AutoTaxCalculatorCost of registering a car in Tennessee
Tennessee registration = $26.50 standard plate fee + your county's wheel tax + any EV or hybrid fee. A gas car renews for $81.50 in Davidson County, $101.50 in Shelby, $62.50 in Knox and $26.50 in a county with no wheel tax.
The Department of Revenue sets the standard plate fee for a passenger vehicle at $26.50, and $19.50 for a motorcycle. Everything else on the renewal comes from your county: the wheel tax, which the county clerk collects, and small clerk fees for things like mailing. You register in the county where you live. So the Tennessee car registration fee is the plate fee plus those county pieces, and the cost of vehicle registration in TN changes with your county, not with the car's price.
Cost to register a vehicle in Tennessee by county
The 2026 wheel taxes for the largest counties, from the University of Tennessee's County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS) list:
| County | Wheel tax | Renewal (gas car) |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby (Memphis) | $75.00 | $101.50 |
| Davidson (Nashville) | $55.00 | $81.50 |
| Knox (Knoxville) | $36.00 | $62.50 |
| Rutherford (Murfreesboro) | $52.50 | $79.00 |
| Montgomery (Clarksville) | $74.00 | $100.50 |
| Williamson (Franklin) | $25.75 | $52.25 |
| Sumner (Gallatin) | $51.00 | $77.50 |
| Wilson (Lebanon) | $25.00 | $51.50 |
| Hamilton (Chattanooga) | none listed | $26.50 |
| Sullivan, Washington, Blount, Bradley | none listed | $26.50 |
Lake County has the highest wheel tax in 2026 at $100, followed by Dyer ($90.15), Haywood ($90) and Robertson ($85.25). Pickett ($10) and Smith ($15) are the lowest of the counties that charge one. Some counties set different amounts by vehicle type. Cheatham's private act, for example, has separate rates for motorcycles, cars and trucks. So the figure above is the passenger amount CTAS lists, and your clerk has the final word.
Electric and hybrid vehicle fees
The Transportation Modernization Act of 2023 (Public Chapter 159) raised the electric vehicle fee and created one for hybrids. Both are added to the standard fee when you renew:
| Renewal date | All-electric | Hybrid / plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2026 | $200 | $100 |
| During 2027 | $274 | $100 |
| 2028 and after | $274 + inflation | $100 + inflation |
A Knox County EV renewing in December 2026 pays $26.50 + $36 + $200 = $262.50. Renewing the same car in 2027 costs $336.50.
Tax, title and license when you buy
A purchase adds sales tax, the title and, if you finance, a lien notation. Tennessee's sales tax on a vehicle is:
- 7% state tax on the price minus your trade-in
- local tax (1.5% to 2.75%) on the first $1,600 only
- 2.75% single article tax on the amount from $1,600.01 to $3,200, a maximum of $44
Knox County lists the title fee at $14, which includes the $8.50 that state law has paid county clerks for each title application since July 1, 2022. The lien notation is $11. Transferring your existing plate with a title costs $17.50 there. For more on Tennessee sales tax, including out-of-state purchases, see the Tennessee car sales tax calculator.
$35,000 car in Davidson County, $10,000 trade-in, 2.25% local rate, financed
- State tax: $25,000 × 7% = $1,750.00
- Local tax: $1,600 × 2.25% = $36.00
- Single article tax: $1,600 × 2.75% = $44.00
- Title $14 + lien $11 + plate $26.50 + wheel tax $55
- Total: $1,936.50
Frequently asked questions
Can I renew my Tennessee tags online?
Yes. The Department of Revenue offers online renewal instead of going to the county clerk's office, and Knox County, for one, also takes renewals by mail. It charges $3 to mail a registration and $5 for a plate and registration.
Do disabled veterans pay for plates?
Qualifying disabled veterans can get free disabled veteran plates. The Department of Revenue explains the eligibility rules in its VR-13 help article.
Why is my renewal more than $26.50 in a county with no wheel tax?
County clerks collect small fees of their own on top of the state's fee. Knox County's standard plate is $29, for example. Specialty and personalized plates also add their own annual fees.
Sources
- TN Department of Revenue: VR-4 Registration Fees
- TN Department of Revenue: VR-5 Registration Fees for Hybrid or Electric Vehicles
- TN Department of Revenue: Notice 23-14, Transportation Modernization Act of 2023
- TN Department of Revenue: Notice 22-11, Change in County Motor Vehicle Title Fee
- UT County Technical Assistance Service: Wheel Taxes, 2026
- Knox County Clerk: Tennessee sales tax and other fees
This calculator gives an estimate. Your county clerk calculates the final amount. How we calculate