The Tennessee Constitution

Whereas, The people of the territory of the United States south of the river Ohio, having the right of admission into the General Government as a member State thereof, consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and the act of Cession of the State of North Carolina, recognizing the ordinance for the government of the territory--of the United States north west of the Ohio River, by their Delegates and Representatives in Convention assembled, did on the sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, ordain and establish a Constitution, or form of government, and mutually agreed with each other to form themselves into a free and independent State by the name of the State of Tennessee, and,

Whereas, The General Assembly of the said State of Tennessee, (pursuant to the third section of the tenth article of the Constitution,) by an act passed on the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, entitled, “An Act” to provide for the calling of a Convention, passed in obedience to the declared will of the voters of the State, as expressed at the general election of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, did authorize and provide for the election by the people of delegates and representatives, to meet at Nashville, in Davidson County, on the third Monday in May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four, for the purpose of revising and amending, or changing, the Constitution, and said Convention did accordingly meet and form a Constitution, which was submitted to the people, and was ratified by them, on the first Friday in March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, and,

Whereas, The General Assembly of said State of Tennessee, under and in virtue of the first section of the first article of the Declaration of Rights, contained in and forming a part of the existing Constitution of the State, by an act passed on the fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, did provide for the calling of a Convention by the people of the State, to meet at Nashville, on the second Monday in January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and for the election of delegates for the purpose of amending or revising the present Constitution, or forming and making a new Constitution; and,

Whereas, The people of the State, in the mode provided by said Act, have called said Convention, and elected Delegates to Represent them therein; Now, therefore,

We, the Delegates and Representatives of the people of the State of Tennessee, duly elected, and in Convention assembled, in pursuance of said Act of Assembly, have ordained and established the following Constitution and form of government for this State, which we recommend to the people of Tennessee for their ratification: That is to say--

