Governor Bill Lee has officially signed the Modernization of Towing, Immobilization, and Oversight Normalization (MOTION) Act, which introduces updates to parking penalties and adds protections against unlawful booting and towing in Tennessee.
State Senate Majority Leader and co-sponsor of the bill, Jack Johnson, explained the need for the legislation: “We’ve received numerous complaints from individuals who experienced issues with their vehicles being booted or received late notices with exorbitant fees for parking in commercial lots where they were unaware of the payment requirements. We wanted to establish clear guidelines in Tennessee regarding the practice of booting.”
Under the new law, unlicensed companies are banned from booting vehicles. The maximum fee for removing a boot is set at $75, and towing company employees must remove a boot within 45 minutes of being contacted by the driver.
“Vehicle booting is prohibited unless local governments have strict procedures in place and authorize it by ordinance, complying with state standards,” Johnson added. “If your vehicle is booted in an area that has not authorized booting by ordinance, you should contact law enforcement, as this is now an illegal practice.”
Johnson expressed optimism that this legislation will help eliminate “bad actors” who exploit vehicle immobilization for profit. “Some individuals have no connection to the parking lot and no authorization, yet they place boots on cars and demand $100 for removal. This will now be a criminal offense in Tennessee,” he stated.
The new law will go into effect on July 1.
