A Tennessee emergency license plate, commonly called the E-plate, is a $26.50-per-year specialty plate that identifies your vehicle as belonging to trained emergency personnel. To get one, you complete the state’s Emergency License Plate Authorization form, attach documentation proving your role, and submit everything to your county clerk.1Tennessee Department of Revenue. Emergency (E Plate)
Who Qualifies
The plate is available to a broader group than most people assume. The Tennessee Department of Revenue lists these eligible categories:1Tennessee Department of Revenue. Emergency (E Plate)
- Emergency medical technicians and paramedics holding a current, valid state license
- Firefighters, paid or volunteer, including retired firefighters in good standing
- Rescue squad and emergency services squad members named on a list submitted by the squad captain
- Auxiliary police officers
- Civil Air Patrol members and their spouses
- Civil Defense and TEMA personnel
- Trauma nurses and on-call surgical staff
- Police officers
The governing statute for rescue squad members and emergency medical providers is T.C.A. ยง 55-4-223. EMTs and paramedics who aren’t affiliated with a local rescue squad must present a current license before the plate can issue.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-223 – Emergency Personnel
What to Bring to the County Clerk
Download the Emergency License Plate Authorization form from the Department of Revenue or pick one up at the clerk’s office. It asks for your full name, residential address, phone number, and vehicle details including make, year, and VIN.3Tennessee Department of Revenue. Emergency License Plate Authorization
Attach documentation appropriate to your role:
- EMTs and paramedics: a copy of your current, valid state-issued license.3Tennessee Department of Revenue. Emergency License Plate Authorization
- Other emergency medical responders: a current emergency medical responder certification.
- Firefighters: proof of current or former membership in a firefighting unit.4Tennessee County Clerk. Emergency License Plate Authorization Form
- Rescue squad members: your captain must submit a list of eligible members to the clerk before a plate can issue.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-223 – Emergency Personnel
You’ll sign a certification section under penalty of perjury. An inaccurate or incomplete form will delay the application, and a knowingly false certification carries legal consequences.4Tennessee County Clerk. Emergency License Plate Authorization Form
Cost and Renewal
The E-plate is $26.50 per year.1Tennessee Department of Revenue. Emergency (E Plate) A personalized version adds $35 on top of the base registration and any county fees.5Tennessee Department of Revenue. License Plates All fees are due when you apply.
Renewals can be handled online, by mail, by phone app, at a self-service kiosk, or in person at the clerk’s office.6Tennessee Department of Revenue. Renewals Letting the registration lapse means driving an unregistered vehicle, with the fines and possible loss of registration that come with it.
Fee Exemption for Volunteer Rescue Squad Members
This provision is easy to miss. If you’re an active volunteer member of a local rescue squad with at least one year of service, you’re exempt from the regular license fee on one motor vehicle. Your squad captain must certify or provide a sworn statement confirming active membership.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-223 – Emergency Personnel
Your county’s legislative body may also waive the motor vehicle tax on a vehicle receiving this fee exemption. Not every county has adopted the waiver, so ask your county clerk whether it applies locally.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-4-223 – Emergency Personnel
What the Plate Does Not Let You Do
The biggest misconception about the E-plate is that it converts your personal car into an authorized emergency vehicle. It doesn’t. The plate identifies you as emergency personnel. It gives you no permission to run red lights, exceed the speed limit, or ignore right-of-way rules on your commute.
Under Tennessee law, only the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle responding to a call or pursuing a suspected law violator may exercise special road privileges, and even then only with audible and visual warning signals and due regard for the safety of others.7Justia. Tennessee Code 55-8-108 – Authorized Emergency Vehicles A personal vehicle carrying an E-plate doesn’t meet those requirements unless it’s been separately equipped and authorized.
Sirens and Flashing Lights on Personal Vehicles
Tennessee allows certain emergency personnel to add warning equipment to personal vehicles, but the rules are narrow.
Sirens are generally unlawful on public roads. The exception is for members of regular or volunteer fire departments, who may equip their private vehicles with warning devices approved by the local fire chief and used only when responding to fire alarms or other emergencies. The fire chief must send written certification of the person’s membership to the local sheriff or police chief. Misuse is a Class C misdemeanor, and the fire chief is required to revoke the privilege for abuse.8Justia. Tennessee Code 55-9-201 – Horn, Bells, Sirens or Exhaust Whistles on Emergency Vehicles, Penalty for Violations
Flashing lights are governed by a separate statute. Firefighters certified under the siren rule may display flashing red or white lights, or a combination of both, on the front of a privately owned vehicle.9Justia. Tennessee Code 55-9-402 – Lights Required on Motor Vehicles Blue flashing lights are reserved for law enforcement; installing or displaying them without authorization is a Class C misdemeanor.10Justia. Tennessee Code 55-9-414 – Blue Flashing Emergency Lights EMTs, paramedics, rescue squad members, and other E-plate holders who aren’t firefighters should not assume the plate lets them install flashing lights of any color.
Mileage Deduction for Volunteer Responders
If you volunteer and your department doesn’t reimburse mileage for calls or training, that mileage may be deductible on your federal return. The IRS charitable mileage rate for 2026 is $0.14 per mile driven in service of a charitable organization.11IRS. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents Per Mile, Up 2.5 Cents You claim it on Schedule A as a charitable contribution, so it only helps if you itemize.
Parking fees and tolls tied to volunteer emergency work are also deductible. General maintenance and repair costs are not. Keep a mileage log with the date, destination, and purpose of each trip; without contemporaneous records, the IRS has little reason to accept the deduction if the return is examined.