Tennessee § 55-4-214 - Personalized plates — Fees.

Full text of Tennessee Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-4-214 — Personalized plates — Fees., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 55-4-214. Personalized plates — Fees.

In addition to the personalized plates authorized by § 55-4-210, an applicant may, through the payment of a personalization fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00), in addition to the regular registration fee and the thirty-five-dollar ($35.00) fee established by § 55-4-202(b)(2), obtain certain cultural, specialty earmarked and new specialty earmarked plates with a personalized combination of numbers, letters, positions or a combination of numbers, letters and positions. The personalization fee shall be paid by the applicant upon the issuance and renewal of any personalized plate. An applicant for the issuance of personalized motor vehicle registration plates or the personalization of cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked motor vehicle registration plates pursuant to subsection (a) or the renewal of those plates in a subsequent registration year shall file an application in the form and by the date as the department may require, indicating the numbers, letters, positions or combination, requested as a registration number. The registration number shall consist of not less than three (3) nor more than seven (7) numbers, letters, positions or combination of numbers, letters or positions for a passenger motor vehicle, truck of one-half or three-quarter-ton rating or recreational vehicle or trailer or semitrailer that is not required to be registered but that the owner desires to be registered pursuant to § 55-4-111(c)(3), or, if authorized, not less than three (3) nor more than six (6) numbers, letters, positions or combination of numbers, letters or positions for a motorcycle. Registration numbers issued pursuant to this section shall be in compliance with § 55-4-210(d) and (e). The following plates shall not be eligible for personalization pursuant to this section, but may be personalized if the statute authorizing such plate permits or requires the plates to be personalized in some form: Dealer; Emergency; Firefighter, pursuant to § 55-4-224; General assembly; Government service; Honorary consular; Judiciary; Memorial, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(4) and defined in § 55-4-250; Metropolitan council; Military, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(5)(F); National guard; OEM headquarters company; Sheriff; Street rod, as defined in [former] § 55-4-230 [obsolete]; United States house of representatives; United States judge; and United States senate. Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, any person who fulfills the following conditions may continue to renew and be issued personalized plates that consist of two (2) letters, numbers, or a combination of letters and numbers: The person was the owner of a passenger motor vehicle which was registered with the department prior to July 1, 1984; and The person was issued a personalized motor vehicle registration plate which consisted of two (2) letters, numbers, or combination thereof prior to July 1, 1984. All other provisions of this title regarding registration and licensing of passenger motor vehicles shall apply to any registration plates issued in accordance with subdivision (d)(1). Notwithstanding subdivisions (c)(8) and (10), memorial plates, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(4) and defined in § 55-4-250, and military plates, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(5)(F), are eligible for personalization pursuant to this section. In addition to any other fees required by this section or by this part for the issuance of such plates, an applicant for the personalization of memorial or military plates shall pay a fee equal to the cost of actually designing and manufacturing the personalized plates. Nothing in this subsection (e) authorizes the removal or other redesign of any distinctive identification legend or letters required to be included on memorial or military plates. Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1; 2002, ch. 876, § 63; 2007, ch. 142, § 3; 2008, ch. 924, § 14; 2009, ch. 530, § 121; 2018, ch. 1023, § 49; T.C.A. § 55-4-211 ; Acts 2019, ch. 461, § 1. Compiler's Notes. Former part 2 of this chapter, concerning special plates, was repealed and reenacted by Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1, effective July 1, 1998. The former provisions, excluding those previously repealed by other acts, were §§ 55-4-201 — 55-4-272 and 55-4-275 (Acts 1984, ch. 966, §§ 1, 9; 1985, ch. 56, §§ 1, 2; 1985, ch. 95, § 1; 1985, ch. 402, §§ 1-11; 1987, ch. 172, §§ 1-5; 1987, ch. 228, §§ 1-11; 1987, ch. 336, §§ 1-3, 5; 1987, ch. 434, § 2; 1988, ch. 575, § 1; 1988, ch. 618, §§ 1, 2; 1988, ch. 687, §§ 1-4; 1988, ch. 781, §§ 1-3; 1988, ch. 810, §§ 1-4; 1988, ch. 864, §§ 1-4; 1989, ch. 16, §§ 3, 4; 1989, ch. 136, § 1; 1989, ch. 158, § 1; 1989, ch. 501, § 1; 1989, ch. 591, § 6; 1990, ch. 871, § 1; 1990, ch. 897, § 1; 1990, ch. 925, §§ 1-4; 1991, ch. 209, §§ 1, 2; 1991, ch. 244, §§ 1, 2; 1991, ch. 450, §§ 1-3; 1991, ch. 482, §§ 1-12; 1992, ch. 543, §§ 1, 2; 1992, ch. 737, §§ 1-3; 1992, ch. 846, §§ 1-3; 1992, ch. 1008, §§ 1, 2; 1993, ch. 66, § 72; 1993, ch. 105, §§ 1-4; 1993, ch. 106, § 1; 1993, ch. 128, § 1; 1993, ch. 145, § 1; 1993, ch. 236, §§ 1-6; 1993, ch. 314, § 1; 1993, ch. 446, §§ 1-3; 1993, ch. 529, § 6; 1994, ch. 624, §§ 1-3; 1994, ch. 637, §§ 1-4; 1994, ch. 665, §§ 1-3; 1994, ch. 879, §§ 1-19; 1994, ch. 930, §§ 1-3; 1994, ch. 959, § 1; 1994, ch. 999, §§ 1-5; 1995, ch. 56, § 1; 1995, ch. 82, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 84, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 122, §§ 1-3; 1995, ch. 132, § 2; 1995, ch. 173, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 195, § 1; 1995, ch. 199, § 1; 1995, ch. 335, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 399, §§ 1-3; 1996, ch. 615, §§ 1-3; 1996, ch. 658, §§ 1-3; 1996, ch. 672, §§ 1-5; 1996, ch. 673, §§ 1-3; 1996, ch. 759, § 1; 1996, ch. 854, §§ 1-5; 1996, ch. 914, §§ 1-5; 1996, ch. 963, §§ 1-4; 1996, ch. 965, §§ 1-4; 1996, ch. 971, §§ 1-4; 1996, ch. 994, §§ 1-4; 1996, ch. 1024, §§ 1-4; 1996, ch. 1030, §§ 1-5; 1996, ch. 1047, §§ 1-4). Acts 2002, ch. 876, § 64 provided that the provisions of subsection (f) of this section shall not apply to that act. Acts 2002, ch. 876, § 65 provided that the commissioner of safety is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of that act. All such rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. In view of § 55-4-201(h) , former § 55-4-230 (Acts 1998, ch. 1063, § 1; 2009, ch. 589, § 40) was deleted as obsolete and invalid in 2010, since the street rod new specialty earmarked plates in the section failed to meet the minimum requirements for issuance.

Source: official Tennessee text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Tennessee § 55-4-214

What does Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-4-214 cover?

Section 55-4-214 ("Personalized plates — Fees.") is part of the Tennessee Code Annotated, the codified statutory law of Tennessee. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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