Tennessee Senate Bill SB1913

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 6; Title 7; Title 16; Title 40 and Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 5, relative to drag racing.

Summary

SB1913 amends Tennessee’s motor vehicle and criminal enforcement laws to create a specific impoundment process for vehicles believed to have been used in drag racing. Under the bill, a POST-certified or state-commissioned law enforcement officer with probable cause may seize and impound the vehicle pending review, even apart from existing seizure and forfeiture authority. The impoundment is limited to 72 hours unless the owner is given notice and an opportunity to challenge the seizure through an administrative hearing or a petition in general sessions court. If a hearing is requested, it must be held within five business days. At that hearing, the owner may contest whether probable cause existed for the seizure. If probable cause is not supported, the owner must be reimbursed for impound fees or have the vehicle released without cost if it remains impounded. The bill also makes clear that this new impoundment authority does not replace or limit existing forfeiture laws, and a vehicle may still be seized and forfeited after conviction under current law.

Impact

The bill would add a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-10-502, expanding law enforcement authority to temporarily impound vehicles suspected of being used in drag racing. It also interacts with existing forfeiture provisions in Title 40 by preserving the state’s ability to pursue seizure and forfeiture after conviction. The practical effect is to create a faster, pre-conviction enforcement tool for police and a short timeline for owners to contest the action, affecting vehicle owners, lienholders, law enforcement agencies, and courts handling impoundment challenges.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was received favorably in committee, passing the Transportation and Safety Committee unanimously 9-0 and being recommended for passage. No committee transcript is available, but the vote indicates broad support at that stage. The bill’s structure also reflects an effort to balance enforcement with due process protections, which may have helped reduce opposition.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns the balance between public safety enforcement and property rights. Supporters would view the bill as a tool to deter dangerous street racing and quickly remove vehicles used in drag racing from circulation, while critics may worry about seizure based on probable cause before conviction and the burden placed on owners to recover their vehicles. The bill addresses some of those concerns by limiting impoundment to 72 hours absent review, requiring prompt notice, and providing a quick hearing and fee reimbursement if probable cause is not substantiated.