on September 10, 2026

Tennessee Dog Poop Laws

Quick answer: Tennessee has no statewide pooper scooper law. Picking up after your dog is regulated city by city, and all three of the largest cities we checked have an ordinance requiring it. The highest set ticket among them is $50, in Nashville.

Why Tennessee leaves it to cities

Tennessee has no statewide law requiring people to pick up after their dogs; each city writes its own rule. The state statute that does apply to dogs in public is the running-at-large law, T.C.A. § 44-8-408, which makes it an offense for a dog to go uncontrolled on another person's premises without consent or on a highway, street, or other place open to the public (a Class C misdemeanor punishable by fine only, rising with any resulting damage or injury). What makes Tennessee unusual is its constitution. Article VI, Section 14 says no fine may exceed fifty dollars unless a jury assesses it, and in City of Chattanooga v. Davis, 54 S.W.3d 248 (Tenn. 2001), the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the limit applies to punitive fines for municipal ordinance violations. Municipal courts cannot convene juries, so city pick-up fines in Tennessee top out at $50 per violation, plus court costs. That is why all three of the largest cities cap the fine at $50 or less. (A city may still charge $50 for each day a continuing violation goes uncorrected, and may recover remedial costs.)

  • Fifty-dollar fines clause (fines over $50 require a jury): Tenn. Const. art. VI, § 14 (read it)
  • Tennessee Attorney General on the fifty-dollar clause and municipal fines (discusses City of Chattanooga v. Davis, 54 S.W.3d 248 (Tenn. 2001)): Tenn. Op. Att'y Gen. No. 05-056 (read it)
  • UT Municipal Technical Advisory Service: municipal ordinance penalties limited to $50: MTAS, Municipal Courts: Fines and Other Remedies (read it)
  • Dogs not allowed at large: T.C.A. § 44-8-408 (read it)

Pooper scooper laws in Tennessee's largest cities

Each row comes from the city's own municipal code. "Up to" is the most a court can impose, not a standard ticket. Where a city publishes no amount, we say so rather than estimate one.

City Ordinance Fine Must carry a bag
Nashville Metropolitan Code of Nashville and Davidson County § 8.04.190, Removal of excrement (Ord. BL2023-1688) $50 No
Memphis Memphis Code § 8-3-7, Defecation by dogs or cats (Ord. No. 5843, 2023); earlier version § 8-16-9 also remains in the published code Up to $50 No
Knoxville Knoxville City Code § 5-33, Animals causing unsanitary conditions (last amended Ord. No. O-171-2023, 12-12-23) $25 No

The rule people miss: carrying the bag

None of the cities we checked in Tennessee spell out a separate duty to carry a bag, but the pickup duty applies the moment your dog goes, and "I did not have a bag" is not a defense in any of them.

A bag holder on the leash solves that for good. Ours is the Walk Dispenser, which clips on and holds a full roll.

Worth knowing about Tennessee

  • Tennessee's pick-up fines are among the lowest in the country, and the reason is constitutional. Article VI, Section 14, dating to 1796, bars any fine over $50 unless a jury assesses it, and the Tennessee Supreme Court applied it to punitive municipal ordinance fines in City of Chattanooga v. Davis (2001). City courts have no juries, so $50 is effectively the ceiling for a dog-waste ticket in any Tennessee city court.
  • Knoxville's fine is just $25 for a first offense, and outside downtown the city does not enforce the rule itself: a neighbor has to file a private complaint in city court (§ 5-33(a)).
  • Nashville rewrote its animal code in 2023 (Ord. BL2023-1688) and set a flat $50 fine for failing to pick up.
  • Memphis's published code contains two nearly identical pick-up sections, the 2023 rewrite (§ 8-3-7) and an older version (§ 8-16-9). Both also apply to cats.

Common questions

Is it illegal to not pick up dog poop in Tennessee?

There is no statewide law, but every one of the largest cities we checked has a pickup rule, and most smaller towns have similar ordinances. Check your own city or county code.

How much is the fine for not picking up dog poop in Tennessee?

It depends on the city. Nashville: $50. Memphis: Up to $50. Knoxville: $25.

Do I have to carry a poop bag in Tennessee?

Not as a separate rule in the cities we checked. You still have to pick up, so in practice you need one.

Are service dog handlers exempt?

In Memphis and Knoxville, the ordinance exempts handlers who have a disability and cannot physically pick up. The exemption covers the handler, not the dog.

Other states in the South

Texas · Florida · Georgia · North Carolina · Virginia · Maryland · South Carolina · Alabama

See all 50 states · How scoop laws work in general

Sources

Checked 2026-09-10. Ordinances change, so if you are dealing with an actual citation, read the current code at the link rather than relying on this page.

This page is general information, not legal advice.