If you need Tennessee license plates for your vehicle, plan ahead as it will take some time for the county clerk's office to process your request. Whether you are looking for a regular license plate Tennessee or Tennessee specialty plates, it is best to start the license plate renewal TN process now rather than waiting until the last minute. Tennessee has over 100 different types of license plates available to state residents who own a private motor vehicle. Just make sure you fill out your tag renewal Tennessee form on time to ensure your vehicle is properly registered. Tennessee car tags are necessary for all vehicles on the road. The Tennessee tag renewal online process is fairly easy. Let's look at the basics of Tennessee license plates and Tennessee tag and title matters.

Types of License Plates

The state of Tennessee offers specialty license plates, vanity license plates and regular license plates. There is a dollar charge for a Tennessee specialty plate to be issued. Specialty plate examples include personalized plates with letter/number combinations unique to the vehicle owner and organizational plates. It is also worth noting that every single type of specialty plate is not available at each county clerk office. You can pick up most of the plates when you are at the county clerk's office to pick up your registration, deal with your Tennessee lost title problem or handle other issues relating to your Tennessee car title. However, if the style of license plate you are looking for is unavailable at your local office, you will need to place an order for it to be delivered. Those who are disabled should be aware that the state of Tennessee provides disabled parking plates for individuals who suffer from a qualifying disability.

Applying for License Plates

A vehicle owner applies for license plates during the vehicle registration process. Every vehicle owner must register his vehicle with the county clerk's office when moving to the state of Tennessee or when buying a new vehicle. Drivers must renew their tags by renewing their vehicle registration prior to the license plate expiration. Once the driver pays the renewal fees, he will be provided with an expiration decal to place over the old one.

License Plate Renewal and Transfer

You must transfer your Tennessee license plates when you buy a new vehicle. If your license plates are damaged, stolen or lost, they must be replaced. You can renew your Tennessee car tags when renewing your registration on the web, in-person or by mail. Be sure to fill out the application for license plates when you register your vehicle in-person at the local county clerk's office. This way, if a license plate check is conducted, you won't have any concerns or potential liability for penalties. The general rules pertaining to Tennessee license plate are that they must be in good enough condition to be read and be positioned on the rear of the car. In terms of decals, the expiration year must be located in the upper right corner. The month the license plate expires must be shown in the upper left corner. The county of the registration must be at the bottom of the plate.

Tennessee Auto Tags

When one purchases a vehicle, he can get a temporary tag from the TN DOR or the vehicle dealer. The auto dealer is permitted to provide Dealer Drive-out Tags. These tags allow for the operation of the vehicle for upwards of 30 days while the vehicle owner waits for his Tennessee license plate. This option requires the vehicle owner to pay a $5.50 fee. A Temporary Operation Permit can be issued by the TN DOR if there is an issue with the vehicle title.