How to title a mobile home in Tennessee
Tennessee mobile home titles go through the county clerk. A home without papers can use a certification of ownership if it is worth $3,000 or less or is 30 years old or more.
Who titles the home
In Tennessee, title and registration transactions go to the local county clerk, with the Department of Revenue's Vehicle Services division behind them.
Source: TN Department of Revenue, VR-3
Missing title
Without proper title documents, an owner can use a Certification of Ownership if the home's fair market value is $3,000 or less, or if it is at least 30 years old.
A mobile home over 30 years old goes through certification of ownership rather than a surety bond.
Above $3,000 in value, the route is a corporate surety bond or a personal bond with two solvent personal sureties.
The certification needs notice to known owners by certified mail or a published notice, a VIN verification by a law enforcement officer or licensed dealer, and a notarized bill of sale or seller statement.
Sources: TN Department of Revenue, VT-11 Certification of Ownership; TN Department of Revenue, VT-17
Homes on a permanent foundation
An owner whose home is permanently attached to land de-titles it by sending Vehicle Services a request letter, the title or certificate of origin, a certified copy of the deed, and a certified copy of the affidavit of affixation.
An affixed mobile home counts as a dwelling, not a motor vehicle, so it is not eligible for a surety bond.
Sources: TN Department of Revenue, VTR-63 De-title a Mobile Home; TN Department of Revenue, SB-17
Sales tax
Tennessee taxes the sale of a new factory manufactured home on the total installed price at half the state rate, 3.50 percent.
A used home's sale is exempt if the buyer shows Tennessee sales tax was paid on it in an earlier sale.
Source: TN Department of Revenue, SUT-44 Manufactured or Modular Homes
Moving the home
TDOT issues a move permit only in the name of the home's owner or the motor carrier's owner, so the ownership papers should match.
Source: TDOT Rules 1680-07-01 (2017)
What we could not confirm
We did not find a published Tennessee rule on paying property taxes before a move. Ask the county trustee where the home sits now before it leaves.
Sources and dates
- TN Department of Revenue, VR-3, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060541011-VR-3-Consult-Local-County-Clerk-for-Vehicle-Title-and-Registration-Transactions
- TN Department of Revenue, VT-11 Certification of Ownership, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060121292-VT-11-Certification-of-Ownership-Application
- TN Department of Revenue, VT-17, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060563591-VT-17-Certification-of-Ownership-Process-for-a-Mobile-Home-Over-30-Years-Old
- TN Department of Revenue, VTR-63 De-title a Mobile Home, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060412111-VTR-63-How-to-De-title-a-Mobile-Home
- TN Department of Revenue, SB-17, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/4408149409428-SB-17-Affixed-Mobile-Homes-and-Surety-Bonds
- TN Department of Revenue, SUT-44 Manufactured or Modular Homes, read October 6, 2026https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360058639571-SUT-44-Manufactured-or-Modular-Homes
- TDOT Rules 1680-07-01 (2017), read October 6, 2026https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/central-services/Ch%201680-07-01%20--%20Overweight%20over-dimensional%20movements%20-%20Final%20Rules%202017.pdf
Common questions
Where do I title a mobile home in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, title and registration transactions go to the local county clerk, with the Department of Revenue's Vehicle Services division behind them.
How do I title a mobile home without a title in Tennessee?
Without proper title documents, an owner can use a Certification of Ownership if the home's fair market value is $3,000 or less, or if it is at least 30 years old.