AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, relative to the moorage of vessels.

New mooring limits for Tennessee recreational boaters

Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee limits where recreational boats can be secured with lines or anchors. Operators cannot moor for more than 14 days at one location along a reservoir’s edge or within one mile of it. Covered reservoirs hold water impounded by dams and are federally managed. Temporary mooring is banned in primary or secondary navigation channels of federally managed parts of the Tennessee River and its tributaries. Mooring lines cannot block or hinder boating access to any part of a covered reservoir. Violations are Class C misdemeanors. These rules exempt boats with federal permits for permanent or extended mooring, and boats secured temporarily or permanently at marina slips, docks, or other recreational docking facilities. Recreational boats include those made or used mainly for noncommercial use, including boats leased, rented, or chartered for noncommercial use.