Nashville council member files proposal to restrict most right turns on red

Metro Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda has filed legislation that would prohibit right turns on red at most Nashville intersections, opening a Metro Council legislative process that could materially change driving rules across much of the city.

The filing was reported July 30, 2026. The legislation is a proposal, not an enacted citywide restriction. Further action by the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Metro Council would be required before any new rule could take effect.

A change from the current general rule

Under the current general rule described in available reporting, drivers may turn right at a red light after coming to a complete stop unless a sign prohibits the maneuver.

Sepulveda’s proposal would reverse that general approach in the vast majority of Nashville, barring right turns on red at most intersections. The reported scope is broad, but it is not described as applying to every intersection in Nashville.

That distinction matters because the available report does not identify the specific intersections that would be exempt from the proposed restriction. It also does not provide the bill number or the full text of the legislation.

Measure remains before Metro Council

The responsible legislative body is the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Metro Council. At this stage, the measure has been filed but has not been reported as approved, enacted or implemented.

No council vote total has been reported, and the available reporting does not identify a committee referral or a date for a council vote. It also does not provide an implementation date or deadline.

Those procedural details will determine whether the proposal advances and, if approved, when a revised traffic rule could begin. Until council action produces an enacted change, the current general rule allowing a right turn on red after a full stop, unless signage prohibits it, remains the standard described in the reporting.

Questions left by the available report

The proposal falls within traffic regulation and public safety policy. It could affect drivers using intersections covered by any eventual ordinance and could have implications for traffic operations, pedestrian safety, enforcement and driver behavior.

However, the available report does not describe enforcement provisions or provide a safety analysis. It does not establish whether the proposed restriction would reduce crashes or pedestrian injuries.

The practical reach of the proposal will depend on its final language, including any intersection-specific exemptions, and on subsequent Metro Council action. For now, Sepulveda’s filing signals a proposed revision to Nashville traffic rules rather than a restriction currently in force.