(a)

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 55-4-214

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Dealer: means every person engaged in the business of buying, selling or exchanging vehicles of a type required to be registered and who has an established place of business for that purpose in this state. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Department: means the department of revenue. See Tennessee Code 55-1-111
  • 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
  • Semitrailer: means every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Trailer: means every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Truck: means every motor vehicle designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • 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
(1) 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.
(2) The personalization fee shall be paid by the applicant upon the issuance and renewal of any personalized plate.
(b)

(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) Registration numbers issued pursuant to this section shall be in compliance with § 55-4-210(d) and (e).
(c) 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:

(1) Dealer;
(2) Emergency;
(3) Firefighter, pursuant to § 55-4-224;
(4) General assembly;
(5) Government service;
(6) Honorary consular;
(7) Judiciary;
(8) Memorial, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(4) and defined in § 55-4-250;
(9) Metropolitan council;
(10) Military, as enumerated in § 55-4-203(c)(5)(F);
(11) National guard;
(12) OEM headquarters company;
(13) Sheriff;
(14) [Deleted by 2023 amendment.]
(15) United States house of representatives;
(16) United States judge; and
(17) United States senate.
(d)

(1) 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:

(A) The person was the owner of a passenger motor vehicle which was registered with the department prior to July 1, 1984; and
(B) 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.
(2) 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).
(e) 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.
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