From Tennessee Code Annotated:
T. C. A. § 55-1-106. Essential parts; reconstructed vehicle; specially constructed vehicle
(a) "Essential parts" means all integral and body parts of a vehicle of a type required to be registered hereunder, the removal, alteration, or substitution of which would tend to conceal the identity of the vehicle or substantially alter its appearance, model, type, or mode of operation.
(b) "Reconstructed vehicle" means every vehicle of a type required to be registered hereunder materially altered from its original construction by the removal, addition, or substitution of essential parts, new or used.
(c) "Specially constructed vehicle" means every vehicle of a type required to be registered hereunder not originally constructed under a distinctive name, make, model, or type by a generally recognized manufacturer of vehicles and not materially altered from its original construction.
T. C. A. § 55-1-124. Custom-built car
"Custom-built car" means a motor vehicle that is built for private use and is not constructed by a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer.
T. C. A. § 55-3-104. Specially constructed, reconstructed or foreign vehicles
(a) In the event a vehicle for which an application for a certificate of title is made is a specially constructed, reconstructed or foreign vehicle, this fact shall be stated in the application and with reference to every foreign vehicle that has been registered outside of this state, the owner shall surrender to the county clerk receiving the application all registration plates, registration cards, certificates of title, and other evidence of foreign registration and ownership as may be in the possession or under the control of the owner.
(b) Any foreign certificate of title shall be accepted as evidence of title by the department to the same extent as a certificate of title issued by the department; provided, that when the foreign vehicle is registered in a jurisdiction that does not have a certificate of title law, the department shall accept only a notarized bill of sale, and proper foreign registration as the evidence of title. If foreign registration is dated less than ninety (90) days prior to application for a certificate of title, there shall be, in addition, the next past bill of sale showing ownership to have been transferred to the party seeking to sell the same, or that party's representative, which bill of sale shall likewise be notarized.
T. C. A. § 55-3-130. Custom-built car
Title to a custom-built car for which no certificate of title has ever been issued by the division may be titled as the make, model and year of the manufactured motor vehicle that the custombuilt car most closely resembles; provided, however, that the car is intended to replicate the make, model and year of the manufactured vehicle; and provided further, that the title clearly identifies the custom-built car as a replica.
T. C. A. § 55-4-134. Replica license plates; violations
(a) Any replica license plate manufactured or sold in this state purporting to be an official license plate previously issued by the state shall include the language "REPLICA" in at least twenty-four (24) point type on the face of the replica license plate.
(b) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor.
T. C. A. § 55-4-111. Fees; antiques; trailer rentals; mobile homes
(a)(1) In order to facilitate efficient and uniform enforcement of chapters 1-6 of this title, motor vehicles, excepting such motor vehicles as are constructed for the purpose of transporting tangible personal property or other property, and passenger motor vehicles operating for hire, are classified, and the respective registration taxes imposed are fixed as follows:
Class (A) Motorcycles or autocycles --- registration fee $ 16.75 Class (B) Passenger motor vehicle and motor home --- registration fee 23.75 Class (C) Antique vehicles --- registration fee 30.00
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(b)(1) Upon receipt of an application on a form prescribed by the commissioner, applying for registration and certifying that the motor vehicle for which registration is being applied is an "antique motor vehicle," the commissioner may issue license plates to owners of antique motor vehicles in accordance with part 2 of this chapter. These license plates shall bear the word "ANTIQUE" in capital letters at the bottom of their plate, and a unique identifying number in the center of the plate. For the purpose of this section, "antique motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle over twenty-five (25) years old with a nonmodified engine and body that is used:
(A) For participation in, or transportation to and from, club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, and similar uses as a collector's item;
(B) On the highways for the purpose of selling, testing the operation of, or obtaining repairs to or maintenance on such motor vehicle; and
(C) For general transportation on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.
(2) This registration shall be valid so long as title to the antique motor vehicle is vested in the applicant, and shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter requiring annual registration.
(3) Any person violating this section, or operating an antique motor vehicle for general transportation purposes on a day other than Saturday or Sunday or a federal holiday, shall forfeit the antique motor vehicle registration, shall be liable for the regular registration fee for that vehicle, and shall be barred from applying for or holding antique motor vehicle registration for five (5) years from the date of the violation.
(4) The owner or lessee of an antique motor vehicle may display the license plates from an era when the manufacture of such vehicle occurred instead of the current license plates; provided, that current license plates are maintained in the vehicle by the owner or lessee and produced for inspection upon the request of any law enforcement officer.
