TN · Registration fee guide

Tennessee car registration fees

Last verified 2026-10-29 · View sources

Base registration fee$26.50Fee source ↗

EV / hybrid fee$200.00 / $100.00See applicable rules

Typical example total$84.0012-month renewal example

Tennessee charges a flat $26.50 state fee each year for a standard passenger car plate, plus a $2.50 county clerk issuance fee, renewed through your county clerk.

Your itemized estimate

Estimate your registration

Use your vehicle details to calculate the listed fees. Amounts reflect the schedule verified in 2026.

Start with the published example below, then adjust the details for your vehicle.

County

Fuel type

Registration type

Published example · listed fees

$84.00

12-month renewal example

Where the fees go

State fees$26.50
County / local$57.50
One-time$0.00

View breakdown data

Where the fees go — amounts in USD
Category	Amount
State fees	$26.50
County / local	$57.50
One-time	$0.00

Itemized estimate, with official fee sources
Fee	Amount
Standard passenger vehicle registration (plate) fee	$26.50
County wheel tax	$55.00
County clerk issuance fee	$2.50

Estimate only. Includes only the fees listed here; other taxes, penalties or local charges may apply. Confirm with the official agency.

What’s not included

All 95 counties use the County Technical Assistance Service 2026 wheel tax list. Some cities add their own wheel tax on top (for example Memphis), and some counties exempt certain vehicles; confirm the exact amount with your county clerk.
Rutherford County's clerk lists $85.50 for a regular plate renewal, $4 more than the $26.50 state fee + $2.50 issuance fee + $52.50 wheel tax shown here; the clerk does not itemize the difference. Confirm with the Rutherford County Clerk.
The $2.50 county clerk issuance fee is charged on every registration; Davidson, Knox and Williamson published totals reconcile exactly with state fee + issuance fee + wheel tax.
Mail renewals add postage or handling in some counties (Davidson: $3 for a decal; Rutherford: $3 for renewals and $7 for new plates). Not included.
Title fee resolved at $14 from county clerk schedules and Notice 22-11. Sales tax (7% state plus local tax and single article tax) is due at titling and is not included.

Confirm with Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services Division

Registration fee schedule

Only applicable fees contribute to your estimate. Optional fees are excluded unless selected. One-time fees apply only to new registrations.

Tennessee fee rules · verified 2026-10-29
Fee	Amount or rule	Applies to
Standard passenger vehicle registration (plate) fee	$26.50 Department of Revenue: the standard plate fee for a passenger vehicle is $26.50 (restated as the standard registration fee in VR-5, January 2024). County fees are extra.	All listed vehicles All listed vehicles
Electric vehicle registration fee	$200.00 Pub. Ch. 159 (2023): $200 for renewals from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2026; $274 for renewals in 2027; inflation-adjusted from 2028. Charged in addition to the standard fee, only at renewal.	See conditions fuel type: electric; registration type: renewal
Hybrid and plug-in hybrid registration fee	$100.00 Pub. Ch. 159 (2023): $100 for renewals from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2027, inflation-adjusted from 2028. Applies to both hybrids and plug-in hybrids, in addition to the standard fee, only at renewal.	See conditions fuel type: hybrid, phev; registration type: renewal
County wheel tax	View county rates Anderson: $0.00; Bedford: $0.00; Benton: $0.00; Bledsoe: $0.00; Blount: $0.00; Bradley: $0.00; Campbell: $45.00; Cannon: $50.25; Carroll: $45.00; Carter: $0.00; Cheatham: $51.00; Chester: $65.35; Claiborne: $25.00; Clay: $75.00; Cocke: $0.00; Coffee: $0.00; Crockett: $73.50; Cumberland: $0.00; Davidson: $55.00; Decatur: $50.00; DeKalb: $0.00; Dickson: $60.00; Dyer: $90.15; Fayette: $71.00; Fentress: $25.00; Franklin: $0.00; Gibson: $50.75; Giles: $0.00; Grainger: $0.00; Greene: $55.00; Grundy: $0.00; Hamblen: $50.00; Hamilton: $0.00; Hancock: $41.00; Hardeman: $80.00; Hardin: $47.00; Hawkins: $67.00; Haywood: $90.00; Henderson: $40.00; Henry: $40.50; Hickman: $50.50; Houston: $71.00; Humphreys: $0.00; Jackson: $40.50; Jefferson: $50.00; Johnson: $40.00; Knox: $36.00; Lake: $100.00; Lauderdale: $65.00; Lawrence: $25.00; Lewis: $65.00; Lincoln: $75.00; Loudon: $0.00; Macon: $65.00; Madison: $0.00; Marion: $0.00; Marshall: $50.00; Maury: $25.00; McMinn: $0.00; McNairy: $0.00; Meigs: $0.00; Monroe: $50.00; Montgomery: $74.00; Moore: $0.00; Morgan: $0.00; Obion: $47.00; Overton: $30.50; Perry: $0.00; Pickett: $10.00; Polk: $0.00; Putnam: $0.00; Rhea: $0.00; Roane: $0.00; Robertson: $85.25; Rutherford: $52.50; Scott: $30.00; Sequatchie: $0.00; Sevier: $0.00; Shelby: $75.00; Smith: $15.00; Stewart: $35.00; Sullivan: $0.00; Sumner: $51.00; Tipton: $61.00; Trousdale: $0.00; Unicoi: $0.00; Union: $30.00; Van Buren: $0.00; Warren: $30.00; Washington: $0.00; Wayne: $61.00; Weakley: $40.00; White: $42.00; Williamson: $25.75; Wilson: $25.00 County Technical Assistance Service (University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service) 2026 wheel tax list for all 95 counties; counties listed N/A are shown as $0. Matches the Davidson ($55), Knox ($36) and Williamson ($25.75) clerk schedules. Some cities add their own wheel tax (for example Memphis), which is not included; confirm with your county clerk.	All listed vehicles All listed vehicles
County clerk issuance fee	$2.50 Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee: 'Under current law, a $2.50 issuance fee is charged by the county clerks' on each registration. It explains the $2.50 gap in the Davidson ($84), Knox ($65) and Williamson ($54.75) clerk totals.	All listed vehicles All listed vehicles
Title fee	$14.00 Knox and Williamson county clerks list $14 (Knox: new plate $79 = $26.50 + $36 wheel tax + $2.50 + $14 title; Williamson: new registration $68.75 = $54.75 renewal + $14). Matches the county share rising from $5.50 to $8.50 on July 1, 2022 (Notice 22-11); the Department's $11 military-page figure predates that change.	New registration All listed vehicles; one-time

