Tennessee · TN · Food & drink
Tennessee: Is there a bottle deposit?
No bottle deposit
Tennessee has no bottle deposit law, so drink containers carry no refundable deposit.
Tennessee's beer tax law includes a trigger that cuts the tax if the state ever passes a mandatory deposit law on drink containers, which shows no such law exists today. Deposit bills have been proposed in the legislature over the years. This answer is inferred from the legislature's description of current law and the absence of a deposit statute.
What the law says
the rate must be reduced by 50ยข on July 1 of any year following the enactment of any state or federal law that imposes mandatory deposits by consumers on beverage containers sold in this state
Sources
- Tennessee General Assembly, HB0521 / SB0574 (2025) bill summary, present law Official · wapp.capitol.tn.gov
- NCSL: State Beverage Container Deposit Laws Secondary · ncsl.org
- Rhode Island Legislative Council: Beverage Container Laws Overview (2023), lists the ten deposit states Official · rilegislature.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Waste Management Branch
- Phone
- 615-532-0780
- Website
- tn.gov
How bordering states compare
- Alabama No bottle depositAlabama has no bottle deposit law, so shoppers pay no refundable deposit on cans or bottles.
- Arkansas No bottle depositArkansas has no bottle deposit law, so shoppers pay no refundable deposit on cans or bottles.
- Georgia No bottle depositGeorgia has no bottle deposit law, so shoppers pay no refundable deposit on cans or bottles.
- Kentucky No bottle depositKentucky has no bottle deposit law; there is no refundable deposit on beverage containers.
- Mississippi No bottle depositMississippi has no bottle deposit law; drink containers carry no refundable deposit.
- Missouri No bottle depositMissouri has no bottle deposit law; drink containers carry no refundable deposit.
- North Carolina No bottle depositNorth Carolina has no bottle deposit law. Instead, bars and restaurants with alcohol permits must recycle their beverage containers.
- Virginia No bottle depositVirginia has no bottle deposit law, and state law blocks local governments from requiring container deposits.