House Bill 972, known as the "Modernization of Towing, Immobilization, and Oversight Normalization (MOTION) Act of 2025," aims to reform the regulation of towing, immobilization, and management of abandoned vehicles in Tennessee. The bill introduces comprehensive definitions for terms such as "abandoned motor vehicle," "booting," and "commercial parking lot," and establishes a motor vehicle portal managed by the Department of Revenue. This portal will serve as an electronic database for law enforcement and garagekeepers to track abandoned or immobile vehicles, providing public access to information about towed vehicles, including retrieval requirements and fees. The legislation also outlines penalties for violations, including private rights of action for affected individuals, and sets clear guidelines for commercial parking lot owners regarding the use of automatic license plate readers and signage.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to require express written authorization for towing vehicles, with specific exceptions, and mandates that towing companies notify law enforcement within one hour of towing a vehicle without the owner's presence. It also details the conditions under which garagekeepers can store vehicles and prohibits excessive fees. The legislation allows law enforcement to waive their right to sell a vehicle in favor of a garagekeeper and streamlines the process for demolishers to acquire abandoned vehicles without a title if they meet certain criteria. Notably, the bill eliminates the requirement for newspaper advertisements for vehicle sales once the online portal is operational, instead requiring notices to be posted on this portal. Overall, the bill seeks to enhance transparency, accountability, and consumer protection in the towing and storage processes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 66-14-104, 66-19-103(b)(1)(A), 66-19-103, 66-19-103(b)(1)(B), 66-19-103(b)(6), 66-19-103(c), 47-18-104(b)(65), 47-18-104, 47-18-104(b)(66)