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Tennessee camps
Summer camps in Tennessee: state rules
Tennessee doesn't publish a statewide camp list, so we have no camp listings here yet. This page explains the state's camp rule and links to the official sources.
Tennessee camp rules
Day and overnight camps need a camp license or permit. An organized camp needs a Department of Health permit before it opens (T.C.A. §68-110-103; Rule 1200-01-05). The permit covers health and sanitation, such as facilities, water, and sewage, rather than program staffing. The rules cover camps with outdoor group living or sleeping quarters and define a day camp as an organized camp program. Separately, a camp that meets the legal definition of child care is exempt from a TDHS license only if it runs in summer (under 90 days a year) or during school breaks, serves school-age children, registers with TDHS, and has written approval to operate (T.C.A. §71-3-503(b)(9)).
Official sources: TN Department of Health, Environmental Health (Organized Campgrounds) · Rule 1200-01-05, Organized Camps (TN Secretary of State) · T.C.A. §71-3-503 exemptions (TDHS)
All Tennessee rules for child care and camps · Camp license rules in every state · Checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.
More for Tennessee families
- Child care and after-school programs in Tennessee
- Free summer meals for kids in Tennessee: USDA meal sites. These are not camps.
- Youth, sports and camp nonprofits in Tennessee, from IRS data. Being listed there doesn't mean a camp is licensed.
Camp not listed?
If you run a camp in Tennessee that isn't here, send us its details. It's free. A person at BackPR reviews every submission before anything is published, and not every camp gets listed.