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Making a bike street legal in Tennessee?

58K views 35 replies 21 participants last post by  fishtaker24 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I very new to super moto bikes and was wondering how hard it is to get a CRF,YZF or WR registered in the state of TN for stret use? What is the process for doing so? How hard is it?
Thanks for your help!
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's easy, especially if you live in a small town. Tennessee basically will let you title anything with a mso/title, brake light, headlight, mirrors, and horn. Even here in Knoxville, they didn't even look at my dirt model drz or ask any questions, even though the title said off road use only.
Didn't even have to use the sticker trick.
 
#5 ·
When I got tags on my new bike the woman at the county clerks office thought I was tagging a dirt only bike(it's a street and trail)... it wasn't until after I had the tags in my hand that she asked if it had lights... and that was only because I said I'll probably ride it all night. Tennessee does tag dirtbikes, but it's an option. To be street legal all you need is a headlight and a stop/tail light and a mirror, you don't have to have blinkers.
 
#7 ·
Depends. There are some new laws on the books in TN last yr. I had trouble in Washington county because my street legal bike was not titled by the first owner, he only rode it in the dirt. I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done. If you are going to get a new one make the dealer do it for you and throw on the baja kit.
 
#15 ·
That's b/c of back taxes, not "making it steet legal"...:headscrat
 
#8 ·
I'm in Washington county too. Your trouble came when the last owner didn't title it (mine was brand new, had the MSO in hand).

Come to think of it, nearly everything about tagging a bike is on the website..

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/index.htm

This page deals with bikes/mopeds.

http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/titling/importedmoped.htm

I had the bill of sale, MSO and a pic of the DOT sticker, but not the HS-7 (which no one knows anything about). The only thing the lady at the courthouse was interested in was the MSO and bill of sale.
 
#16 ·
New Information?



Does anyone have any new information? The links above are old and I cant find the info TN's website.

Seems ppl are having different experiences.

Some folks are saying that if they give you greif in your county then just go do it in a more rural one; BUT, how do u do it in a county you don't live in? Give an address of a friend or relative?

I'm wanting to buy a WR450 real soon, to convert to street tard, and need to the deal before I commit.

((I would much rather just by one that was tarded and legal from the factory, like DR-Z400SM or WR250X, but every single one I know of has at least one deal breaker issue or another: too heavy, super high maintenance, not reliable.))

Thanks ahead of time for ANY info or advice.
 
#9 ·
anyone have any new information on this?
i have an '04 ktm 450 exc i'm trying to get plated.
so far i've been running circles from county clerks office -> sheriff's office -> dmv -> tennessee highway patrol -> CID criminal investigations department of morristown

right now i'm waiting on a call back from the CID.

the lady at the country clerk's office (tag office) said she had no way of knowing that it was street legal, but that i needed to get a checklist/form filled out by a LEO saying it was in fact street legal. anyone know who has this form or where i can get it?

thanks.
 
#10 ·
Rules Change

Wow what a load! I walked in with my KX title in hand stating clearly that it was off road only & walked out with a tag in hand. That was about 4 years ago. That was the tag office in Farragut. (Knox Co.)

TN doesn't require signals. Only a mirror (left side), functioning brake light & head light. Blount county may be more lenient than Knox at this point.
 
#12 ·
motocash, i already tried the easy way like you stated. i thought things were going smooth cause she wasn't asking any questions and was doin all the paperwork but then just handed me the registration and no tag, and i asked for it and then things went down hill. and my title doesn't even say off road use only, but she said it wasn't plated from the dealer, and there wasn't an odometer reading on the title which was required.
 
#14 ·
yeah i could try that. I don't have the mso though because that was given up by the original owner to get the actual title. which should be better than having an MSO
 
#17 ·
Yes, I read the sticky thread about requirements/laws for street and off-road motorcycles. You need a helmet, brake light and crap.. But that website is really about the equipment needs, and does not address the title/registration/plate/tags aspect of the whole thing.
http://www.supermotojunkie.com/showthread.php?72396-Requirements-for-Street-Legal-Motorcycles/page2

It doesn't implicitly say as long as you have all the required equipment then yer done--ready to buy plate & tags for your "off-road only" bike--and don't have to do anything regarding the title.

