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Tennessee car registration fee calculator

How much does it cost to register a car in Tennessee? The state plate fee is $26.50 a year, and your county adds its own wheel tax: in Knox County a renewal is $65 ($29 plate + $36 wheel tax). Buying a car adds a $14 title and sales tax: 7% of the price, plus your local rate on the first $1,600 and 2.75% on the slice from $1,600 to $3,200. Electric cars pay $200 a year and hybrids $100, but only at renewal.

Your vehicle

Electric ($200) and hybrid ($100) fees are charged at renewal only, not when you first register.
Wheel tax, clerk fees and the local tax rate are set county by county. Knox County publishes a full fee schedule; for other counties those lines show as not available.
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Your county or city rate, at most 2.75%. It applies only to the first $1,600 of the price. Leave blank if you don't know it.
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$
Tax is charged on the price less a like-kind trade-in shown on the invoice.
Estimated total
$2,260.00

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

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.

Estimate only. Rates checked October 21, 2026 · Tennessee. Confirm with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services (county clerks).

Tennessee vehicle fees at a glance (2026)

State plate fee$26.50/yr car, $19.50 motorcycle (Knox County charges $29 / $22 with issuance)
County wheel taxSet by each county (Knox County $36/yr)
Electric vehicle fee$200/yr at renewal only ($274 from 2027-01-01)
Hybrid / plug-in hybrid fee$100/yr at renewal only
Title fee$14 (+$11 to record a lien)
Sales tax7% state + local rate on the first $1,600 + 2.75% on $1,600 to $3,200
TruckNot available (no separate published amount)

Download this fee summary (PDF)

What this estimate does and does not include

  • Tennessee doesn't have one statewide registration total: the $26.50 state plate fee is the same everywhere, but each county adds its own wheel tax and clerk fees. Knox County is used here because its clerk publishes an itemised schedule ($29 plate, $36 wheel tax, $14 title). For other counties the plate shows the $26.50 state fee and the wheel tax and clerk fees show as not available.
  • Electric and hybrid fees are charged at renewal only (County Clerk Guide, since January 1, 2024), so buying an electric car costs the same as buying a gas car. All-electric: $200 a year on renewals through 2026, $274 from January 1, 2027 (then indexed from 2028). Hybrids and plug-in hybrids: $100 a year. Electric motorcycles aren't charged the fee.
  • Sales tax has three parts. State 7% of the price less a trade-in; local tax at your county's rate (at most 2.75%) on the first $1,600 only; and the state single-article tax of 2.75% on the part of the price between $1,600 and $3,200 (at most $44). In Knox County a car over $3,200 pays 7% + $36 + $44. Dealer and private sales are taxed the same way; Knox County adds a $1 collection fee.
  • Knox County's own sales-calculator page says titling and registering costs $77; its current fee schedule and the itemised lines on the same page add up to $79. The calculator uses the $79 schedule.
  • Trucks: the Department of Revenue publishes no separate plate fee for a private pickup and the commercial weight schedule wasn't available from an official page, so truck registration shows as not available.
  • Not included: plate transfer ($17.50 in Knox County), personalised plates (+$35), emissions testing (not required in Knox County) and late penalties (no flat late renewal fee is published; late tax payments owe 5% a month up to 25%).
Official sources · Last checked October 21, 2026 · Next monthly check: November 2026

Tennessee registration questions

How much is car registration in Tennessee?

The state plate fee is $26.50 a year, plus your county's wheel tax and clerk fees. In Knox County a passenger renewal is $65 ($29 plate + $36 wheel tax).

How much are the fees on a $30,000 car in Knox County?

$2,260: $2,100 state sales tax (7%), $36 local tax, $44 single-article tax, $14 title, $29 plate, $36 wheel tax and a $1 collection fee.

Do electric cars pay extra to register in Tennessee?

Yes, $200 a year, but only at renewal: nothing extra when you first register. It rises to $274 on January 1, 2027. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids pay $100 a year at renewal.

How is sales tax on a car calculated in Tennessee?

7% of the price less trade-in, plus the local rate (up to 2.75%) on the first $1,600, plus 2.75% on the part between $1,600 and $3,200. On a car over $3,200 in Knox County that is 7% of the price plus $80.

How much is motorcycle registration in Tennessee?

The state fee is $19.50 a year. In Knox County a motorcycle renewal is $58 ($22 plate + $36 wheel tax).

Tennessee guides

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