TennesseeNorth Cumberland riders and paid guides need permits
Riders must have a valid permit at North Cumberland, and people paid to help others on its trails need a guide permit.
What it does
Anyone riding an off-highway vehicle at North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area must have a valid riding or guide permit. A passenger on the same vehicle may possess it.
Riding permits cost $20 to $150 for Tennessee residents and $50 to $300 for nonresidents, depending on the permit length. They do not allow the holder to guide others.
People with a valid annual or lifetime sportsman license may buy a $40 supplemental annual riding permit. The sportsman license alone does not include riding privileges there.
People paid to help others use the trails must have a $700 guide permit, which also allows riding. No guide permit is required when their only service is roadside assistance.
The commission may adjust these fees by rule, but any increase cannot take effect before July 1, 2030.
Argument forRequiring permits could help the agency track who rides and who is paid to assist others on the trail system.
Argument againstPermit fees could make riding or guiding harder to afford for some people, especially those who visit often or guide for pay.
More detail
A rider must have a valid North Cumberland riding permit, sportsman supplemental annual riding permit, or guide permit on the same vehicle. This applies to anyone operating an off-highway vehicle within North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. The rider or a passenger on that vehicle must possess the permit. The law took effect July 1, 2026.
The agency may issue riding permits at the listed fees, and the rider must pay the fee for the permit chosen. The listed fees apply to Tennessee residents and nonresidents buying one-day, three-day, seven-day, or annual permits. A riding permit does not include permission to guide others. The listed fees apply beginning July 1, 2026.
The agency may issue a $40 supplemental annual riding permit to eligible sportsman license holders who pay the fee. A person must hold a valid annual or lifetime sportsman license to buy this permit. That license alone does not include riding privileges at North Cumberland. The supplemental permit does not include permission to guide others. The fee applies beginning July 1, 2026.
People accepting pay to help others use the trail system must have a guide permit, which also includes riding privileges. This applies to people paid to assist others using the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area trail system. A guide permit is not required when the person's only help is roadside assistance, such as towing, battery service, tire changes, lockout service, fuel delivery, or winching. The fee applies beginning July 1, 2026.
The commission may adjust the listed fees by rule. This authority applies to fees established for North Cumberland off-highway vehicle permits. The rules must follow the cited state law requirements. A fee increase cannot take effect before July 1, 2030. Any fee increase under this authority cannot take effect before July 1, 2030.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 27Pub. Ch. 1120Latest
- May 27Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
- May 22Signed by Governor Bill Lee.Became Law
- May 11Transmitted to Governor for action.To Governor
- May 7Signed by H. SpeakerMajor
- Apr 30Enrolled and ready for signaturesMinor
- Apr 30Signed by Senate SpeakerMajor
- Apr 22Subst. for comp. HB.Major
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/22/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 22Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA1227)Minor
- Apr 22Passed H., Ayes 78, Nays 7, PNV 7Passed House
- Apr 20Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- Apr 20Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Apr 15Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0709)
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/15/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 15Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0Passed Senate
- Apr 15Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Apr 15Engrossed; ready for transmission to HouseMinor
- Apr 13Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026
- Apr 1Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- Vote recorded SENATE FINANCE, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 4/1/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 31Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
- Mar 30Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/1/2026
- Mar 30Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
- Mar 11Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- Vote recorded SENATE ENERGY, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/11/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/11/2026
- Mar 4Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/11/2026
- Feb 25Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
- Feb 5Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources CommitteeMinor
- Feb 2Filed for introductionMinor
- Feb 2Introduced, Passed on First ConsiderationIntroduced
Transportation