Tennessee title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Tennessee the title is issued by Tennessee Department of Revenue — Vehicle Services Division (TDOR). Tennessee has an electronic title (ELT) program for financed cars: the lender holds the title. With no loan you get a paper title, usually mailed about two weeks after you apply. You cannot title a car with only a bill of sale.

Where it happens. At your county's County Clerk office. The Department of Revenue does not process titles for the public; everything goes through the County Clerk. The Department of Revenue puts it this way: a Tennessee resident who buys a used vehicle from another Tennessee resident must title and register the vehicle in their name before driving it on a public road or highway (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-3-119 and 55-4-101(b)(1)); there is no published deadline in days and no published late penalty. If you just moved to the state, you register within 30 days of the move (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-4-101(b)(2)). Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules.

Case 1: you bought a car in Tennessee (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Minimum liability 25/50/25: $25,000 per person injured or killed, $50,000 total per accident and $25,000 for property damage. If your car carries a passenger or motorcycle plate (anything other than a commercial tag), you need a policy with those limits; if it carries a commercial plate, the vehicle must be covered by a commercial auto policy. The state checks insurance online (Drive Insured, the James Lee Atwood, Jr. Law, Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-12-201 et seq.) and driving uninsured brings fines and loss of your registration.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: The official page for new residents does not list a physical VIN inspection: it asks for ID, proof of residency, the latest out-of-state registration and the title (or the lender's details if there is a loan). Rebuilt cars do go through an inspection by the state's anti-theft unit.
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: 7% state on the full price, plus local tax (2.75% maximum) on the first $1,600 only, plus an extra 2.75% state tax on the portion between $1,600.01 and $3,200, which never exceeds $44. In a private sale you pay it at the County Clerk when you title the car. On a trade-in only the difference is taxed: the car you hand over has to be of like kind and show up as a "trade-in" with model and serial number on the invoice. If you move in with a car you already paid sales tax on in another state, it is credited with proof of payment. Gifts and transfers between close relatives are exempt with affidavit F-1301201. Note: the dealer documentation fee is taxed too, because the state counts it inside the sales price.

Forms

• F-1317001 — Odometer Disclosure Statement
• F-1301201 — Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers (gift, relative or low price)
• F-1315201 — Application for Noting of Lien, Duplicate Title, or Multipurpose Use
• F-1314401 — Application for Temporary Operation Permit

Fees — confirm current amounts (TDOR)

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

7% state on the full price, plus local tax (2.75% maximum) on the first $1,600 only, plus an extra 2.75% state tax on the portion between $1,600.01 and $3,200, which never exceeds $44. In a private sale you pay it at the County Clerk when you title the car. On a trade-in only the difference is taxed: the car you hand over has to be of like kind and show up as a "trade-in" with model and serial number on the invoice. If you move in with a car you already paid sales tax on in another state, it is credited with proof of payment. Gifts and transfers between close relatives are exempt with affidavit F-1301201. Note: the dealer documentation fee is taxed too, because the state counts it inside the sales price.

If you sell: protect yourself

Confirm which sale notice, plate return or registration cancellation applies to your situation; keep written proof of the handover. In Tennessee the plate follows the owner, not the car: the seller removes it and can move it to another vehicle of theirs (a $1 state fee plus county charges). The buyer titles and registers at the County Clerk before driving the car on a public road (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-3-119 and 55-4-101(b)(1)); the Department of Revenue publishes no deadline in days and no penalty, and advises doing it as soon as possible to protect your interest in the vehicle. The seller stays on record until the buyer transfers the title, so it is smart to go together or keep a copy of the signed title. Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.