Tennessee License Plate Lookup: VIN, Brands & Costs

What a Tennessee plate lookup shows

A license plate points to one car. We turn the Tennessee plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.

What a Tennessee plate looks like, and the 2022 redesign

The current Tennessee plate is the blue design the Department of Revenue rolled out through 2022. It replaced the plate launched in 2006, and drivers got the new one as their renewal month came up; nobody was allowed to renew early to get it. The state also issues the same car plate with the words In God We Trust, at the same $26.50 state fee, so you'll see both versions on the road. Tennessee law lets the state redesign plates every eight years if the General Assembly funds it, and in 2023 the plate for drivers with disabilities moved to the same blue design, handed out at renewal. Type the plate without spaces and we find the car.

Plates belong to the owner, not the car. A seller keeps their plate and moves it to the next vehicle in person at the county clerk's office (Knox County charges $17.50 for a plate transfer with the title). The buyer gets a plate when the car is titled.

Here is the Tennessee rule that surprises buyers: a Tennessee resident who buys a used vehicle from another Tennessee resident must title and register it before driving it on a public road or highway. Plan the handover so the car goes straight to the clerk, or gets trailered, rather than driven home on the seller's plate.

Tennessee title brands: what the lookup can show

Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record, the national title database Tennessee's Attorney General and Department of Commerce and Insurance tell buyers to check. The brands Tennessee issues:

Salvage	Damage so heavy that the repair cost would exceed 75% of the car's retail value. The car gets a Salvage Certificate and can't be registered or driven on Tennessee roads until it is rebuilt and converted.
Non-repairable	A car that can't be operated safely and has no resale value except as parts or scrap. Its Non-repairable Certificate keeps it from being titled or registered in Tennessee.
Rebuilt	A salvage car that was repaired and converted to a new title. The conversion fee is $75 for an individual; a licensed dealer pays $85.50, which covers the conversion fee and a title application. The state's salvage page says rebuilt vehicles must pass an inspection, while its help center describes some approvals without one. A car that passes gets a decal and an approval letter from the Anti-Theft Unit, and the owner takes that letter to the county clerk for title and registration. The new title reads Rebuilt Vehicle Anti-Theft Inspected.
Flood, salvaged, totaled	Tennessee's Attorney General, warning buyers after the 2021 Hurricane Ida flooding, put it plainly: by law the titles of these cars should show that they were flooded, salvaged or totaled, and the flood history can take 30 days or longer to show up in consumer reports. Tennessee law also separates a freshwater flood car, which can be rebuilt, from a saltwater-damaged one, which cannot. A car that was flooded and never reported shows nothing anywhere, which is why you also check the car.

Helene and Milton. On October 22, 2024, after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission and the Department of Commerce and Insurance warned shoppers that flood-damaged cars from other states were being sold to Tennessee buyers. Insurers sometimes let an owner keep a flooded car after paying it off as a total loss, so a car that went under in one state turns up for sale in another, cleaned up and priced to move. Their standing advice, and ours: check the title history before you buy, and file a complaint with the Motor Vehicle Commission if a dealer hides it.

What a Tennessee title transfer costs

Buying from an individual, the buyer pays everything at the county clerk's office. The state sets the title fee and the sales tax formula; each county adds its own wheel tax and clerk fees, so the county has the final word on the total. Knox County's published figures are used as the example below.

Title fee	$11 is the state title fee. Knox County lists $14 for a title. A lien notation adds $11.
State sales tax	7% of the purchase price minus any trade-in.
Local sales tax	Your county's local rate, but only on the first $1,600 of the price. In Knox County that is 2.25%, so the local tax tops out at $36.
State single-article tax	2.75% on the part of the price between $1,600 and $3,200, so a maximum of $44. Nothing on the price above $3,200. Plus a $1 collection fee.
Worked example	A $10,000 car in Knox County: $700 state tax + $36 local + $44 single-article + $1 = $781 in tax, before the title and plate fees.
If you paid well under book	The clerk taxes the price you paid only if it is believable. If you paid considerably less than retail, the seller must sign the Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers of Motor Vehicles and Boats. If the seller can't be found, a notarized appraisal from a licensed dealer works. Otherwise the tax is figured on the NADA book value.
Plate and registration	Knox County's fee schedule puts a standard passenger plate on a newly bought car at $79, which bundles the $29 plate, the $14 title and the $36 county wheel tax (its sales tax page says $77 in one spot, so confirm at the counter). Transferring a plate you already own costs $17.50. Renewals there are $65 a year with the wheel tax, $35 for owners exempt from it. Your county's wheel tax will differ.
Title only	Not an option. Tennessee requires the car to be registered when you apply for the title.

