Does Tennessee require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

Bring an odometer disclosure statement, if applicable, when titling a used vehicle (Titling a Vehicle page). Per VT-4 (opened): effective January 1, 2021, odometer disclosures must be captured for all vehicles model year 2011 and forward; a 2011 vehicle will not be exempt until January 1, 2031; the 20-year requirement applies only to 2011 or newer; vehicles model year 2010 or older remain exempt under the 10-year exemption.

What happens to a lien when transferring a car title in Tennessee?

New residents/relocating owners: bring either the name and address of the lienholder to whom payments are being made OR, if there is no lienholder, the out-of-state title, i.e., the county clerk requests the title from the lienholder when one is named. No general lien-release procedure for a Tennessee-titled private sale was stated on the pages opened.

How to Transfer a Car Title in Tennessee

The Tennessee transfer in one table

Step	Tennessee rule
Title transfer fee	none stated
Deadline and late penalty	none stated
Application form	Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers (for gift, low selling, or lineal relative vehicle transfers); Odometer Disclosure Statement (if applicable)
Odometer	Bring an odometer disclosure statement, if applicable, when titling a used vehicle (Titling a Vehicle page). Per VT-4 (opened): effective January 1, 2021, odometer disclosures must be captured for all vehicles model year 2011 and forward; a 2011 vehicle will not be exempt until January 1, 2031; the 20-year requirement applies only to 2011 or newer; vehicles model year 2010 or older remain exempt under the 10-year exemption.
Lien	New residents/relocating owners: bring either the name and address of the lienholder to whom payments are being made OR, if there is no lienholder, the out-of-state title, i.e., the county clerk requests the title from the lienholder when one is named. No general lien-release procedure for a Tennessee-titled private sale was stated on the pages opened.

What makes Tennessee different

The opened Tennessee pages are short checklists. They do not split seller and buyer steps, state no fee, and state no deadline. This guide reports the buyer checklist as stated and does not fill the gaps from unofficial sources.

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Go to the county clerk's office (current residents obtain titles for new and used vehicles from their county clerk's office).
Bring proof of identification and proof of residency, a valid certificate of title, an odometer disclosure statement if applicable, and a copy of current registration if transferring a license plate.
For gift, low-selling-price, or lineal-relative transfers, bring the Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfers.

The official pages opened do not describe seller steps for Tennessee. They address the buyer bringing a valid certificate of title to the filing office.

Check the requirements before you go

Run your state through the Title Transfer Requirements Checker: pick your state and see the fee, the deadline, the forms, and the odometer rule as the official pages state them. Then compare how the other states do it in the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Coming from another state

New residents/relocating owners obtain a vehicle title from the local county clerk's office, bringing: proof of identification and proof of residency, the most current out-of-state registration, and either the name/address of the lienholder to whom payments are made OR, if no lienholder, the out-of-state title. No deadline, fee, or inspection requirement for this process was stated on the page opened.

Renewing is not transferring

If the owner is staying the same and only the registration needs renewing, see Vehicle Registration Renewal in Tennessee for deadlines, grace periods, and late fees.

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in Pennsylvania.

See Transferring a title in Texas.

For all states side by side, see the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency. Not carried on this page: Lien noting/release fees and procedures, none stated on pages opened beyond the new-resident lienholder name/address instruction.