AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 9, relative to off-highway vehicles.
SB2173 creates a new permitting framework for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in Tennessee’s North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (WMA). It prohibits operating an OHV in the area unless the operator or a passenger on the same vehicle has a valid North Cumberland OHV riding permit, a sportsman supplemental annual North Cumberland OHV riding permit, or a North Cumberland OHV guide permit. The bill also specifies that an annual or lifetime sportsman license alone does not authorize OHV riding in the WMA, though license holders may buy a supplemental OHV permit.
The bill sets permit fees beginning July 1, 2026, with different rates for residents and nonresidents and for one-day, three-day, seven-day, and annual permits. It also creates a separate guide permit for people who accept compensation for assisting OHV users on the trail system, while carving out an exception for roadside assistance services such as towing, jump starts, tire changes, lockouts, fuel delivery, and winching. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is authorized to issue the permits and may later adjust fees by rule, but any fee increase cannot take effect before July 1, 2030.
The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 70, Chapter 9 by adding new provisions governing OHV access, permit requirements, and guide licensing in the North Cumberland WMA. It affects OHV riders, sportsman license holders, paid OHV guides, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and it establishes a new fee structure and enforcement standard for use of the WMA trail system.
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill throughout the legislative process. It passed the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously, advanced through the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee without opposition, and received broad floor approval in both chambers, indicating generally favorable sentiment toward the measure.
The main policy issue appears to be balancing access to the North Cumberland WMA with regulation and fee collection. The bill distinguishes between ordinary OHV riders, sportsman license holders, and paid guides, and it creates a specific exception for roadside assistance providers, suggesting lawmakers wanted to avoid overregulating emergency or mechanical support services. The recorded votes show little overt opposition, so any contention was limited and not reflected in committee or floor debate materials provided.