(5) The department shall permit owners of antique motor vehicles to register an official license plate issued by the state from an era when the manufacture of the vehicle occurred instead of registering for new license plates in accordance with part 2 of this chapter. The vintage license plate shall be displayed on the motor vehicle in accordance with this chapter.
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T. C. A. § 56-7-1111. Antique vehicles; appraisal
(a) If, at the request of the insurer, an appraisal of personal property to be insured under an automobile policy insuring an antique automobile is made, then, in the absence of fraud, the appraised value of the property shall be binding on the insurer if the insurer:
(1) Charges and accepts a premium for the policy or endorsement to the policy that is based on the amount of the appraised value; and
(2) Issues a policy or endorsement to the policy that provides coverage of the property in the amount of the appraised value.
(b) This section shall apply only to policies insuring antique automobiles delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state after July 1, 1990.
T. C. A. § 55-4-202. Issuance; fees
(a)(1) All cultural, specialty earmarked and new specialty earmarked motor vehicle registration plates, memorial motor vehicle registration plates and special purpose motor vehicle registration plates now, or in the future, shall be issued and renewed pursuant to this part. No plate, other than those issued under part 1 of this chapter, shall be issued or renewed unless authorized in this part.
(2) For the purposes of this part and part 3 of this chapter, "this part" means this part and part 3 of this chapter.
(b) All plates issued pursuant to this part shall be issued and renewed subject to the following:
(1) Payment of the applicable registration fee, except as specifically provided otherwise by § 55- 4-204 or any other applicable provision of this part;
(2) An additional fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) to be paid by the applicant upon issuance and renewal, except as specifically provided otherwise by § 55-4-204 or any other applicable provision of this part;
(3)(A) A minimum order of one hundred (100) plates for collegiate plates as defined by § 55-4- 201. Collegiate plates for motorcycles, as authorized by § 55-4-210(c), shall be subject to a minimum order of one hundred (100) plates for each classification of collegiate plates;
(B) A minimum order of at least five hundred (500) plates for all other cultural, specialty earmarked and new specialty earmarked plates. Personalized plates for motorcycles, as authorized by § 55-4-210(c), shall be subject to a minimum order of five hundred (500) plates;
(4) A design which shall be approved by the commissioner; and
(5) A handling fee of one dollar ($1.00) payable to the county clerk upon issuance or renewal of any cultural, specialty earmarked, or new specialty earmarked license plate, except plates exempted from payment of fees under § 55-4-204 or any other applicable provision of this part.
(c)(1) Subsection (b) shall apply equally to the renewal of any plate issued pursuant to this part; provided, that any plate that fails to meet the minimum requirements of subdivision (b)(3) by December 31, 1999, or for two (2) successive renewal periods thereafter shall not be reissued or renewed, and the commissioner shall notify the Tennessee code commission that the section of Tennessee Code Annotated authorizing the issuance of the plate is, on the basis of inactivity, to be deemed obsolete and invalid.
(2) Any cultural or new specialty earmarked plate authorized by statute on or after July 1, 1998, shall be subject to the minimum issuance requirements of subdivision (b)(3).
(3) Any plate authorized by this part that qualifies for initial issuance on or after July 1, 1998, shall be subject to the minimum issuance requirements of subdivision (b)(3).
(d) Any plate authorized by this part that has not qualified for initial issuance by December 31, 1999, shall not be issued and the commissioner shall notify the Tennessee code commission that the section of Tennessee Code Annotated authorizing the issuance of the plate is, on the basis of inactivity, to be deemed obsolete and invalid.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (d), any plate authorized by statute on or after January 1, 1999, that fails to meet the minimum issuance requirements of subdivision (b)(3)(B) within one (1) year of the effective date of the act authorizing the plate shall not be issued, and the commissioner shall notify the Tennessee code commission that the section of Tennessee Code Annotated authorizing the issuance of the plate is, on the basis of inactivity, to be deemed obsolete and invalid.
(g) Subdivision (b)(3) and subsections (c), (d), (e), (h), and (l) shall not apply to the following plates issued pursuant to this part:
(1) Antique motor vehicle;
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(h)(1) Notwithstanding this part to the contrary, any cultural or new specialty earmarked license plate authorized by statute on or after July 1, 2002, shall be subject to a minimum order of at least one thousand (1,000) plates prior to initial issuance. This subdivision (h)(1) shall apply equally to the renewal of any cultural or new specialty earmarked plate initially issued on or after July 1, 2002. Any such plate that does not meet the minimum order requirements of this subdivision (h)(1) within one (1) year of the effective date of the act authorizing that plate, or does not meet the renewal requirements for any two (2) successive renewal periods thereafter, shall not be issued, reissued or renewed and shall be deemed obsolete and invalid. The commissioner shall annually notify the executive secretary of the Tennessee code commission of the sections of the code authorizing the issuance of plates deemed obsolete and invalid pursuant to this subdivision (h)(1).
