added that the law limits how fast those vehicles may travel in practice (for example, LSVs limited to 25 mph even if capable of higher speeds). Under the change, vehicles meeting the statutory equipment list—lights, horn, turn signals, seat belts and, in some cases, windshields or helmets—may operate on roadways with posted speed limits of 45 mph or less, excluding restricted-access highways.
Staff told the committee that nearly all roadways in the city, other than the bypass, have posted limits of 45 mph or less, meaning qualifying UTVs could legally travel on many local streets if they meet the equipment and operator requirements (driver age 16+ with a valid Tennessee driver's license and required insurance). Municipalities remain able to enact local restrictions for particular streets (for example, disallowing UTVs on Main Street), but state law does not permit a city to ban the vehicles outright.
Committee members discussed enforcement experience with neighborhood vehicles that do not meet the law’s equipment and operator requirements (for example, underage drivers or modified golf carts). Staff described prior enforcement that emphasized education—stopping vehicles, contacting parents and issuing citations as needed—rather than an immediate aggressive enforcement campaign, and said complaints in Hendersonville had fallen after that outreach.
The committee did not take any formal action; staff said they brought the matter for awareness and public-safety planning as the state law takes effect. Staff recommended monitoring local complaints and considering targeted local restrictions only if needed.
