Tennessee Senate Bill SB0498

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/25
• Chaptered: 4/4/25
• Passed: 4/4/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 7, relative to driver licenses.

Summary

This bill amends Tennessee law governing driver licenses by removing the requirement that a driver license be presented or otherwise handled "within ten (10) days after it is issued" under Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-703. The text is very short and does not add a new reporting deadline or substitute a different time period; it simply deletes the existing ten-day language. As a result, the bill narrows or eliminates a specific timing requirement in the driver-license provisions of Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 7. The practical effect is to reduce a statutory deadline related to driver licenses, which may affect drivers, licensing administration, and any enforcement or compliance tied to that ten-day period.

Impact

The bill directly amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 7, by striking the phrase "within ten (10) days after it is issued" from § 55-10-703. This changes the operative law by removing a specific deadline associated with driver licenses, and it may alter how the Department of Safety and related enforcement authorities apply or interpret that section. No other statutes are changed by the bill text provided.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and received favorable treatment. The Transportation and Safety Committee recommended passage unanimously, with 9 yeas and 0 nays, and there is no committee transcript indicating opposition or debate. The bill also passed the House and was signed into law, which is consistent with broad support.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the materials provided. The only discernible issue is the policy choice to remove a ten-day deadline from the driver-license statute, which could matter to those concerned with administrative clarity or enforcement timing. However, no recorded opposition, amendments, or competing viewpoints appear in the supplied votes or transcripts.