Section 1

Powers of people

Section 2

Doctrine of non-resistance

Section 3

Freedom of worship

Section 4

Political or religious test

Section 5

Elections and suffrage

Section 6

Trial by jury; jurors

Section 7

Searches and seizures; warrants

Section 8

Deprivation of life, liberty or property under law; due process

Section 9

Rights of accused

Section 10

Double jeopardy

Section 11

Ex post facto laws

Section 12

Corruption of blood; forfeiture of estates

Section 13

Treatment of prisoners

Section 14

Criminal charges

Section 15

Bail; habeas corpus

Section 16

Excessive bail or fines; cruel and unusual punishment

Section 17

Remedies in courts, suits against state

Section 18

Imprisonment for debt

Section 19

Freedom of speech and press; defamation

Section 20

Retrospective laws; impairment of contracts

Section 21

Taking of property; eminent domain

Section 22

Perpetuities and monopolies

Section 23

Right of assembly; redress of grievances

Section 24

Militia

Section 25

Martial law

Section 26

Weapons; right to bear arms

Section 27

Quartering soldiers

Section 28

Military service; compelling to bear arms

Section 29

Mississippi river; navigation

Section 30

Hereditary emoluments, privileges or honors

Section 31

State boundaries

Section 32
Last Amended 1998

Treatment of prisoners

Section 33
Last Amended 2022

Slavery

Section 34

Property rights

Section 35
Last Amended 1998

Rights of victims of crimes

Section 36
Last Amended 2014

Abortion

Section 1

Separation of powers; branches of government

Section 2

Separation of powers; persons belonging to different branches

Section 3
Last Amended 1966

Vesting of legislative authority; terms of office

Section 4
Last Amended 1966

Appointment

Section 5
Last Amended 1966

Number of representatives; districts of two or more counties

Section 5a
Last Amended 1966

Representation by qualified voters

Section 6
Last Amended 1966

Number of senators; districts composed of two or more counties

Section 6a
Last Amended 1966

Representation by qualified voters

Section 7

Dates of elections

Section 8
Last Amended 1978

Sessions

Section 9

Qualifications of representatives

Section 10

Qualifications of senators

Section 11

Officers; judging membership; quorum; adjournment

Section 12

Rules and powers

Section 13

Privilege from arrest

Section 14

Contempt

Section 15
Last Amended 1978

Vacancies in office

Section 16

Consent to adjournment

Section 17

Bills; requirements

Section 18
Last Amended 1978

Bills becoming law

Section 19

Rejected bills

Section 20

Style of laws; effective date

Section 21

Journal of proceedings

Section 22

Open proceedings

Section 23
Last Amended 1966

Compensation and salaries; expenses

Section 24
Last Amended 1978

Appropriations; balanced budget

Section 25

Collectors or holders of public moneys; eligibility for office

Section 26
Last Amended 2022

Lucrative office holders; eligibility

Section 27

Dissent of members

Section 28
Last Amended 2014

Property taxation; gross receipts tax; income from stocks and bonds

Section 29

Counties and towns; taxing authority; extension of credit; holding stock

Section 30

Taxation of manufactured articles

Section 31

Extension of credit by state; ownership of banks or stock by state

Section 32

Amending constitution of United States

Section 33

State bonds issued to railroads in default

Section 1

Executive power

Section 2

Election

Section 3

Qualifications

Section 4
Last Amended 1978

Terms of office

Section 5

Commander-in-chief; calling of militia

Section 6

Reprieves and pardons

Section 7

Compensation and salaries

Section 8

Requiring information

Section 9

Convening legislature; extra sessions

Section 10

Execution of laws

Section 11

Information and recommendations to legislature

Section 12
Last Amended 2022

Vacancies in office

Section 13
Last Amended 2022

Federal or state officeholders eligibility to hold office of governor

Section 14

Temporary appointments

Section 15

Great seal

Section 16

Grants and commissions

Section 17

Secretary of state

Section 18
Last Amended 1978

Approval or veto of bills; line item veto

Section 1
Last Amended 1978

Qualifications; precincts; military duty

Section 2

Disqualification for commission of crime

Section 3

Voter's privileges

Section 4

Ballots

Section 1

Power to impeach

Section 2

Trial; conviction

Section 3

Prosecution

Section 4

Persons subject to impeachment

Section 5

Conviction of crimes; officers subject to removal from office

Section 1

Enumeration of courts

Section 2

Supreme court

Section 3

Supreme court judges

Section 4

Inferior court judges

Section 5

Attorney general and reporter; district attorneys

Section 6

Removal from office

Section 7

Compensation and salaries

Section 8

Jurisdiction of inferior courts

Section 9

Instructions to jury

Section 10

Writ of certiorari

Section 11

Disqualification of judges

Section 12

Writs and other process

Section 13

Clerks of court

Section 14

Fines and penalties; assessment by jury

Section 15
Repealed 1978

[Repealed]

Section 1
Last Amended 1978

Counties; elected officers; legislative body; forms of government

Section 2
Last Amended 1978

Vacancies in office

Section 3

Treasurer; comptroller of treasury

Section 4

Elections; vacancies in office

Section 5

Elections; terms of office; vacancies in office

Section 1

Election of officers

Section 2

Appointment of officers

Section 3

Conscientious objectors

Section 1
Repealed 2022

Deletion approved at election Nov. 8, 2022.

Section 2

Atheists holding office

Section 3

Duelists holding office

Section 1

Oath of office

Section 2

Oath of office; general assembly

Section 3

Bribery and corruption

Section 4

New counties; constitutional counties

Section 5

New counties; voting

Section 1

Continuation of laws and ordinances

Section 2

Impairment of contracts or other rights

Section 3
Last Amended 1953

Constitutional amendments; constitutional conventions

Section 4

Divorces

Section 5
Last Amended 2014

Lotteries

Section 6

Change of names; adoption; legitimation

Section 7
Last Amended 1978

Interest rates; usury

Section 8

General or special law

Section 9
Last Amended 1953

Justice courts; municipal government; home rule

Section 10

Internal improvements

Section 11

Homestead exemption; personal property tax exemption

Section 12
Last Amended 1978

Education; public schools; higher education

Section 13
Last Amended 2010

Fish and game

Section 14
Repealed 1978

[Repealed]

Section 15

Religious holidays or days of rest

Section 16

Bill of rights declared inviolate

Section 17

County offices

Section 18
Last Amended 2006

Marriage

Section 19
Last Amended 2022

Right to work

Section 1

Officers, terms; secretary of state, comptroller, and treasurer

Section 2

Judges, terms; attorney general and reporter

Section 3

Officers and sheriffs, oaths

Section 4

Lapsed time

Section .

Schedule Signatures