The Tennessee General Assembly has passed legislation allowing local county clerks to partner with other nearby clerks’ offices in emergencies.
House Bill 737, sponsored by State Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, ensures citizens are able to conveniently access vehicle registration services without interruption during natural disasters or other situations when a county clerk's office is temporarily closed.
“This legislation provides a safety net for our communities, ensuring that essential vehicle registration services don’t stop when disaster strikes,” said Rep. Vital. “It allows county clerks to work together for the benefit of Tennesseans to keep critical services available.”
Once a request is received, the county clerk providing assistance will process vehicle registrations and renewals for an agreed period of time. However, the assisting clerk will not collect county-specific vehicle taxes. If needed, the assisting clerk will send a report of registered vehicles to the requesting county clerk for tax purposes.
County clerks providing assistance may charge a $2.50 fee for services such as issuing registration certificates, transferring registration plates and accepting returned plates.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue reports that approximately 100,000 registrations are made each year, bringing the total number of registered vehicles in the state to 6,712,567.
House Bill 737 now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature.
Rep. Vital, elected in 2021, represents District 29 which includes part of Hamilton County. He serves on the Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee, Commerce Committee, Agriculture and Natural Resource Subcommittee and the Transportation Committee.