The U.S. state of Tennessee first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1915, when the state began to issue plates.
, plates are issued by the Tennessee Department of Revenue through its Vehicle Services Division. Only rear plates have been required since 1977.
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Tennessee license plate that complied with these standards, following a 21-year period where the plates were roughly the shape of the state of Tennessee.
No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection.
From 1939 through 1965 and from 1971 through 1988, Tennessee license plates began with a one- or two-digit county code. The order of the codes was based on the respective populations of each county.
The codes remained constant from 1939 through 1965, then were re-allocated according to population shifts in 1971, 1976 and 1983.
Tennessee offers over 200 optional license plates. Most can be personalized for an additional fee.
Beginning March 4, 2015, Tennesseans were granted the ability to purchase gift vouchers to buy state specialty plates for relatives and friends. This program is no longer available, but vouchers previously purchased can be redeemed at county clerk offices.