Is that the deal in TN? Just get brake light, headlight, etc then take your title and bill of sale or what ever to county clerk's office or where ever and walk out with plate and tags in hand?

Thanks!
 
#18 · (Edited)
Grim

The lady at the TN DMV office in Nashville said, "If the MSO says 'off road' then you will never be able to register it for street use in TN". WTF?!!

This cannot be the end of it.. because, pookiebear seems to have been able to do it somehow. He wrote:
"I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done".

But what exactly are the hoops? What forms? "DOT magistrate"??

I'm looking to buy a WR450 on Friday, but I cannot until I get a definitive answer on this.

Thanks!
 
#22 ·
The lady at the TN DMV office in Nashville said, "If the MSO says 'off road' then you will never be able to register it for street use in TN". WTF?!!

This cannot be the end of it.. because, pookiebear seems to have been able to do it somehow. He wrote:
"I had to go through hoops with the police, notary public and the like. Plus a bunch of forms and a call to the DOT "magistrate" in nashville. Took me a month to get it all done".

But what exactly are the hoops? What forms? "DOT magistrate"??

I'm looking to buy a WR450 on Friday, but I cannot until I get a definitive answer on this.

Thanks!
I'm curious how things turned out? I don't yet have a bike but have been considering my choices and some of them including plating a dirt bike. From what I have found all that is required is a helmet, eye protection, mirror, and a headlight. There is no mention of a requirement for turn signals or horn that i have found so far. I honestly don't know how well the clerks know the exact laws (even the ones in Nashville) regarding converting an offroad vehicle for street use. I've been slowly loking through the vehicle code to see if I can find anything that specifically deals with the issue and so far this is the best I have found, the important part is C1 through C4:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-101 said:
*** CURRENT THROUGH THE 2012 REGULAR SESSION ***


Title 55 Motor and Other Vehicles
Chapter 3 Certificates of Title
Part 1 General Provisions


Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-101 (2012)

55-3-101. Motor vehicles subject to registration and certificate of title provisions -- Exceptions -- Definition of off-highway motor vehicle.

(a) Every motor vehicle or motorized bicycle, as defined in chapter 8 of this title, and every trailer, semi-trailer, and pole trailer, when driven or moved upon a highway, and every mobile home or house trailer, when occupied, shall be subject to the registration and certificate of title provisions of chapters 1-6 of this title, except:

(1) Vehicles driven or moved upon a highway in conformance with chapters 1-6 of this title relating to manufacturers, transporters, dealers, lienholders, or nonresidents;

(2) Vehicles that are driven or moved upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway from one (1) property to another;

(3) Any implement of husbandry;

(4) Any special mobile equipment;

(5) No certificate of title need be obtained for any vehicle of a type subject to registration owned by the government of the United States;

(6) No certificate of title need be obtained for a foreign vehicle that is subject to the registration provisions of this state, if the nonresident owner has a valid foreign certificate of title and certificate of registration and if the vehicle is to remain registered in the foreign state as well as in this state;

(7) Subject to the approval of the commissioner, no certificate of title need be obtained for a vehicle that is part of a proportionally registered fleet in this state if the owner has a valid certificate of title in another state and the vehicle is engaged in interstate commerce;

(8) Motorized bicycles, except when voluntarily registered under § 55-4-101; and

(9) No certificate of title need be obtained or maintained where the manufactured home is affixed to real property in accordance with § 55-3-138.

(b) The owner of a vehicle excepted in subsection (a) from the requirement for titling and registering may, subject to the approval of the commissioner, apply for a certificate of title without applying for its registration. The commissioner shall by regulation provide for the manner in which single applications are to be made and the conditions under which they may be allowed; however, this subsection (b) shall not be construed as granting authority to issue certificates of ownership on any basis other than upon documentation or summary of ownership as required in this chapter.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, off-highway motor vehicles purchased after June 1, 1983, shall be subject to the certificate of title and special identification device provisions of this chapter and § 55-6-101, when the off-highway motor vehicles are operated on lands, other than a highway, in this state.

