Official fees
Tennessee tax, title & license fee chart
State sales tax
7%
of the full purchase price, no cap
Local option tax
2.25%–2.75%
of only the first $1,600 - max $36–$44
State single article tax
2.75%
of the $1,600–$3,200 slice - max $44
Title fee
$14.00
Lien notation (if financed)
$11.00
Base registration
$26.50
$19.50 for motorcycles
County wheel tax
$0–$75
set by each county; roughly a third charge none
Clerk's collection fee
$1.00
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county clerk (TN Dept. of Revenue) - counties can add small local fees.
Step by step
How to pay TTL at your Tennessee county clerk
- 1
Get the signed title from the seller (or the dealer prepares the paperwork for you).
- 2
Bring the title, a bill of sale showing price, proof of insurance, and photo ID to your county clerk's office.
- 3
The clerk calculates the three-layer sales tax on the price you paid (minus any trade-in at a dealer).
- 4
Pay the tax, the $14 title fee, and the first year's registration - plus your county's wheel tax if it has one - in a single transaction.
- 5
Walk out with your plate in most counties, or wait a few weeks by mail if the office doesn't issue on the spot.
- State sales tax
- 7% of full price
- Local + single article tax
- Capped ≈ $80–$88
- Title fee
- $14
- Registration
- $26.50/yr
- County wheel tax
- $0–$75/yr
Overview
Add a $14 title, $26.50 in annual registration, and - the part that actually separates cheap Tennessee counties from expensive ones - a county wheel tax that has nothing to do with the purchase at all. It's a flat annual fee tacked onto registration, and it ranges from $0 in roughly a third of the state's 95 counties to $75 in Shelby County. Enter your numbers below for the real total.
Everything is paid in one visit to your county clerk, not a state DMV - Tennessee doesn't have one for titling. The clerk computes the tax, collects the title and registration fees, and issues your plate the same day in most counties.
Same state, other costs
More Tennessee vehicle costs
Common questions
Tennessee tax, title & license FAQ
- How much is tax, title and license on a $30,000 car in Nashville?
- About $2,338: $2,100 in state tax (7%), $44 local tax, $44 single article tax, a $14 title fee, $26.50 registration, and the $55 Davidson County wheel tax. Notice the local and single-article pieces total only $88 no matter how far above $3,200 the price climbs.
- Why do people say Tennessee's car tax is 9.75% if it doesn't work that way?
- 9.75% is the retail sales tax rate for everyday goods in Nashville and Memphis, where the full local rate applies to the full price. Vehicles get a special carve-out: the local (and single-article) portions only ever tax the first $3,200 combined. On a $30,000 car, the effective combined rate is closer to 7.8%, not 9.75%.
- Does a trade-in lower my Tennessee sales tax?
- Yes. Tennessee taxes the price minus the value of a like-kind trade-in accepted by a dealer, and that lower "taxable price" is what flows through all three tax layers - state, local, and single article. Private-party sales don't get a trade-in credit since there's no dealer taking the old vehicle in.
- What is the county wheel tax and do I have to pay it?
- It's a flat annual fee your county commission can levy on every registered vehicle, completely separate from sales tax - it funds local roads and schools in many counties. Roughly a third of Tennessee's 95 counties charge none; Shelby County (Memphis) charges $75, Davidson County (Nashville) $55, and Knox County (Knoxville) $36. You pay it every year with registration, not just at purchase.
- Is there a family exemption from Tennessee vehicle sales tax?
- Yes, and it's a full exemption, not a reduced flat fee: sales between spouses, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, great-grandparents and great-grandchildren, and siblings owe zero sales tax with a signed Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfer. You still pay the $14 title fee and registration.
- Do I still need an emissions test to register in Tennessee?
- No, statewide. Tennessee phased out vehicle emissions testing county by county, and the last holdouts - including Davidson (Nashville) and Shelby (Memphis) counties - dropped the requirement in early 2022. No Tennessee county currently requires an emissions test to title or register a vehicle.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
