Tennessee Off-Highway Vehicles

Identify the vehicle and the intended route

Start with the manufacturer's description, vehicle identification number, seating configuration, tires, dimensions, and intended use. A dirt bike, straddle-seat ATV, side-by-side, and mini-truck do not automatically qualify for the same paperwork. The Department of Revenue's off-highway vehicle overview explains the title-only route and the separate registration classes that may permit operation on specified roads.

There are three questions to resolve before a trip: whether the ownership record is sufficient, whether that particular vehicle may travel on the proposed road, and whether the rider has the land manager's required permit. A trail permit does not supply a highway plate. Similarly, a plate does not authorize travel through a closed gate or onto every public trail. Map the entire route, including road connections between trail systems, before selecting the paperwork you need.

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Obtain a title and understand the TDR sticker

The county-clerk OHV ownership instructions call for a properly assigned manufacturer's statement of origin or certificate of title. A dealer invoice should show sales tax collected; the county clerk addresses tax on an applicable private transaction. Compare the VIN on the ownership document with the frame before paying for a machine represented as ready to register.

For an OHV that will not receive road registration, the clerk can issue a title-only record when the ownership requirements are met. The Tennessee Department of Revenue sticker attached to the vehicle evidences that title. It is not renewable or transferable and becomes invalid when the vehicle is sold or dismantled. Many state and federal riding facilities require this title evidence, so leaving the old owner's sticker on a purchased ATV does not settle the new owner's transaction.

Clerk guidance specifically calls for a surety bond for an ATV title-only application when the purchase exceeded $3,000 and the applicant lacks both a title and an MSO. An out-of-state registration alone does not replace those documents under that instruction. For the applicable evidence and any circumstances requiring further review, use Revenue's missing-title decision process before buying a bond or submitting an incomplete application.

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Check the current Class I and Class II definitions

The Class I definition in Public Chapter 103 includes four to six nonhighway tires, a top speed greater than 35 mph, dry weight up to 3,500 pounds, and width no greater than 80 inches measured outside rim to outside rim. It requires a steering wheel and nonstraddle seating capable of holding two to four passengers, and includes qualifying mini-trucks. The older 2,500-pound description still appearing in a general overview should not be substituted for that amended definition.

Class II covers specified recreational vehicles such as sand buggies, dune buggies, rock crawlers, and sand rails with the required steering wheel and nonstraddle seating. Review the current Class I and Class II clerk guidance for the precise classification. Its road restrictions matter as much as the plate application: these classes generally operate on county roads and other specifically authorized routes, rather than the entire highway network.

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Match the equipment to the plate category

Revenue's OHV plate comparison chart distinguishes lamps, turn signals, belts, horns, roll bars, and other required equipment. For Class I and II vehicles without a windshield, operators and passengers must use the specified impact-resistant eye protection. A missing item cannot be replaced by simply choosing the most convenient plate class on an application.

Low-speed vehicles have a separate category, generally above 20 mph through 25 mph; medium-speed vehicles generally exceed 30 mph through 35 mph. Both require the applicable federal safety compliance. The Low or Medium Speed Affidavit identifies the applicant, VIN, category, and equipment being certified. The road chart limits low-speed use to roads posted at no more than 35 mph and medium-speed use to roads posted at no more than 40 mph, subject to the governing exceptions and local restrictions. Classify the vehicle from its actual specifications before signing that affidavit.

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Use the nonresident temporary permit only when eligible

A nonresident who owns or leases a qualifying Class I or II OHV may apply for a temporary operating permit instead of a registration plate. The temporary OHV permit instructions specify a 30-day term and a $6 state fee, plus applicable county fees. Another 30-day permit requires another payment; an expired document does not remain valid because the vehicle is still visiting.

Submit the completed temporary-operation application, identification, and payment at a participating county clerk. Tennessee residents cannot use this option, and not every clerk location issues it. Confirm availability before towing the vehicle to an office. The permit retains the underlying limits on road operation and does not replace a North Cumberland riding permit.

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Apply the July 2026 North Cumberland changes

Under Public Chapter 1120, North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area uses its own OHV riding permits. At least one adult in each vehicle must have the required North Cumberland riding, sportsman supplemental, or guide permit under TWRA's implementing guidance. A person age 17 or younger riding alone is exempt from the permit requirement, but the manufacturer's age restriction still applies. That permit exception does not mean an adult-size machine is suitable for a child.

The TWRA transition notice explains that annual and lifetime sportsman licenses no longer include North Cumberland riding privileges by themselves. Eligible holders can purchase a $40 annual supplement. An annual sportsman license or High Impact permit bought before July 1, 2026, remains honored through its expiration under the transition policy. A lifetime license does not create an indefinite exemption from the new supplement.

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Select the North Cumberland permit and follow trail rules

Current North Cumberland permit prices and trail instructions list resident permits at $20 for one day, $30 for three days, $100 for seven days, and $150 annually. Nonresident prices are $50, $125, $200, and $300 for the corresponding periods. The $700 annual guide permit addresses compensated guiding and includes riding privileges; an ordinary riding permit or sportsman supplement does not authorize paid guide work.

Choose the actual dates of use through TWRA's Go Outdoors Tennessee portal and retain the issued permit. The requirement also applies to highway-capable Jeeps and trucks entering North Cumberland trails. Follow the area's 25 mph limit and the permitted vehicle types on trail signs. During the specified deer and elk gun and muzzleloader seasons, daylight users outside an enclosed vehicle or camp must meet the 500-square-inch fluorescent-orange requirement on the upper body and head, visible front and back.

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Check other areas and prepare the rider

Use the individual WMA directory to check the place you will actually ride. Other areas can require a hunting or fishing license with the appropriate WMA permit, or a High Impact Habitat Conservation Permit. North Cumberland's permit does not automatically cover them. For example, Laurel Hill's rules restrict ATV use to roads open to motor vehicles and prohibit that recreational riding during big-game seasons.

The CPSC's OHV safety guidance recommends hands-on training, protective equipment, and a vehicle appropriate to the rider's age. Use every designed restraint in a side-by-side and do not add a passenger to a single-rider ATV. Review tires, brakes, steering, and the manufacturer's load limits before departure, then carry a usable trail map and enough fuel for the return route. Tennessee's ownership, road, and land-access requirements in this guide were checked on October 21, 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Tennessee TDR sticker allow my ATV onto county roads?
The sticker documents the title-only record. Road operation requires a qualifying category and the relevant plate or eligible permit, together with compliance with the route restrictions.

What dry-weight limit applies to a Tennessee Class I OHV?
The amended definition allows up to 3,500 pounds and also sets requirements for width, tires, speed, steering, and seating. Weight alone does not establish Class I eligibility.

Can a Tennessee resident buy the $6 visiting-OHV permit?
That temporary option is reserved for nonresident owners or lessees of qualifying Class I and II vehicles. It is not an alternative registration method for Tennessee residents.

Does my lifetime sportsman license still cover North Cumberland trails without an add-on?
Beginning July 1, 2026, lifetime holders need the qualifying North Cumberland permit or the $40 annual sportsman supplement. The temporary protection for certain previously purchased annual products does not make lifetime riding free indefinitely.

Must two adults in one North Cumberland side-by-side buy two riding permits?
TWRA requires the appropriate permit for at least one adult in that vehicle. A second vehicle in the group needs its own qualifying permit holder.

Will the North Cumberland permit let me ride through another WMA during a closure?
Each area retains its own access rules and seasonal restrictions. Obtain the appropriate permission for that WMA and respect closures even when you already hold a North Cumberland permit.

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More Tennessee DMV guides

The other Tennessee DMV guides, 52 of them: