Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-102 (2026)
Driving or moving unregistered vehicle upon highway a misdemeanor - Exception
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a)
- (1) It is a Class C misdemeanor for any person to:
- (A) Drive or move or for any owner knowingly to permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle of a type required to be registered under chapters 1-6 of this title that is not registered or for which the appropriate fee has not been paid when and as required under chapters 1-6 of this title; or
- (B) Operate or for any owner knowingly to permit to be operated on lands, other than a highway, an off-highway motor vehicle for which certificate of title has not been issued or for which the appropriate fee has not been paid when and as required under chapters 1-6 of this title.
- (2) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(1)(A) and (B), when application accompanied by proper fee has been made for a certificate of title for a vehicle, the vehicle may be operated temporarily pending issuance of a certificate of title upon displaying a duplicate application for the certificate of title, duly verified by the county clerk of the county in which the vehicle has been registered, which shall be prepared by the county clerk, upon request, without the payment of an additional fee.
- (1) It is a Class C misdemeanor for any person to:
- (b)
- (1) It is a Class C misdemeanor for any person to occupy or for any owner knowingly to permit to be occupied any mobile home or house trailer required to be registered under chapters 1-6 of this title, that is not registered, for which certificate of title has not been issued or for which the appropriate fee has not been paid when and as required under chapters 1-6 of this title.
- (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (b)(1), when an application accompanied by proper fee has been made for a certificate of title for a mobile home or house trailer, the mobile home or house trailer may be occupied temporarily pending issuance of a certificate of title upon the displaying of a duplicate application for the certificate of title, duly verified by the county clerk of the county in which the house trailer has been registered, which shall be prepared by the county clerk, upon request, without the payment of an additional fee.
- (c) The duly authorized agent, employee, or representative of any town, city, incorporated municipality, county, and the department are authorized and empowered to enforce chapters 1-6 of this title, and the agent, employee or representative shall be expressly authorized without the necessity of a search warrant to go upon the premises, land or real property of any person for the purpose of inspection or examination of any mobile home or house trailer, located on the property, for the purpose of carrying out chapters 1-6 of this title.
Acts 1951, ch. 70, § 27 (Williams, § 5538.127); Acts 1963, ch. 143, § 4; impl. am. Acts 1978, ch. 934, §§ 22, 36; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 59-302; Acts 1983, ch. 102, § 2; 1988, ch. 817, § 2; 1989, ch. 591, § 113; 1995, ch. 305, § 108.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10
cases, 1981–2016 · leading case: State of Tennessee v. Triston Lee Harris, 280 S.W.3d 832 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2008).
State of Tennessee v. Triston Lee Harris, 280 S.W.3d 832 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2008). “See T.C.A. § 55-3-102(a)(1) (2004) (proscribing as a Class C misdemeanor driving “upon any highway any vehicle of a type required to be registered .”
State v. Booher, 978 S.W.2d 953 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1997). “The offenses constitute violations of Tenn.Code Ann. § 55-3-102 and 55-50-301. 2 .”
Lee v. Ladd, 834 S.W.2d 323 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1992). “T.C.A. 55-3-102 makes it a misdemeanor to drive or move upon a highway any unregistered vehicle.”
Fruehauf Corp. v. Sexton (In Re Sexton), 18 B.R. 730 (Bankr. E.D. Tenn. 1981). “Section 55-3-102 makes it a misdemeanor for any person to drive or permit to be driven a “vehicle” subject to the registration requirement which has not been so registered.”
State of Tennessee v. Randy Ralph (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010). “The Defendant was then charged by presentment with “Driving an Unregistered Vehicle” in violation of Code section 55-3- 102.”
State of Tennessee v. Dennis Haughton Webber (Tenn. Crim. App. 2015). “See T.C.A. §§ 55-3-102, 55-4-108, 55-4-110; see also State v.”
In re Dustin T. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2016). “7 Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-3-102 (a)(1) and 55-50-301(a)(1).”
State of Tennessee v. Paul Williams (Tenn. Crim. App. 2010). “4 See Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-102 (a)(1). -2- This Court agrees with the Defendant’s assertion that he enjoys a fundamental right to freedom of travel.”
State of Tennessee v. David A. Ferrell (Tenn. Crim. App. 2009). “The defendant was convicted of two counts of violation of the state vehicle registration law, which is forbidden by Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-3-102; violation of the seatbelt law, forbidden by Tennessee Code Annotated section 55-9-603; and failure to display a driver’s…”
McLemore v. Liberty State Bank (In re Johnson), 39 B.R. 478 (Bankr. M.D. Tenn. 1984). “§ 55-3-102 makes it a misdemeanor to operate off-highway motor vehicles, mobile homes, and house trailers without certificates of title, but makes no mention of untitled semitrailers.”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-102(a)(1) — 1 case
State of Tennessee v. Triston Lee Harris, 280 S.W.3d 832 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2008). “See T.C.A. § 55-3-102(a)(1) (2004) (proscribing as a Class C misdemeanor driving “upon any highway any vehicle of a type required to be registered .”
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