Registration plates furnished by department – Form and contents – Size – Replacement plates – Reissue of plates – County name strip – Recycling of plates

(a) The department shall likewise furnish to the county clerks of the various counties of the state all registration plates of all types that may be required by the county clerks in the exercise of the duties in subdivision (b)(1) imposed upon them. Ask a traffic law question, get an answer ASAP!Thousands of highly rated, verified traffic lawyers. Parking violations, accidents, DUI/DWI, licensing, registration, and more Protect your vehicle and your rights with expert legal help now (b) (1) Every registration plate shall have displayed upon it, in addition to a registration number, the year in which it expires and the abbreviation of the word, “Tennessee,” and if the registration plate is issued for any type of vehicle other than a privately owned passenger vehicle not operated for hire, some symbol, or word, indicating the type vehicle for which the plate was originally issued. Registration plates shall bear individual distinctive alpha-numerical characters not to exceed a combination of seven (7) as determined by the commissioner. (2) Registration plates shall be designed in such a manner as determined by the commissioner as will permit the display of validation or revalidation tabs, stickers, or other devices as provided in § 55-4-104(e), and registration plates shall also be designed in such a manner as determined by the commissioner as will permit thereon, the display of county and/or municipal wheel tax tabs, stickers, or other devices evidencing payment of wheel or road taxes enacted by the respective county and/or municipality of Tennessee, if such local government, pursuant to § 5-8-102(d)(3), requires the issuance, display and placement of such tabs, stickers, or other devices for wheel or road taxes on the registration plate. (3) Wheel tax records shall be maintained by the county clerk for the same period of time as registration records prior to disposition. (4) Registration plates shall also be designed in such a manner to require the display of tabs, stickers or devices on plates to be issued for a private passenger vehicle, which tabs, stickers or devices shall specify the name of the county of issue. The characters of the name of the county shall in no event be smaller than the characters of the words “Volunteer State” which now appear on registration plates. The area for the display of the county shall be below and parallel to the alpha-numerical legend as provided in subdivision (b)(1). Tabs, stickers or devices on plates shall be issued at the time of the issuance of the registration plates as required by this chapter and subsection (i) and displayed on the registration plates in a manner to be determined by the commissioner. (5) (A) An owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who is entitled under this chapter to be issued a registration plate for a private passenger vehicle pursuant to this section shall receive a registration plate upon initial registration of the vehicle that is designed in a manner to have engraved or embossed on it the national motto language “In God We Trust”, which must be located immediately above and parallel to the area for the display of the county. Registration plates for private passenger motor vehicles must be issued containing the national motto language as described in this subdivision (b)(5)(A) upon the depletion of the existing inventory being utilized by the department of revenue. (B) Notwithstanding subdivision (b)(5)(A), an owner or lessee may elect in the alternative for the issuance of a registration plate without the national motto language. (C) Prior to issuing a registration plate for a private passenger vehicle, the county clerk shall inquire of the owner or lessee which registration plate the owner or lessee would like to be issued. If no preference is indicated, then the owner or lessee shall be issued a registration plate with the national motto language by default. (D) Notwithstanding subdivision (b)(5)(A), an owner or lessee may request and be issued a replacement registration plate described in subdivision (b)(5)(A) or (B) if the owner’s or lessee’s existing plate: (i) Contains the national motto language and the owner or lessee is requesting a plate without the national motto language; (ii) Does not contain the national motto language and the owner or lessee is requesting a plate that contains the national motto language; or (iii) Has been lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or so damaged as to be illegible. (c) Registration plate or plates and the required numerals thereon, except the year number for which issued, shall be of sufficient size to be readable from a distance of one hundred feet (100′) during daylight. (d) This section shall apply to and include any mobile home or house trailer. (e) The requirement in subdivision (b)(1) for displaying the year of issue on a plate may be removed with respect to those plates issued under a registration which does not require annual renewal. (f) (1) To promote highway safety and increase visibility