The short answer
| Item | Tennessee answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $14 total: $5.50 state fee (§55-6-101(a)(1)) plus an $8.50 county clerk fee (§55-6-104(a)(3)). No separate "title transfer fee". Lien: $11 per lien. Duplicate title: $14. |
| Where | The county clerk's office in the buyer's county of residence. |
| Sales tax | Three layers: 7% state tax on the full price, local tax on the first $1,600 only, and a 2.75% state single-article tax on the $1,600 to $3,200 slice only. Trade-ins are credited. |
| Deadline | No fixed day-count deadline and no flat late title fee. Title and register before driving the car on a public road. |
| Plates | Plates follow the owner. Moving your own plate to the car: $3.50. New standard plate: $26.50. |
| Typical total | $20,000 private-party car, 2.25% local rate, own plate moved over: $1,497.50 (worked example below). |
Worked example: $20,000 private-party car
The buyer moves their own plate to the car and has no loan. The example uses a 2.25% local rate, the rate in the Department of Revenue's own SUT-6 example. It's the modeled jurisdiction's rate, not a state figure. Your county's rate may differ.
- State tax: 7% × $20,000 = $1,400
- Local tax: 2.25% × $1,600 = $36
- Single-article tax: 2.75% × $1,600 = $44
- Title: $14
- Plate transfer: $3.50
Tax: $1,400 + $36 + $44 = $1,480. Total: $1,480 + $14 + $3.50 = $1,497.50.
- At the maximum local rate (2.75%): $1,505.50.
- With a new plate instead of a transfer (2.25% local): $1,520.50.
County wheel tax, where a county charges it, is extra.
Title fee: $14
The county clerk charges $14.00: the $5.50 state title fee (§55-6-101(a)(1)) plus an $8.50 clerk fee for receiving and forwarding the application (§55-6-104(a)(3), in force since July 1, 2022). There's no separate "title transfer fee": a transfer costs this same $14. Noting a lien costs $11 per lien. A duplicate title is $14.
The Department of Revenue's support article VT-6 still prints an $11 duplicate fee. That's arithmetic from before 2022. The current Department of Revenue form instructions and the statute-based clerk fee give $14, which is what we show.
Where you do it: the county clerk
Titles are handled at the county clerk's office in the buyer's county of residence. Tennessee has no DMV for this. The Department of Safety says plainly that it doesn't handle titling or plates and sends residents to the county clerk. Clerks act as the department's deputies (§55-3-114).
Sales tax: the single-article system
The Department of Revenue publishes three layers. Our Tennessee calculator uses the same model.
| Layer | Rate | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| State sales tax | 7% | The full price |
| Local option tax (§67-6-702) | Your jurisdiction's rate, capped at 2.75% | The first $1,600 only |
| State single-article tax (§67-6-202) | 2.75% | The $1,600 to $3,200 slice only |
Above $3,200, only the 7% state tax applies.
- Tax basis: the purchase price. A trade-in is credited, so you pay tax on the difference (§67-6-510(a)).
- A low price: if the stated price is 75% or less of the car's fair market value, the transfer needs Form RV-F1301201. Without an accepted affidavit, the clerk charges tax on 100% of fair market value.
- Local rates: they vary by jurisdiction. A named county's rate isn't published as a single official figure, so it's not available here.
- County wheel tax: set by each county and not included in our totals. It's not available as a statewide figure.
Deadline and the cost of waiting
Tennessee publishes no fixed day-count deadline and no flat late title fee. The Department of Revenue's rule (article VTR-46) is that you must title and register the car before driving it on a public road, and as soon as possible.
The cost of delay is on the tax side: a penalty of 5% of the unpaid tax per month, up to 25% (minimum penalty $15), plus interest. The interest rate is 10.75% for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The Department resets it every July 1, so older guidance showing 11.50% is out of date.
For late registration renewal fees, see car registration late fees by state.
Plates
Plates follow the owner, never the car. Moving your own plate to the car you bought costs $3.50: $1.00 state (§55-4-101(f)) plus a $2.50 clerk fee (§55-6-104(a)(1)). If the car you bought is in a higher registration class, you also pay the difference. A new standard plate is $26.50, the Department of Revenue's published state figure (article VR-4). County offices add wheel tax and postage where they apply.
