RV & Motorhome Registration in Tennessee

In Tennessee, the registration process for your RV or motor home is basically the same as the registration process for any other motor vehicle. Visit our Car Registration and Title Transfers pages for detailed registration and titling steps.

Registration and Renewal

In short, registering your RV or motor home will consist of paying your dealer at the time of purchase and letting him or her handle all registration and titling paperwork.

Or, if you purchased your RV or motor home from an individual, you'll need to visit your local county clerk's office and take the completed Certificate of Title and Registration (this form isn't available online; you can take care of it at your county clerk's office) as well as all applicable fees. (You may look up current registration and titling fees in the Tennessee Code, 55-4-111).

Renewing your registration is a fairly simple process. The DOS mails renewal notices a month or so before it's time for you to renew; however, they stress that these notices are courtesies and not requirements. Therefore, you should keep track of your expiration date on your own.

Once it's time for you to renew, head to your county clerk's office with your notice (if you have one) and/or your current registration (if you didn't receive a notice) and renewal fees.

Out-of-state Issues

Depending on the county in which you live, if you're a new resident you must have emission checks performed on your vehicles before you can title and register it in Tennessee.

Visit our Smog and Emission Check section to find out if an emissions check is required.

Once that's taken care of, you must obtain and complete a Certificate of Title and Registration. Take any lienholder information, your out-of-state title, your current registration, proof of identification and residency, and the appropriate fees (You may look up current titling and registration fees in the Tennessee Code, 55-4-111).

Note that if you're from a non-titling state, you'll need to bring your current registration and the Bill of Sale.

Tennessee's Financial Responsibility Law

Tennessee doesn't require any kind of liability insurance to get a driver's license or to register a vehicle. However, you do have to comply with the financial responsibility law. You can lose your license if you do not have liability insurance in effect in the event of a moving violation or motor vehicle accident that results in $50 in property damages, injury, or death.

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