(2) Subdivision (h)(1) shall not apply to collegiate plates otherwise administered pursuant to this part; provided, that on and after July 1, 2002, collegiate plates for four-year colleges or universities located outside this state shall be subject to a minimum order of at least one thousand (1,000) plates prior to initial issuance by the department. This subdivision (h)(2) shall apply equally to the renewal of any collegiate plates for four-year colleges or universities located outside this state initially issued by the department on or after July 1, 2002. Any such plate that does not meet the minimum order requirements of this subdivision (h)(2) or does not meet the renewal requirements for any two (2) successive renewal periods, shall not be administratively issued, reissued or renewed by the department and shall be deemed obsolete and invalid.
(3)(A) Notwithstanding any provision of this part to the contrary, between July 1, 2002, and August 31, 2002, any cultural license plate authorized by § 55-4-240 shall be subject to a minimum order of at least two hundred fifty (250) plates prior to initial issuance. This subdivision (h)(3)(A) shall apply equally to the renewal of any cultural license plate authorized by § 55-4-240 and initially issued between July 1, 2002, and August 31, 2002. Any such plate that does not meet the minimum order requirements of this subdivision (h)(3)(A) or does not meet the renewal requirements for any two (2) successive renewal periods, shall not be administratively issued, reissued or renewed by the department and shall be deemed obsolete and invalid.
(B) On or after September 1, 2002, any cultural license plate authorized by § 55-4-240 shall be subject to a minimum order of at least one thousand (1,000) plates prior to initial issuance. This subdivision (h)(3)(B) shall apply equally to the renewal of any cultural license plate authorized by § 55-4-240 and initially issued on or after September 1, 2002. Any such plate that does not meet the minimum order requirements of this subdivision (h)(3)(B) or does not meet the renewal requirements for any two (2) successive renewal periods, shall not be administratively issued, reissued or renewed by the department and shall be deemed obsolete and invalid.
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(l)(1) Notwithstanding this part to the contrary, any cultural or new specialty earmarked license plate authorized by statute on or after July 1, 2013, shall be subject to a minimum order of at least one thousand (1,000) plates prior to initial issuance. Any cultural or new specialty earmarked license plate authorized by statute shall be subject to a minimum order of at least eight hundred (800) plates for the renewal of such cultural or new specialty earmarked plates. Any such plate that does not meet the minimum order requirements of this subdivision (l)(1) within one (1) year of the effective date of the act authorizing that plate, or does not meet the renewal requirements for any two (2) successive renewal periods thereafter, shall not be issued, reissued, or renewed and shall be deemed obsolete and invalid. The commissioner shall annually notify the executive secretary of the Tennessee code commission of the sections of the code authorizing the issuance of plates deemed obsolete and invalid pursuant to this subdivision (l)(1).
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T.C.A. § 55-4-203. Categories; registration
(a) All registration plates issued under this part shall be issued in one (1) of the following categories:
(1) Antique motor vehicle;
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(d)(1) No registration plate shall be issued under this section unless authorized by this part. Registration under this part is supplemental to the motor vehicle title and registration law, compiled in chapters 1-6 of this title, and nothing in this part shall be construed as abridging or amending that law. An applicant with more than one (1) motor vehicle titled or leased in that applicant's name, or applicants with more than one (1) motor vehicle jointly titled and/or leased in their names are entitled to an unlimited number of registration plates under the applicable provision of law, as long as all other special fees and regular costs are paid by the applicant and all requirements set out in parts 1 and 2 of this chapter are followed.
(2) No qualified person shall receive more than one (1) free plate, unless the issuance of additional free plates is specifically authorized by the statute creating the cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate.
(e) Registration plates issued to United States judges, United States senators, and members of the United States house of representatives pursuant to subdivisions (a)(9) and (a)(16)-(18) shall be of a distinctive design approved by the department and shall bear, as applicable, the district number of house members, the number "1" or "2" for senators, based on seniority, and the appropriate number for judges, based on seniority of appointment. Unless a conflict exists with other designs, the designs used before July 1, 1984, shall be used.
(f) Whenever a spouse having a cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate is divorced and no longer entitled to the plate, the spouse no longer entitled to that plate shall deliver the plate to the county clerk, and the county clerk shall issue a regular plate valid for the same period as the cultural, specialty earmarked or new specialty earmarked plate, memorial plate or special purpose plate.