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Rules of Evidence

The Tennessee Rules of Court are provided to the
Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts
for use on their web site by Lexis Law Publishing.

These rules are current as of  

Please Note: On May 17, 2005, the Tennessee Supreme Court filed an order revising the Advisory Commission Comments to these Rules, deleting obsolete material. For the Comments in effect prior to May 17, 2005, Refer to the Archived Rules.

Article I. General Provisions

  1. Scope
  2. Purpose and Construction
  3. Rulings on Evidence
  4. Preliminary Questions
  5. Limited Admissibility
  6. Writings or Recorded Statements — Completeness

Article II. Judicial Notice

  1. Judicial Notice of Adjudicative facts
  2. Judicial Notice of Law

Article III. Presumptions

[Reserved]

Article IV. Relevance

  1. Definition of "Relevant Evidence"
  2. Relevant Evidence Generally admissible; Irrelevant Evidence Inadmissible
  3. Exclusion of Relevant Evidence on Grounds of Prejudice, Confusion, or Waste of Time
  4. Character Evidence Not Admissible to Prove Conduct; Exceptions; Other Crimes
  5. Methods of Proving Character
  6. Habit; routine practice
  7. Subsequent Remedial Measures
  8. Compromise and Offers to Compromise
  9. Payment of Medical and Similar Expenses
  10. Inadmissibility of Pleas, Plea Discussions,and Related Statements.
  11. Liability Insurance
  12. Sex Offense Cases; Relevance of Victim's Sexual Behavior

Article V. Privileges

  1. Privileges Recognized Only as Provided

Article V1. Witnesses

  1. General Rule of Competency
  2. Lack of Personal Knowledge
  3. Oath or Affirmation
  4. Interpreters
  5. Competency of Judge as Witness
  6. Competency of Juror as Witness
  7. Who May Impeach?
  8. Evidence of Character and Conduct of Witness
  9. Impeachment by Evidence of Conviction of Crime
  10. Religious Beliefs or Opinions
  11. Mode and Order of Interrogation and Presentation
  12. Writing Used to Refresh Memory
  13. Prior Statements of Witnesses
  14. Calling and Interrogation of Witness by Court
  15. Exclusion of Witnesses
  16. Impeachment by bias or prejudice
  17. Impeachment by Impaired Capacity
  18. Impeachment of Expert by Learned Treatises

Article VII. Opinions and Expert Testimony

  1. Opinion Testimony by Witnesses
  2. Testimony by Experts
  3. Bases of Opinion Testimony by Experts
  4. Opinion on Ultimate Issue
  5. Disclosure of Facts or Data Underlying Expert Opinion
  6. Court-appointed Experts

Article VIII. Hearsay

  1. Definitions
  2. Hearsay Rule
  3. Hearsay Exceptions
  4. Hearsay Exceptions; Declarant Unavailable
  5. Hearsay Within Hearsay
  6. Attacking and Supporting Credibility of Declarant

Article IX. Authentication

  1. requirement of Authentication or Identification
  2. Self-Authentication
  3. Subscribing Witness' Testimony Unnecessary

Article X. Contents of Writings, Recordings, and Photographs

  1. Definitions
  2. Requirements of Original
  3. Admissibility of Duplicates
  4. Admissibility of Other Evidence of Contents
  5. Public Records
  6. Summaries
  7. Testimony or Written Admission of Party
  8. Functions of Court and Jury