The U.S. state of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

first required its residents to register their

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on Track (rail transport), rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of pe ...

s in 1905. Registrants provided their own

license plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate ( Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificati ...

s for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates. , plates are issued by the

Tennessee Department of Revenue The Tennessee Department of Revenue (TDOR) is an agency within the Tennessee state government that is responsible for administering the state’s tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws. More than 800 people work for the Department ...

through its Vehicle Services Division. Only rear plates have been required since 1977.

Passenger baseplates

1915 to 1961

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is a non-governmental, voluntary, tax-exempt, nonprofit educational association. AAMVA is a private corporation which strives to develop model programs in motor vehicle administration, ...

, the

Automobile Manufacturers Association The Automobile Manufacturers Association was a trade group of automobile manufacturers which operated under various names in the United States from 1911 to 1999. A different group called the Automobile Manufacturers' Association was active in the ...

and the

National Safety Council The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressi ...

that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

s) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Tennessee license plate that complied with these standards, following a 21-year period where the plates were roughly the shape of the state of Tennessee. No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.

1962 to present

County coding

From 1939 through 1965 and from 1971 through 1988, Tennessee license plates began with a one- or two-digit county code. The order of the codes was based on the respective populations of each county. The codes remained constant from 1939 through 1965, then were re-allocated according to population shifts in 1971, 1976 and 1983.

Optional plates

Tennessee offers over 200 optional license plates. Most can be personalized for an additional fee.

Gift-A-Tag specialty plate program

Beginning March 4, 2015, Tennesseans were granted the ability to purchase gift vouchers to buy state specialty plates for relatives and friends. This program is no longer available, but vouchers previously purchased can be redeemed at county clerk offices.

Non-passenger plates

References

External links

Tennessee license plates, 1969–present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vehicle Registration Plates Of Tennessee

Transportation in Tennessee Tennessee transportation-related lists