Motor Vehicle

Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission

Purpose

The Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission was created by the General Assembly in 1955 to regulate and license motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, dealers, salesmen and their representatives doing business in the State of Tennessee.

Mission

The mission of the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission is to protect the public health, safety and welfare through the uniform and impartial application of Tennessee Dealer and Manufacturer licensing laws, rules, and regulations. These regulations are intended to empower consumers and to prevent fraud and other abuses to the citizens of the state while allowing all dealers to compete on a level playing field.

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Motor Vehicle Dealerships:
Promotional Contests Using Scratch Off Games and/or Lottery-Style Game Mailers
Posted: April 14, 2026

The Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission continues to receive complaints from consumers who received certain advertisements from Tennessee-licensed dealerships. These types of complaints have increased in the last 2 years. Most advertisements alleged to be violations are sent by mail and look like scratch-off lottery tickets, Monopoly or pull-tab games, or variations with codes or symbols that must match for the consumer to win a prize. Most of these promotions and games have been found to violate the Commission’s advertising rules and the Consumer Protection Act. As a result, the Commission has assessed civil penalties against dealers engaging in this type of advertisement.

Licensed dealerships are solely responsible for any violations arising from the sending of promotional mailers and from any violations that occur during the promotional event at their dealership. Any dealership using salespeople on a limited basis during these events must ensure that each salesperson holds a valid salesperson license issued by the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission.

All Tennessee-licensed dealers must comply with relevant state and federal laws, including the following rules issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission. Please review Tenn. Comp. R. & Reg. 0960-01-.12 and discuss your business plans with an attorney to be sure you are in compliance.