Child left unattended in vehicle — Tennessee Permit Test

It is an offense to knowingly leave a child younger than 7 in a vehicle in a public place without a supervisor at least 13 years old, when there is a risk, the engine is running, or the keys are inside.

A small child alone in a car can overheat, knock it into gear, or be taken along with the car.

It is an offense for a person responsible for a child younger than 7 years of age to knowingly leave that child in a motor vehicle located on public property or while on the premises of any shopping center, trailer park, or any apartment house complex, or any other premises that is generally frequented by the public at large without being supervised in the motor vehicle by a person who is at least 13 years of age, if:

Leaving a child under 7 alone in a vehicle is an offense if the keys are anywhere inside the passenger compartment.

A child who finds the keys can start the car or set it rolling.

The keys to the motor vehicle are located anywhere inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

A first offense for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle is a Class B misdemeanor with a $200 fine.

The fine is meant to stop people before the quick errand that ends in a child being hurt.

A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor punishable only by a fine of two hundred dollars ($200) for the first offense.

A second or later offense for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle carries a $500 fine.

Doing it again costs more than double, because the first fine plainly did not teach the lesson.

A second or subsequent violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor punishable only by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500).

What is the age limit below which leaving a child alone in a vehicle in a public place can be an offense?

Younger than 7. A small child alone in a car can overheat, knock it into gear, or be taken along with the car. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.33: “It is an offense for a person responsible for a child younger than 7 years of age to knowingly leave that child in a motor vehicle located on public property or while on the premises of any shopping center, trailer park, or any apartment house complex, or any other premises that is generally frequented by the public at large without being supervised in the motor vehicle by a person who is at least 13 years of age, if:”