2023 Tennessee Code › Title 55 - MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES (§§ 55-1-101 — 55-53-105) › Chapter 4 - REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES (§§ 55-4-NEW — 55-4-702) › Part 2 - SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES (§§ 55-4-201 — 55-4-299) › Section 55-4-226 - Manufacturers, dealers, and transporters of motor vehicles or boats

(a)
Registration plates issued under the dealer category may be issued to manufacturers, dealers, and transporters of motor vehicles or boats as provided for in this part.
(b)
(1)
Any dealer owning any vehicle that may be legally operated upon the streets or highways of this state with a regular vehicle registration may, either in person or through a duly authorized agent or employee, operate or move the vehicle upon any highway of the state without registering each such vehicle, upon condition that the vehicle display a special purpose plate issued to that owner as prescribed in this part. The dealer may further authorize the operation of the vehicle bearing such plates by customers for temporary purposes not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours. The dealer may further authorize the operation of the vehicle bearing such plates by any customer who is using the vehicle, without charge, while the customer's vehicle is being serviced or repaired by the dealer or by any person who is participating in a driver's education program and is operating a vehicle that was provided by the dealer to a school for use in the driver's education program.
(2)
The special purpose dealer plate shall have the legend "TENN" at the top of the plate and shall have "auto dealer" at the bottom of the plate. The legend shall contain the letter "D" and five (5) numbers. The special purpose dealer plate for a motor vehicle dealer that sells used motor vehicles shall have a red background and white letter and numbers. The special purpose dealer plate for a franchise motor vehicle dealer that sells new motor vehicles shall have a white background and black letter and numbers.
(3)
Any dealer who has a valid number assigned by the motor vehicle commission may make application to the department for one (1) or more special purpose plates. The fee for the first plate is forty-seven dollars and thirty cents ($47.30), and the fee for any plates in addition to the first plate is twenty-three dollars and sixty-five cents ($23.65) for each additional plate. No dealer shall be permitted to purchase more than two hundred twenty-five (225) auto dealer plates during a registration year.
(4)
A transporter may operate or move any vehicle that may be legally operated under a regular vehicle registration upon any highway within this state solely for the purpose of delivery, upon likewise displaying thereon like plates issued to the transporter as provided in this part.
(5)
Any vehicle preparation service or motor vehicle auction company licensed by the state may obtain special purpose plates to operate or move dealer-owned vehicles upon any highway within the state solely for the purpose of transporting the vehicles between a dealer's business location and the location where the cleaning, repairing, or preparation is performed or where the vehicle is to be auctioned, and for the purposes of testing the vehicle within a twenty (20) mile radius of the location where the cleaning, repairing or preparation is performed.
(6)
This subsection (b) shall not apply to work or service vehicles owned by a manufacturer, transporter or dealer.
(c)
(1)
Any manufacturer or transporter may make application to any county clerk within the state, and any vehicle preparation service may make application to the county clerk of the county where the established place of business of the service is located, upon appropriate forms for a certificate and for one (1) or more special purpose plates or single special purpose plates as appropriate to vehicles subject to registration hereunder, which plates shall be of the same color as auto dealer plates issued in the state for the particular year in question and on which shall appear the letters "DL" and identifying numbers. An applicant for these registration plates who is a transporter shall submit proof of the applicant's status as a bona fide transporter that may reasonably be required by the county clerk to whom the application is made. If the applicant is a manufacturer, the county clerk shall not issue the registration plates until the applicant has registered with the county clerk to whom the application is made the number of the current license issued to such manufacturer by the motor vehicle commission. For registering the license number of such manufacturers and dealers, the county clerk shall be entitled to a fee of five dollars ($5.00).
(2)
The county clerk, upon granting an application, shall, upon the payment of the appropriate fee, issue to the applicant a certificate containing the applicant's name and address.
(3)
All special purpose plates issued to any vehicle preparation service, manufacturer, or transporter shall bear identifying numbers, and no special purpose plates issued to other vehicle preparation services, manufacturers, or transporters shall bear the same number.
(4)
The commissioner is authorized and empowered to design, issue and regulate the use of temporary plates for use in cases where dealer plates cannot be used. Upon the depletion of the department's current inventory of temporary plates, the department shall redesign the temporary plates in such a manner as determined by the commissioner as will permit the conspicuous display of individual distinctive alpha-numerical characters. Temporary plates may be issued for a period of sixty (60) days. The fee for the sixty-day plate is six dollars and fifty cents ($6.50). No person may operate a motor vehicle for more than sixty (60) days with the temporary plate. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a grant of authority for the issuance or use of the temporary plates on trucks or truck tractors being used or tested under load conditions over the streets and highways of this state.
