Moving to Tennessee: Your 30-Day License and Car Checklist, Voting and Taxes

Moving to Tennessee comes with a short to-do list and two 30-day deadlines: one for your driver’s license and one for your car’s title and registration [1][2]. The good news: no emissions test [4], and no state income tax on your paycheck [6].

Your driver’s license: 30 days

New residents who hold a license from another state must get a Tennessee driver’s license no later than 30 days after establishing residency [1]. You apply at a full-service Driver Services Center, and you can have your documents pre-approved online first, which can take up to five business days [1].

You must surrender your out-of-state license when you apply, or present your driving record from your old state [1]. Most states share driving records electronically, but Tennessee requires drivers transferring from a short list of states to bring a printed motor vehicle record issued within the past 30 days [7]. Check the Department of Safety’s current list before your visit.

Tennessee doesn’t let a resident hold more than one valid license or ID, so plan to give up your old one [1].

Your car: title and registration in 30 days

A person who moves to Tennessee from another state should register their vehicle within 30 days of the move [2]. Out-of-state students attending school in Tennessee are an exception [2].

Registration is handled by your county clerk, not a state office. Bring [3]:

• your out-of-state registration,
• the name and address of your lienholder, if you have a car loan (if you don’t have that information, bring your out-of-state title instead),
• proof of identification, and
• proof of Tennessee residency.

Many counties add a local wheel tax to the registration cost; 59 of Tennessee’s 95 counties charged one as of 2023 [4]. Ask your county clerk for the total before you go.

No emissions test

You won’t need an emissions inspection. Testing ended in the Tennessee counties that had a program on January 14, 2022, after the EPA approved a change to the state’s air quality plan, and Nashville closed its program on February 5, 2022 [4].

Registering to vote

You can register in Tennessee after moving from another state [5]. Your registration must be completed at least 30 days before an election to vote in it [5]. Registering online requires a Tennessee Department of Safety driver’s license or ID, because the state uses the signature on file there; without one, you can use a paper form [5].

Taxes: no income tax on wages

Tennessee doesn’t tax salaries and wages, so employers here don’t withhold state income tax [6]. The state’s only individual income tax, the Hall income tax , applied only to investment income such as interest and dividends, and it was repealed for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021 [6].

Checklist for your first month

1. Week 1: Gather your ID and proof of Tennessee residency; ask the Driver Services Center and county clerk which documents they accept.
2. Week 1: Check whether your old state is on Tennessee’s motor vehicle record list, and order your record if it is [7].
3. By day 30: Get your Tennessee driver’s license at a full-service Driver Services Center [1].
4. By day 30: Title and register your car at the county clerk’s office [2][3].
5. After your license: Register to vote online [5].
6. If you bought a home: If you’re 65 or older, disabled, or a disabled veteran, read our guide to Tennessee property tax relief.