S P E C I A L T Y L I C E N S E P L A T E S
A N D
T H E A R T S
* support the arts = buy a plate *
“There are 15 states with a Specialty License Plate Program, Tennessee really stands out.
Only 10 states are projected to return money to the State Art Agency this year…. Among those TN is at the very top of the heap.
You get more than 3 times what California does from arts plates despite the size of California’s population.”
Kelly Barsdate
Chief program & planning officer
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
You don’t have to wait until your current tag expires.
Just take your old plate to the county clerk and swap it.
The clerk will prorate your tag fees.
Learn how to get a specialty plate <> CLICK HERE <>
THE HISTORY
In 1998, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted legislation which provided that the income from the sales of all Specialty License Plates created after that point would be divided between the Arts Commission, the Highway Fund, and the Sponsoring Non-Profit Organization featured on the plate.
This created a special category of license plates known in the law as the “New Specialty Plates.” The 1998 law also included a formula for how revenue from the sale of a “New Specialty Plate” should be distributed. This is where the 50/40/10 breakdown comes into play. If the tag purchased is an Arts Plate, the Tennessee Arts Commission receives 90% of the income from that plate. The average Specialty Plate cost is $35.