Tennessee divides felonies into five classes: Class A, B, C, D, and E. Class A is the most serious general felony classification and Class E is the least serious felony classification. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111, the authorized imprisonment ranges are 15 to 60 years for Class A, 8 to 30 years for Class B, 3 to 15 years for Class C, 2 to 12 years for Class D, and 1 to 6 years for Class E.
Those broad class ranges do not tell you the sentence a particular defendant will receive. Tennessee sentencing also considers the defendant's offender range, prior record, enhancement and mitigating factors, probation eligibility, release eligibility, consecutive sentencing, mandatory minimums, and offense-specific statutes.
Nashville Criminal Defense Lawyer & Former Prosecutor Kevin Kennedy. 615-205-7311. Call or text for a free consultation.
Class A Felony
A Class A felony generally carries an authorized term of 15 to 60 years and a fine of up to $50,000 unless another statute provides otherwise.
Examples of very serious Tennessee crimes can fall within this class, but the offense statute should always be checked because some crimes have specialized sentencing provisions.
Class B Felony
A Class B felony generally carries 8 to 30 years and a fine of up to $25,000 unless otherwise provided by statute.
The actual sentencing range within that broad class depends in part on the defendant's offender classification and the particular offense.
Class C Felony
A Class C felony generally carries 3 to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000.
A Class C designation does not by itself answer whether probation is available or how much of a sentence must actually be served. Other statutes can control those questions.
Class D Felony
A Class D felony generally carries 2 to 12 years and a fine of up to $5,000.
Some Class D offenses can be probation eligible while others may be restricted by offense-specific law or the defendant's circumstances.
Class E Felony
A Class E felony generally carries 1 to 6 years and a fine of up to $3,000.
Although Class E is Tennessee's lowest felony class, a felony conviction can still create major consequences involving employment, firearms, immigration, professional licensing, voting rights, and future sentencing.
What Is an Offender Range?
The felony class gives the broad statutory range. Tennessee's sentencing system then uses offender classifications such as Range I standard offender, Range II multiple offender, Range III persistent offender, and other specialized classifications to determine the applicable sentencing range.
Prior convictions can therefore change the sentence substantially even when two defendants are convicted of the same felony.
What Are Enhancement and Mitigating Factors?
Tennessee sentencing law identifies factors a court can consider in determining the appropriate sentence within the applicable range. Enhancement factors can support a higher sentence, while mitigating factors can support a lower sentence.
The court must apply the governing sentencing statutes and cannot simply sentence based on the label of the offense alone.
Does a Felony Mean You Must Go to Prison?
Not always. Some felony sentences can be served on probation or another alternative sentence, depending on the offense, sentence length, statutory exclusions, defendant's history, and sentencing findings.
Other crimes carry mandatory confinement, are statutorily excluded from probation, or have release restrictions that make the practical consequences much more severe.
What Is Release Eligibility?
The sentence imposed by the judge and the date a defendant becomes eligible for release are different concepts. Tennessee has offense-specific release rules, and some offenses require service of substantial percentages or all of the imposed sentence.
Never calculate actual time to serve from the felony class alone. The offense date and exact statute of conviction can matter.
Can Sentences Run Consecutively?
Yes. When a defendant has multiple convictions, Tennessee law can permit consecutive sentences in circumstances identified by statute. Consecutive sentencing means one sentence begins after another rather than running at the same time.
Some offenses also contain mandatory consecutive-sentencing provisions.
What About Probation for a Felony?
Probation eligibility is not determined solely by whether an offense is labeled a felony. The court must examine the authorized sentence, offense-specific exclusions, statutory eligibility rules, and the defendant's circumstances.
Even when probation is legally available, it is not necessarily guaranteed. The defense should prepare evidence supporting an alternative sentence.
Why the Offense Date Matters
Criminal statutes and sentencing laws change. The law governing an offense can depend on when the conduct occurred, and later amendments do not always apply retroactively.
A sentencing analysis should therefore start with the exact charge, offense date, conviction offense, and criminal history.
Why Plea Reductions Can Change Sentencing Exposure
Reducing a charge from one felony class to another can change the authorized imprisonment range, applicable offender-range sentence, fine exposure, probation analysis, and collateral consequences.
The name of the plea matters, but the statutory classification and sentencing provisions matter more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lowest felony in Tennessee?
Class E is the lowest general felony classification, carrying an authorized term of 1 to 6 years unless another statute provides otherwise.
What is the most serious felony class?
Class A is the highest general felony classification and generally carries 15 to 60 years.
Does a Class C felony always mean 3 to 15 years in prison?
That is the broad authorized class range. The applicable offender range and other sentencing rules determine the actual sentence.
Can a Tennessee felony be probated?
Some can. Eligibility depends on the offense, sentence, statutory restrictions, and other sentencing rules.
Does a felony sentence always mean serving the entire number of years imposed?
No. Release eligibility varies by offense and statute, and some crimes have much stricter service requirements than others.
Talk With a Nashville Felony Defense Lawyer
Felony sentencing should never be evaluated from the charge label alone. The felony class, offender range, prior record, offense date, probation rules, release eligibility, and consecutive-sentencing exposure all matter.
Kevin Kennedy Law Firm represents people charged with felonies in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Early sentencing analysis can affect bond strategy, plea negotiations, mitigation, and the decision whether to proceed to trial.