To transfer a car title in Tennessee, take the signed title, your ID, proof of Tennessee residency, and payment to your county clerk’s office in person. The state charges a $13 title fee plus 7% sales tax on the purchase price, with additional local taxes and, in many counties, an annual wheel tax on top. Both buyer and seller need to prepare paperwork before the visit, and the clerk handles the filing at the window.
What the Seller Signs Over
The registered owner signs the first “reassignment” section on the back of the existing certificate of title, exactly as their name appears on the front.1Tennessee County Clerk. Transfer of Ownership The buyer signs the same section. Fill in the buyer’s name and address, the purchase price, the date of sale, and the odometer reading.
An odometer disclosure is required for most vehicles less than 20 years old with a gross vehicle weight under 16,000 pounds, under the federal Truth in Mileage Act.1Tennessee County Clerk. Transfer of Ownership Many Tennessee titles build the disclosure into the reassignment section, so check the form before filling out anything separate.
If the vehicle still has a lien, the lienholder holds the title. Once the loan is paid off, the lienholder signs the release, forwards the title to the owner, and notifies the state within 72 hours.2Tennessee County Clerk. Title – Certificate of Title If the seller is still paying and the lienholder has the title, a separate bill of sale showing the lienholder’s name and address can substitute for signing the reassignment section.1Tennessee County Clerk. Transfer of Ownership This gets complicated quickly, and most buyers are better off waiting until the seller has a clear title in hand.
What the Buyer Brings to the Clerk
Bring the properly assigned title from the seller along with:
- A valid driver’s license or government-issued photo ID
- Proof of Tennessee residency, such as a utility bill or lease agreement showing your Tennessee address
- A copy of your current registration, only if you plan to transfer an existing plate to the new vehicle
- Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers, only if the vehicle is a gift, sold below fair market value, or transferred between qualifying family members
The Tennessee Department of Revenue lists proof of identification and proof of residency as requirements for both new and used vehicle titles.3Tennessee Department of Revenue. Titling a Vehicle
Filing at the County Clerk’s Office
Title transfers are handled in person at your local county clerk’s office. A clerk reviews the paperwork, collects fees and taxes, and processes the application. The office then forwards everything to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, which mails the new title to you or to your lienholder if you financed.3Tennessee Department of Revenue. Titling a Vehicle
If you need a plate, the clerk handles that at the same visit. You can transfer a plate from a vehicle you already own or buy a new one. A standard passenger plate is $26.50.4Tennessee Department of Revenue. VR-4 – Registration Fees
What You’ll Pay
Several line items make up the total:
- Title fee: $13, plus $11 per lien if the vehicle is financed5Shelby County Government. Privately Owned Vehicles
- State sales tax: 7% of the purchase price6Tennessee Department of Revenue. VTR-34 – Sales Tax on a Vehicle Purchase
- State single-article tax: an additional 2.75% on the portion of the purchase price between $1,600 and $3,200; nothing above $3,200 is subject to this tax7Tennessee Department of Revenue. Single Article Special Tax Rates
- Local sales tax: applies only to the first $1,600 of the purchase price in most jurisdictions, at your county’s rate7Tennessee Department of Revenue. Single Article Special Tax Rates
- Wheel tax: many Tennessee counties charge an annual wheel tax collected at registration; amounts range from $10 to $100, and not every county has one
- Registration fee: $26.50 for a standard passenger vehicle4Tennessee Department of Revenue. VR-4 – Registration Fees
On a $15,000 car, that works out to $1,050 in state sales tax (7% of $15,000), about $44 in single-article tax (2.75% of the $1,600 slice between $1,600 and $3,200), local tax on the first $1,600 at your county’s rate, and the title fee, registration, and any wheel tax. Budget roughly $1,200 to $1,400 above the purchase price, depending on your county.
Family Transfers and Gifts
Vehicles transferred between certain family members are fully exempt from sales tax. Qualifying relationships include spouses, siblings, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, great-grandparents, and great-grandchildren. Spouses of lineal relatives (a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, for example) also qualify, but the spousal extension does not cover siblings, so a brother-in-law selling to a sister-in-law does not qualify.8Tennessee Department of Revenue. County Clerk Sales and Use Tax Guide for Automobiles and Boats
To claim the exemption, complete the Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers of Motor Vehicles and Boats and submit it with your title paperwork.9Tennessee Department of Revenue. GI-13 – Car Sales to Relatives are Not Subject to Sales Tax The same form is used when gifting a vehicle to anyone, including a non-relative, or when selling below fair market value.10Tennessee Department of Revenue. Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers of Motor Vehicles and Boats Selling below market value to a non-relative won’t eliminate the tax, but the affidavit documents the transaction for the Department of Revenue.
Moving to Tennessee with an Out-of-State Title
If you’re new to Tennessee or bought a car in another state, bring the out-of-state title (or your lienholder’s name and address if you’re still paying), your most recent out-of-state registration, ID, and proof of Tennessee residency to the county clerk.11Tennessee Department of Revenue. Titling a Vehicle – New Residents or Those Relocating to Tennessee
Notarization catches people off guard. Tennessee doesn’t require notarized signatures on its own titles, but it honors the notary requirements of the state that issued the title. If your out-of-state title requires notarization, the signatures must be notarized before the clerk will accept it. Kentucky is the one exception; Tennessee waives the notary requirement for Kentucky titles.12Tennessee Department of Revenue. VT-2 – TN Complies with Notary and Signature Requirements from Other States
Tennessee credits sales tax you already paid to another state. If the other state’s rate was lower, you owe the difference. If you paid no sales tax when you bought the vehicle, you owe the full Tennessee amount at titling.13Tennessee Department of Revenue. VTR-37 – Sales Tax on a Vehicle Purchased out of State Keep the bill of sale; the clerk needs it to verify what you’ve already paid.
Inheriting a Vehicle
When a vehicle owner dies, the transfer depends on whether the estate goes through probate. If a will names an executor, or a court has appointed an administrator, that person signs the existing certificate of title to change the ownership record.14Tennessee Department of Revenue. GI-4 – Inherited Vehicle – Title and Registration Process
The person inheriting the vehicle brings the following to the clerk:
- The signed certificate of title
- The probated will or certified letters testamentary verifying the executor
- Proof of identification and residency
Transfers between lineal relatives, including from a deceased parent to a child, qualify for the same family exemption from sales tax. You’ll still need the Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers to claim it.14Tennessee Department of Revenue. GI-4 – Inherited Vehicle – Title and Registration Process
If You Need to Drive Before Titling
Buying from a private seller and need to drive the car before you can get to the clerk? Tennessee sells a temporary operating permit, sometimes called a “red tag,” for $10. It’s valid for 30 days, and you can get one additional 30-day extension for another $10. After that, the state won’t issue further permits for the same vehicle and may refuse a permit at all if it looks like temporary tags are being used to avoid registering.15FindLaw. Tennessee Code Title 55 Motor and Other Vehicles 55-4-115
That’s a 60-day window at most. Treat 30 days as your real deadline; the extension is for unusual delays, not procrastination. Driving on an expired permit or with no registration exposes you to traffic citations and can complicate insurance claims after an accident.
Emissions Testing
No Tennessee county currently requires an emissions test to title or register a vehicle. Davidson County (Nashville) ended its program on February 5, 2022, when the Metropolitan Council voted to shut it down.16Nashville.gov. Davidson County Vehicle Inspection Program Hamilton, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties ended their programs in January 2022.