(a) Any nonprofit organization owning any vehicle that may be legally operated upon the streets or highways of this state with a regular vehicle registration may, through an authorized agent or employee, operate or move the vehicle upon any highway of the state without registering the vehicle, upon condition that the vehicle display a special purpose plate issued to that owner as prescribed in this section.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 55-4-228

  • Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Department: means the department of revenue. See Tennessee Code 55-1-111
  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way when any part thereto is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Owner: means a person who holds the legal title of a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof, with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for the purpose of this chapter and chapter 10, parts 1-5 of this title. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Person: means a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation, or an engaged ADS. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Vehicle: means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) The special purpose nonprofit organization plate shall have the legend “TENN” at the top of the plate and shall have “nonprofit organization” at the bottom of the plate. The legend shall contain the letters “CVPT” and three (3) numbers. The special purpose nonprofit organization plate shall have a purple background and white letters and numbers.
(c) A nonprofit organization may make application to the department for one (1) or more special purpose nonprofit organization plates and shall provide sufficient information as reasonably requested by the commissioner to show that the applicant is a nonprofit organization. The fee for each special purpose 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 nonprofit organization shall be permitted to purchase more than three (3) nonprofit organization plates each year.
(d) A special purpose nonprofit organization plate may be used in the place of a regular vehicle registration to operate or move the vehicle upon any highway of the state without registering such vehicle, solely for the following purposes:

(1) To transport the vehicle between a prior or subsequent owner and the nonprofit organization;
(2) To transport the vehicle between the nonprofit organization and a location where cleaning, repairing, or preparation is performed; or
(3) To test the vehicle within a twenty-mile radius of the location where the cleaning, repairing, or preparation is performed.
(e) A special purpose nonprofit organization plate may be used solely for vehicles that were donated to the nonprofit organization with the intent that the vehicle be transferred to a subsequent owner. This section does not apply to vehicles used in a nonprofit organization’s daily operations.
(f) 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 department or any county clerk within the state 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 continues to be a nonprofit organization.
(g) For purposes of this section, “nonprofit organization” means an organization that has received a determination of exemption from the internal revenue service under the Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3) (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)).
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