(d)
(1)
Registration plates issued under this subsection (d) may only be issued to dealers as provided for in this subsection (d).
(2)
Any dealer owning a vehicle suitable for special event services may, either in person or through a duly authorized agent, employee, or lessee, operate or move the vehicle upon any highway of the state without registering such vehicle, upon condition that the vehicle display a special event plate issued to that owner as prescribed in this part.
(3)
A vehicle is suitable for special event services if it:
(A)
Is rented to legal entities of this state, or any political subdivision thereof, pursuant to a rental agreement;
(B)
Only travels in this state during the rental period;
(C)
Is capable of holding fifteen (15) or more passengers; and
(D)
Has fewer than two thousand five hundred (2,500) miles on the odometer.
(4)
Notwithstanding any statute to the contrary, a vehicle meeting all of the criteria of a special event services vehicle pursuant to subdivision (d)(3) shall not be eligible to use a special purpose dealer plate.
(5)
The special event plate shall have the legend "TENN" at the top of the plate and shall have "Special Event" at the bottom of the plate. The legend shall contain the letters "SE" and five (5) numbers. The special event plates shall have a light blue background with black letters and numbers.
(6)
Any dealer who has a valid number assigned by the motor vehicle commission may make application to the department for one (1) or more special event plates and shall provide sufficient information as reasonably requested by the commissioner to show how many vehicles are suitable for special event services. The fee for such plate shall be more than one hundred fifty-two dollars and sixty-three cents ($152.63). No dealer shall be permitted to purchase more than one hundred (100) special event plates during a registration year.
(e)
The special purpose plates issued under this section shall expire on May 31 of each year. The person to whom a special purpose plate is issued may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles, or the registrar's deputy as provided by law, for renewal registration. Upon renewal, a decal will be issued for the ensuing registration year. Issuance of plates and decals will begin May 1 of each year, upon payment of the fee provided by law, and proof by the applicant that the applicant is still engaged in business as a manufacturer, transporter, dealer, or vehicle preparation service.
(f)
(1)
Registration plates issued under this subsection (f) may be issued only to manufacturers and dealers of boats or to persons or businesses that transport boats for hire.
(2)
A person may operate a boat trailer for hire without registering the boat trailer, if the boat trailer is operated solely for the purpose of delivery of a boat to a customer of a manufacturer or dealer of boats and the boat trailer displays a special purpose boat transport plate issued to the manufacturer, dealer, person, or business as prescribed in this subsection (f).
(3)
The following are authorized to make, either in person or through a duly authorized agent, employee, or lessee, application to any county clerk within the state, upon appropriate forms for a certificate and for one (1) or more special purpose boat transport plates:
(A)
Any dealer or manufacturer of boats who hires individuals who own or operate boat trailers to deliver boats to the dealer's or manufacturer's customers; or
(B)
Any person or business that owns or operates boat trailers to deliver boats.
(4)
The boat transport plates must be of a different color than the auto dealer and special event plates issued in the state for the particular year in question and must have the legend "TENN" at the top of the plate and must have "boat transport" at the bottom of the plate. The legend must contain the letters "BD" and five (5) numbers.
(5)
The fee for the first plate is forty-seven dollars and thirty cents ($47.30), and the fee for any plates in addition to the first plate is twenty-three dollars and sixty-five cents ($23.65) for each additional plate.
(6)
The county clerk, upon granting an application, shall issue to the applicant, upon the payment of the appropriate fee, a certificate containing the applicant's name and address.
(7)
The special purpose boat transport plates issued under this subsection (f) expire on May 31 of each year, and a new plate or plates for the ensuing year may be obtained by the person to whom the expired plate or plates were issued upon application to the registrar of motor vehicles, or the registrar's deputy as provided by law. Issuance of the plates begins May 1 of each year, upon payment of the fee provided by law, and proof by the applicant that the applicant is still engaged in business as a manufacturer or dealer of boats or as a person or business that transports boats for hire.
(8)
A business license shall not be required as proof that a person or business transports boats for hire.
(g)
The commissioner is authorized and empowered to promulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this section.
Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 734, s 1, eff. 7/1/2022.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 97, s 3, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 97, s 2, eff. 7/1/2021.
Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 571, s 2, eff. 7/1/2020.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1023, s 49, eff. 7/1/2018.
Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 183, s 5, eff. 7/1/2013.
Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 117, Secs.s 2, s 3 eff. 4/12/2013.
Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1; 1999, ch. 98, §§ 12, 13; 2001, ch. 98, § 1; 2001, ch. 233, § 7; 2002, ch. 722, § 1; 2002, ch. 856, §§ 8m, 8n; 2007 , ch. 484, § 116; 2009 , ch. 530, § 124; 2010 , ch. 1151, § 52.