Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-2-209

This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-2-209, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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Operation of watercraft in state as appointment of agent for process

Official statutory text

(a) The operation, navigation or maintenance by a nonresident or nonresidents of a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state, either in person or through others, and the acceptance thereby by the nonresident or nonresidents of the protection of the laws of this state for the watercraft, or the operation, navigation or maintenance by a nonresident or nonresidents of a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state, either in person or through others, is deemed thereby to constitute an appointment by each such nonresident of the secretary of state, or some other person in the secretary of state's office during the secretary of state's absence whom the secretary of state may designate, to be the true and lawful agent of each such nonresident for service of process, upon whom may be served all lawful process in any suit, action or proceeding against the nonresident or nonresidents growing out of any accident or injury in which the nonresident or nonresidents may be involved while, either in person or through others, operating, navigating or maintaining a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state; and the acceptance or the operating, navigating or maintaining in this state of the watercraft shall be a signification of each nonresident's agreement that any such process against each nonresident that is so served shall be of the same legal force and effect as if served on each nonresident personally. (b) The agency of the secretary of state to accept service of process shall continue for a period of one (1) year from the date of any accident or injury and shall not be revoked by death of the nonresident within the period of one (1) year. Acts 1961, ch. 246, § 1; T.C.A., § 20-230.
(a) The operation, navigation or maintenance by a nonresident or nonresidents of a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state, either in person or through others, and the acceptance thereby by the nonresident or nonresidents of the protection of the laws of this state for the watercraft, or the operation, navigation or maintenance by a nonresident or nonresidents of a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state, either in person or through others, is deemed thereby to constitute an appointment by each such nonresident of the secretary of state, or some other person in the secretary of state's office during the secretary of state's absence whom the secretary of state may designate, to be the true and lawful agent of each such nonresident for service of process, upon whom may be served all lawful process in any suit, action or proceeding against the nonresident or nonresidents growing out of any accident or injury in which the nonresident or nonresidents may be involved while, either in person or through others, operating, navigating or maintaining a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state; and the acceptance or the operating, navigating or maintaining in this state of the watercraft shall be a signification of each nonresident's agreement that any such process against each nonresident that is so served shall be of the same legal force and effect as if served on each nonresident personally.
(b) The agency of the secretary of state to accept service of process shall continue for a period of one (1) year from the date of any accident or injury and shall not be revoked by death of the nonresident within the period of one (1) year.
Acts 1961, ch. 246, § 1; T.C.A., § 20-230.

Status: in_force

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.