Hidden camera laws in Tennessee

The actual statute, in plain English — not a paraphrase of a paraphrase.

The statute

Tenn. Code § 39-13-605 (Unlawful Photographing in Violation of Privacy)

What it prohibits

Knowingly photographing a person without their prior effective consent, where the photograph would offend or embarrass an ordinary person appearing in it, and the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy regardless of location. Photographs taken in violation must be confiscated and destroyed after their use as evidence.

Penalty

Class A misdemeanor; a court may order sex-offender registration.

This is general public information, not legal advice, verified against the statute text linked below as of this writing — legislatures amend these laws periodically (Florida renamed its own statute in 2024). If this matters for a real situation, read the current text yourself or talk to a lawyer: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2021/title-39/chapter-13/part-6/section-39-13-605/. Separately, recording audio of a conversation is governed by a different law (wiretap/eavesdropping statutes, which vary by state on whether one party or all parties must consent) — this page covers image/video capture only.

If you've actually found something, the statute matters less than what you do next: read the six steps here.

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Other states

ColoradoC.R.S. § 18-3-405.6 (Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification) NevadaNRS § 200.604 (Capturing Image of Private Area of Another Person) HawaiiHRS § 711-1110.9 (Violation of Privacy in the First Degree) South CarolinaS.C. Code § 16-17-470 (Eavesdropping, Peeping, Voyeurism) CaliforniaPenal Code § 647(j) TexasPenal Code § 21.15 (Invasive Visual Recording) New YorkPenal Law § 250.45 (Unlawful Surveillance, Second Degree) FloridaFla. Stat. § 810.145 — renamed “Digital Voyeurism” in a 2024 amendment