Vessel Titling & Registration
Titling Vessels
State does not issue vessel titles.
Vessels Requiring Titling
Tennessee is a non-titling state. Certificates of title are not issued for watercraft. Mandatory state registration and vessel numbering apply for operation on state waters.
Exempt Vessels
Information not provided.
Issue Brands for Vessels
No
Registration
Tennessee law requires that all mechanically powered vessels (including federally documented recreational vessels) and all sailboats that are principally used in Tennessee must be registered. (Boats are not titled in Tennessee.) Mechanical propulsion includes electric trolling motors but does not include boats powered only by oars or paddles. Boats that require registration must be properly registered before using them on any public water in Tennessee.
Boats with current registration in other states may use Tennessee waters unless Tennessee has become their state of principal use. Exception: Sailboats brought into Tennessee by persons from states that do not require the numbering of sailboats are exempt from registration, provided that Tennessee is not the state of principal use. State of principal use means the state on whose waters a vessel is used or to be used most, whether moored or underway, during a calendar year.
Persons who wish to register a boat must complete a certified Application for Boat Certificate of Number, acquired through a Tennessee county clerk's office or from the dealer that sold you the boat. This will include a yellow temporary registration that is valid for 60 days from the date of certification to allow for processing.
Associated Equipment & Propulsion
Outboard Motors Titled
No
Vessel Trailers Titled
No