Tennessee has instituted a new law, called Savanna's Law, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. This new law establishes the nation's first registry specifically for persistent domestic violence offenders. The new law defines "persistent domestic violence offender" as a person who has been convicted in Tennessee of an offense that was committed against a domestic abuse victim and also has at least one prior that same type of offense. This is the first such registry to launch in the country.

The registry will be public and will be maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). It will include the offender's name, date of birth, conviction date, county or counties of convictions, and a current photograph Tenn. Unlike Tennessee’s Sexual Offender Registry, it will exclude some sensitive personal information such as home addresses, Social Security numbers, and driver's license numbers.

The registry will operate on a tiered system based on the number of prior convictions. In its initial form, it is possible for offenders to have their name and information removed after certain times. Removal timelines range from five (5) years for lower tiered offenders up to twenty (20) years for higher-tiered offenders. There are also additional fees and fines associated with the new registry.

Like Tennessee’s sexual offender registry, we can expect this law to see changes each year during the legislative session. Legislators rely on new laws or “updates” to current laws to tell their constituents that they are making “progress.” Registries for those convicted of crimes are the low hanging fruit for law makers. Expect this registry to grow each legislative session. Also, like other Tennessee registries, expect there to be legal challenges.

If you or a loved one has been charged with domestic assault or Tennessee domestic violence case, call and schedule your free consultation today. It is more important than ever to avoid a domestic assault conviction in Tennessee. Patton | Pittman’s criminal law team has over twenty-five years of criminal law experience and can provide you with the zealous representation that you need.