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TCA 55-8-149

Requirements for stop signs – Vehicles and streetcars must stop at stop signs – Penalty

MISDEMEANOR CClass C Misdemeanor
Sentence enhancement may apply

What does this charge mean?

Requirements for stop signs – Vehicles and streetcars must stop at stop signs – Penalty — Class C misdemeanor. Up to 30 days in jail and $50 fine. Penalty may be enhanced for prior offenses or aggravating factors.

Penalty Details

ClassificationClass C Misdemeanor
Maximum Jail30 days
Maximum Fine$50
Penalty SummaryClass C misdemeanor; 30 days; fine up to $50
(a) Every stop sign shall bear the word “Stop” in letters not less than eight inches (8″) in height and the sign shall at nighttime be rendered luminous by steady or flashing internal illumination, or by a fixed floodlight projected on the face of the sign, or by efficient reflecting elements on the face of the sign. (A) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Driver: means :(A) For purposes of a conventionally operated vehicle, every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Intersection: means : (A) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two (2) highways that join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the areas within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Operator: means :(A) For purposes of a conventionally operated vehicle, every person, other than a chauffeur, who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a highway or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Police officer: means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Roadway: means that portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Stop line: means a white line placed generally in conformance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), as adopted by the department of transportation, denoting the point where an intersection begins. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Streetcar: means a car other than a railroad train for transporting persons or property and operated upon rails principally within a municipality. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101Vehicle: means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101(b) Every stop sign shall be erected as near as practicable to the nearest line of the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if there is no crosswalk, then as close as practicable to the nearest line of the roadway. (c) Every driver of a vehicle and every operator of a streetcar approaching a stop sign shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or in the event there is no crosswalk, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver or operator has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering the intersection, except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal. (d) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
View on official sourceLast verified: Feb 25, 2026

Quick Facts

MISDEMEANOR C
TCA Section55-8-149
Max Jail30 days
Max Fine$50
Recent Bookings8+

Geographic Distribution

Hamilton
10
Sullivan
9
Fayette
6
Washington
2
Rhea
1
McMinn
1
Carter
1