Surrendering a License Plate

Tennessee license plates follow the owner, not the vehicle, and can be transferred to a different vehicle for a $1 fee.  Transfers as well as exchanges of specialty and personalized plates for regular passenger plates can be done at your county clerk’s office.

Immediately destroy a plate when:

• you no longer meet its eligibility criteria and the vehicle registration is not expired; or
• it is mutilated or effaced and no longer meets requirements of the law.

Surrender a specialty or personalized plate at renewal when:

• you no longer meet its eligibility criteria; or
• you no longer want a specialty or personalized plate.