How to Complete the Tennessee VIN Verification Form (RV-F1310401)

The Tennessee VIN verification form is Application for Certification of Ownership, Form RV-F1310401, and you use it when you need a title for a vehicle you can’t document with a standard assigned title. You fill in the owner and vehicle information, then a law enforcement officer or licensed dealer physically inspects the vehicle and completes the VIN verification section. The finished form goes to your county clerk with any supporting documents the state requires for your vehicle’s age and value.¹

Who Can Use Form RV-F1310401

The Certification of Ownership path is narrow. Tennessee Code Section 55-3-103 limits it to two kinds of vehicles:²

Vehicles with a fair market value of $3,000 or less.
Vehicles at least 30 years old, regardless of value.

If your vehicle is newer than 30 years and worth more than $3,000, this form will not get you a title. The county clerk will send you toward a bonded title instead, which involves purchasing a surety bond rather than filing this application. More on that near the end.

The typical situations where this form fits: you bought a vehicle and never received a title, the previous owner never titled it, or the title was lost and the prior owner is unreachable.

Filling Out the Owner and Vehicle Sections

Download the fillable PDF from the Tennessee Department of Revenue’s title and registration forms page and type into it before printing, or print it blank and complete it by hand in dark ink.¹

At the top, enter your full legal name as it should appear on the title and your mailing address. Then enter the vehicle’s year, make, model, body style, and VIN. Every required field matters. The form is void if any required information is left blank.

Do not write anything in the VIN verification section. That part belongs to the officer or dealer who inspects the vehicle. If you fill it in yourself, the form is invalid and the clerk will reject it.¹

If you can’t handle the transaction yourself, you can appoint someone with a Power of Attorney for Vehicle Transactions, Form RV-F1311401. It’s tied to one specific vehicle by VIN and is void if any field is blank or altered.³

Getting the Physical VIN Inspection

Tennessee law lets two kinds of people verify a VIN for this form: a law enforcement officer or a licensed motor vehicle dealer.² Most people call the non-emergency line for their local police or sheriff’s department and ask to schedule a VIN check. Some agencies do these at the station. Others will send an officer to your location if the vehicle can’t be driven legally.

The inspection is quick. The officer or dealer locates the VIN plate, usually on the driver’s side dashboard visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb, and confirms the stamped number hasn’t been altered or replaced. They complete the verification section with either a pencil rubbing of the plate or a written statement, then sign.¹

Clean the area around the VIN plate before the appointment. Dirt and grease slow everything down.

Extra Documents If the Vehicle Is Under 30 Years Old

For vehicles less than 30 years old, the form by itself isn’t enough. Tennessee requires a package of supporting documents designed to flush out stolen vehicles and existing liens before issuing a new title:²

Notice to interested parties. If you know the previous owner, send a certified letter with return receipt requesting an assigned title, and submit the green return receipt card with your application. If the previous owner is unknown, publish a notice in a newspaper of general circulation in your county describing the vehicle (make, model, year, VIN) and asking anyone with a legal interest to contact you by certified mail within ten business days.
A notarized bill of sale from the last registered owner, or a notarized statement from the seller explaining why the vehicle was never titled in their name. If neither is available, submit a licensed dealer’s appraisal of the vehicle’s value in place of the bill of sale.
For rebuilt vehicles, color photos taken before repairs began. If pre-repair photos don’t exist, submit post-repair photos with a notarized statement explaining that you didn’t know pre-repair photos were required.

Vehicles 30 years old or older skip all of this. The completed form with the VIN verification section signed by the officer or dealer is the whole package.¹

Submitting to the County Clerk

Take the completed Certification of Ownership and all supporting documents to your local county clerk’s office in person. The clerk files it alongside the standard Multi-Purpose Application for title and registration, Form RV-F1315201.

You’ll pay a title fee, registration fee, and applicable state and local taxes at the window.⁴ Local wheel taxes and sales tax rates differ by county, so call ahead for the exact total.

Once the clerk processes your application, titles are typically printed and mailed within 24 to 48 hours.⁵ Keep a copy of your signed form and the clerk’s receipt until the physical title arrives.

When Form RV-F1310401 Isn’t the Right Form

A few situations look similar but follow their own tracks, so this form will not help:

Vehicles with a salvage certificate. Converting a salvage title to a rebuilt title uses the Application for Motor Vehicle Identification Certification, submitted to the Tennessee Department of Revenue with the salvage certificate, parts receipts, before-and-after photos, and a fee of $75 for individuals or $85.50 for dealers. The Department may require a physical inspection by its Anti-Theft Unit.⁶
Kit cars, replicas, and other specially constructed vehicles. These require the Application for Replacement Vehicle Identification Number (TNVIN) together with a Certification of Ownership, plus a $10 VIN plate fee. Inspections are done only by the Department of Revenue’s Special Investigations Section, not by local police or dealers, and the vehicle can’t be driven on Tennessee roads until the inspection and title application are complete.⁷
Homemade or materially reconstructed trailers. These go through the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division for a safety-standards certification before titling.⁸
Vehicles over $3,000 and under 30 years old. The bonded title is the fallback. It requires a surety bond equal to one and one-half times the vehicle’s value as determined by the Department of Revenue; the premium you actually pay the surety company is a fraction of that face amount. Start at the county clerk’s office, which can confirm the bond is actually required and tell you the amount.⁹

Driving the Vehicle While You Wait

If you need to drive the vehicle before the title comes through, apply in person at the county clerk’s office for a Temporary Operation Permit. It’s good for 30 days and costs $10 plus any applicable county charges, and one additional 30-day permit can be issued if you need more time.¹⁰ Vehicles with existing stop or reject codes in the state system may not qualify, so ask the clerk before counting on one.

1
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Application for Certification of Ownership
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-3-103 – Application for Certificate of Title
3
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Power of Attorney for Vehicle Transactions
4
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VR-4 – Registration Fees
5
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VTR-4 – When Title Can Be Expected in the Mail
6
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Salvage Certificates and Rebuilt Vehicles
7
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Rebuilt Vehicle – Vehicle Services County Clerk Guide
8
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Homemade Trailer or a Materially Reconstructed
9
Tennessee Secretary of State. Title Bonds
10
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Application for Temporary Operation Permit