Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As enacted, enacts the "Law Enforcement’s Safer Tennessee Electronic Registration (LESTER) Act," which clarifies that law enforcement is required to accept a digital copy of veh, the official text

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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 157

                                                     SENATE BILL NO. 228

                                             By Taylor, Akbari, Powers, Rose

                                             Substituted for: House Bill No. 537

                                        By Camper, Harris, Parkinson, Hardaway

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38 and Title 55, relative to motor vehicle
          registration.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Law Enforcement's Safer Tennessee
Electronic Registration (LESTER) Act."

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-4-138, is amended by designating the
existing language as subsection (a), deleting the last sentence in such new subsection (a), and adding
the following new subsections:

                    (b) If a person displays the evidence in an electronic format pursuant to subsection (a),
          then the evidence must be accepted by law enforcement as proof of registration, unless:

                              (1) The image is not clear enough for the officer to determine the information;
                    or

                              (2) The officer believes the image or the information contained in the image is
                    fraudulent or inaccurate.

                    (c) An officer may require additional information to verify the validity of the electronic
          registration.

                    (d) If an officer cannot verify the validity of the electronic registration, then the officer is
          not required to accept the electronic registration.

                    (e) If a person displays the evidence in an electronic format pursuant to subsection (a),
          then the display is not consent for law enforcement to access any other contents of the
          electronic device.

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-10-312(a), is amended by deleting the
language "motor-propelled vehicle" and "motor propelled vehicle" wherever it appears and substituting
instead the language "motor vehicle".

          SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 228

PASSED:  March 31, 2025

                                         RANDY "-cNALLY
                            SPEAKER OF THE"sENATE

                         CAMERON-SEXTON,SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

II~ Per: APPROVED this   I
         day of                              2025

         /ai,. U( -
                         BILL LEE, GOVERNOR