Gifts and family
Transfers between spouses, siblings and lineal relatives are exempt from sales tax (Department of Revenue article GI-13). Lineal relatives are children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, and the spouses of lineal relatives. A true gift to anyone (no money, no services, no debt taken over) is also exempt.
Both are documented on Form RV-F1301201, signed by both people. The $14 title fee still applies.
Forms
- RV-F1301201, Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers: the gift and family affidavit, also used when the price is 75% or less of value.
- RV-F1315201: noting a lien or a duplicate title.
- RV-F1317001: odometer disclosure.
The transfer itself is made on the signed-over certificate of title at the clerk's office.
Other states
Title transfer guides for other states: Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California.
What this guide doesn't cover
Dealer sales, county wheel taxes, a named county's local rate, trucks and commercial vehicles. The Tennessee calculator covers registration with one modeled county.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Tennessee?
The title is $14 at the county clerk. Add 7% state tax, local tax on the first $1,600 and 2.75% single-article tax on the next $1,600. A $20,000 private-party car at a 2.25% local rate, with your own plate moved over, comes to $1,497.50.
Where do you transfer a car title in Tennessee?
At the county clerk's office in the county where you live, not a DMV. The Department of Safety doesn't handle titles or plates.
What is the Tennessee single article tax on a car?
A 2.75% state tax on the part of the price between $1,600 and $3,200. At most it's $44. It's separate from the local tax, which applies only to the first $1,600.
Is the Tennessee car sales tax capped?
Not overall. The 7% state tax applies to the full price. The local and single-article layers stop at their slices, which is why a $20,000 car at a 2.25% local rate pays $80 of local and single-article tax in total.
Do I need a gift affidavit for a car in Tennessee?
Yes. Gifts and transfers between spouses, siblings and lineal relatives are tax-exempt, documented on Form RV-F1301201 signed by both people. The $14 title fee still applies.
Is there a deadline to title a car in Tennessee?
There's no fixed day count and no flat late title fee. You must title and register before driving the car on a public road. Unpaid tax draws a 5% a month penalty, up to 25%, plus interest.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Tennessee fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- License plate fee (1 yr)Knox County, incl. issuance$29.00
- County wheel tax (1 yr)Knox County$36.00
- Title fee$14.00
- State sales tax7% of price$2,100.00
- Local sales tax2.25% of the first $1,600$36.00
- State single-article tax2.75% of the price between $1,600 and $3,200$44.00
- Local collection feeKnox County$1.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $65.00/yr
Year 1 $2,260.00 · Years 2–5 $65.00/yr · 5-year total $2,520.00
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Tennessee car registration fee calculator page.
- TN Department of Revenue – VTR-34, Sales tax on a vehicle purchase (7% state; local tax on the first $1,600; single-article tax on $1,600–$3,200)
- TN Department of Revenue – Single article and special tax rates (2.75% on $1,600.01–$3,200)
- TN Department of Revenue – VR-4, Registration fees (standard plate $26.50 state fee)
- TN Department of Revenue – VTR-46 (title and register before operating on a public road)
- TN Department of Revenue – SUT-6, Single article tax overview and application (2.25% local rate example)
- TN Department of Revenue – GI-13, Car sales to relatives are not subject to sales tax
- TN Department of Revenue – GEN-16, Penalties and interest (5% a month, max 25%, $15 minimum)
- TN Department of Revenue – Tax rates and interest rate (10.75%, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
Related guides
- MississippiMississippi Car Title Transfer Fees: $9 Title, 5% Tax and the Ad Valorem TaxMississippi title transfer: $9 title fee, 30 business days to register, a special 5% vehicle tax, family exemptions with siblings, and county ad valorem tax.Read guide →
- MontanaMontana Car Title Transfer Fees: $12 Title, 40 Days to File and No Sales TaxMontana title transfer: $12 title fee, 40 days to file, a flat $10 late penalty, no sales tax, registration $28 to $217 by age, and the county option tax.Read guide →
- NebraskaNebraska Car Title Transfer Fees: $10 Title, 30 Days to File and the Motor Vehicle TaxNebraska title transfer: $10 title fee, 30 days to file, no late title fee, 5.5% sales tax plus local, the MSRP-based Motor Vehicle Tax, and the gift rule.Read guide →