How Tennessee fees work

Tennessee charges a flat $26.50 state fee each year for a standard passenger car plate, plus a $2.50 county clerk issuance fee, renewed through your county clerk. Most counties add a wheel tax, from $0 to $100 (Shelby $75, Davidson $55). All-electric vehicles pay $200 more at renewal through 2026, rising to $274 in 2027, hybrids and plug-in hybrids pay $100 more, and a first registration adds a $14 title fee.

The listed registration period is 12 months. Agency information

Cost factors: flat, fuel, county.

Electric & hybrid surcharges

Electric: $200.00 in the listed schedule. Fee source

Choose the matching fuel type in the calculator to include the applicable surcharge.

Late registration

The Department of Revenue does not publish a statewide late renewal penalty; ask your county clerk.

Confirm deadlines and penalties with the agency

Worked example

Gas car, 2026 renewal in Davidson County: $26.50 state fee + $2.50 county clerk issuance fee + $55 Metro wheel tax = $84, matching Davidson's published in-person total ($87 by mail with $3 postage).

Listed total: $84.00

See the fee rules and sources above

Common questions

How are Tennessee registration fees calculated?

Where can I confirm my final registration cost?

Confirm the final amount with Tennessee Department of Revenue, Vehicle Services Division. Its official website is linked below the calculator and in this guide’s sources.

What other limitations should I consider?

All 95 counties use the County Technical Assistance Service 2026 wheel tax list. Some cities add their own wheel tax on top (for example Memphis), and some counties exempt certain vehicles; confirm the exact amount with your county clerk. Rutherford County's clerk lists $85.50 for a regular plate renewal, $4 more than the $26.50 state fee + $2.50 issuance fee + $52.50 wheel tax shown here; the clerk does not itemize the difference. Confirm with the Rutherford County Clerk. The $2.50 county clerk issuance fee is charged on every registration; Davidson, Knox and Williamson published totals reconcile exactly with state fee + issuance fee + wheel tax. Mail renewals add postage or handling in some counties (Davidson: $3 for a decal; Rutherford: $3 for renewals and $7 for new plates). Not included. Title fee resolved at $14 from county clerk schedules and Notice 22-11. Sales tax (7% state plus local tax and single article tax) is due at titling and is not included.

Sources and last checked

Sources

VR-4 - Registration Fees Tennessee Department of Revenue
VR-5 - Registration Fees for Hybrid or Electric Vehicles Tennessee Department of Revenue
Notice #23-14 - Transportation Modernization Act of 2023 Changes: Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Registration Fees Tennessee Department of Revenue
Notice #22-11 - Change in County Motor Vehicle Title Fee Tennessee Department of Revenue
Military Registrations (fees by transaction type) Tennessee Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Fees Davidson County Clerk (Metro Nashville)
Motor Vehicle Knox County Clerk
Vehicle Title and Registration Williamson County Clerk
License Plates Rutherford County Clerk
Vehicle Titles Rutherford County Clerk
Wheel Taxes (2026) University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service
Fiscal Memorandum SB 1430 - HB 2170 (county clerk $2.50 issuance fee) Tennessee General Assembly, Fiscal Review Committee

Last verified 2026-10-29

Fees can change. Confirm your final amount with the official registration agency before paying.

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