Tennessee forms and deadlines

The title	The seller's name must appear on the front, and the seller signs the back under Assignment of Title by Registered Owner exactly as the name is printed. If two owners are joined by AND, both sign.
No corrections	White-out, an erasure or an alteration on a Tennessee title voids it on the spot. The current owner then has to get a duplicate title before the sale can go through, so a seller who made a mistake should fix it before you meet.
Odometer	Disclosure is required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles until they are 20 years old. Model year 2010 and older are exempt.
Deadline	Before you drive it. A resident buying from another resident titles and registers the car before it goes on a public road.
In person	State law requires the buyer to appear at the county clerk's office with a photo ID and proof of Tennessee residency. A representative can go instead with a notarized Power of Attorney naming the car's make, model and VIN, but one person can't sign the odometer statement as both seller and buyer.
Processing	Knox County says to allow 10 to 15 business days for the new title.

Only a licensed dealer may pass a car along without first titling it in their own name. If the seller's name isn't on the front of the title, you're not buying from the owner.

Inspections in Tennessee

The Department of Revenue's title steps for a car bought from another resident list no safety inspection: title, registration, sales tax and fees are the whole list. Knox County's clerk states plainly that passenger vehicles there need no emissions inspection, and Davidson County (Nashville) ended its emissions testing program effective February 5, 2022, so titling or renewing there no longer needs a test either.

With no state inspection standing between the seller and you, the $5 report and a lift at a mechanic you chose are the inspection. Given the state's own flood warnings, add the flood checks: damp or musty carpet, silt under the seats and in the spare-tire well, rust on seat bolts, and fogged lights.

Before you meet a Tennessee seller

Run the plate or VIN here first, before the deposit. Match the year, make, model and trim to the car.
Match the VIN on the dash, the door sticker and the title.
Read the front of the title. The seller's name must be printed there. Check for a lienholder, and get the lien release if there is one.
Look for white-out or corrections. Either one means the title is void and the seller needs a duplicate before you can do anything.
Agree on how the car gets to the clerk. It can't legally be driven on public roads until it is titled and registered in your name.
If the price is low, bring the seller or have them sign the Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers, or the clerk will tax you on book value.

Where these Tennessee facts come from

Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.

Look up a plate from another state

The reports

Works for Tennessee plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.

Basic history report

By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away

Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
Title history by state, with dates
Odometer readings and rollback flags
Total-loss records from insurers
Theft check
Market value for the car

Check a car for $5

$10

Full vehicle history report

By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours

Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
Accidents and damage reports
Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
Service and maintenance history
Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model

Get the full report

Tennessee license plate lookup questions

How do I look up a Tennessee license plate?

Type the plate above with Tennessee selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.

How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Tennessee?

The state title fee is $11 (Knox County lists $14), plus sales tax, plus a plate or a $17.50 plate transfer, plus your county's wheel tax. In Knox County a new standard plate with title and wheel tax comes to $79 before tax.

How is Tennessee sales tax on a used car calculated?

7% state tax on the price minus any trade-in, plus your county's local rate on only the first $1,600 (2.25% in Knox County, $36 max), plus a 2.75% state single-article tax on the slice between $1,600 and $3,200 ($44 max), plus a $1 collection fee. On a $10,000 car in Knox County that is $781.

Does Tennessee require a vehicle inspection?

The state's title and registration steps include no safety inspection. Knox County's clerk says passenger vehicles there need no emissions test, and Davidson County ended its emissions testing on February 5, 2022.

What does a Tennessee rebuilt title say?

A salvage car (repair cost over 75% of retail value) that is repaired, approved by the Department of Revenue and converted gets a title branded Rebuilt Vehicle Anti-Theft Inspected. The conversion costs $75 for an individual; a licensed dealer pays $85.50, which includes a title application.

Can I drive a car home in Tennessee right after buying it from a person?

Not legally on the seller's plate. A Tennessee resident who buys from another resident must title and register the car before driving it on a public road, so go to the county clerk first or move the car on a trailer.

Can I find the owner of a Tennessee plate?

No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in state motor vehicle records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.

Who runs vehicle titles in Tennessee?

The Tennessee Department of Revenue's Vehicle Services Division issues titles and sets the rules; your county clerk's office does the transfer in person, collects the sales tax, title fee and wheel tax, and issues the plate.

More ways to check a car

VIN check Cheap VIN check VIN decoder VIN scanner Recall check Vehicle history report Title check NMVTIS report Stolen car check License plate lookup California plate lookup Texas plate lookup Florida plate lookup Wisconsin plate lookup Plate lookup by state

Find the deal, then check it.

Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.

The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services Division.

Tennessee license plate lookup. See the car first.

Look up a Tennessee plate