(2) For the purposes of this title, an off-highway motor vehicle is a vehicle that is not driven or moved on the public highway and is limited to:

(A) Any motorcycle commonly referred to as a dirt bike;

(B) Any snowmobile or other vehicle designed to travel exclusively over snow or ice;

(C) Any motor vehicle commonly referred to as a sand buggy, dune buggy, or all terrain vehicle; or

(D) Similar types of motor vehicles designed primarily for off-highway use.

(3) The department shall issue to the owner of an off-highway motor vehicle purchased after June 1, 1983, if not registered under chapter 4 of this title, a special identification device to be affixed to the vehicle as evidence that a certificate of title has been issued for the vehicle. The device may be either a plate or a sticker, whichever is determined by the department to be the most appropriate. The device shall be nonrenewable and nontransferable and shall become invalid when the vehicle for which it was issued is sold, or the ownership of the vehicle is transferred or the vehicle is dismantled.

(4) Off-highway motor vehicles purchased prior to July 1, 1982, may also be issued a certificate of title and special identification device upon application of the owner, if evidence of ownership is properly provided to the department. Off-highway motor vehicles purchased after June 30, 1982, and prior to June 1, 1983, may be issued a special identification device upon application of the owner and presentation of the certificate of title previously issued for the vehicle.
 
#19 ·
TN street legal

Had a problem getting a TN tag for mine - No MSO just a bill of sale - Same story - offroad bike can't title it - Had to get it titled in MS 1st then TN - Have to get title insurance (around $100) then tag it - Problem is that you have to know someone who lives there and will transfer the title back over to you.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for the feedback.

Am I confused about the WR450f being relatively reliable and relatively low-maintenance?

Are the WR250X and DR-Z400SM heavy because they are reliable and lower maintenance or is the extra weight due to something else, like simply a heavy frame or something?

Thanks.
 
#23 · (Edited)
also found this:
Under certain circumstances, the owner may apply for a certificate of title; however, Tennessee statute does not currently provide for the registration of off-the-road vehicles of any nature, and as such, vehicles of this nature cannot be operated on roadways and highways of Tennessee. For more information see Tenn. Code Ann. Sections 55-3-101(c)(1) through 55-3-101(c)(4).

http://www.tn.gov/revenue/vehicle/titling/offroad.shtml

So it would appear that they are right about not being able to title off-road vehicles. I wonder if you claimed to lose the title or MSO and got a bonded title whether you could then get it plated that way??
 
#25 ·
im having similar trouble, ive called sullivan county dmv/county clerk both say without a title i cant do squat! and what makes it worse is i bought the bike from a 3rd party a guy selling for another guy, and that its still titled in god knows whos name.. and that i have to contact the original owner the one who has the title and i have no idea who that is. and the guy who sold me the bike i cant get ahold of anymore...someone told me that i could do a custom bike title???? any ideas on the for Tennessee? but i tried the jumping through hoops thing and it didnt work at all, it was shot down by state of TN. im active duty military live in SC but bought the bike in blountville TN from steve litz...and plan on registering and titleing the tagin the bike there in tn
 
#26 ·
Damn this is an old thread :lol:


From what I know of the current titling process here, you just need the certificate of origin, a bill of sale, and all the safety equipment on the bike. Tell the people that you are talking to that the equipment was a factory option for the bike and you have installed it. If they don't title the bike, you have to make a significant change to the bike that wasn't available from the factory (motard wheels and lowered suspension :thumbup: ) and call it a custom motorcycle based on a different bike frame. Doing it this way, they will have to inspect the bike, but as long as you have all the equipment, it should be good to go.

I would suggest selling the bike and finding one that already has plates on it if you want to ride one. If it's already been plated, and you get the title in the sale, they won't bat an eyelash in giving you new plates and title for it. It's much easier, and usually less expensive and less time consuming than trying to plate one from scratch.
 
#27 ·
I'll relate my experience, without naming the county as I don't want anything to change for the worse :rolleyes2:

I bought my TE610 with just a notarized bill of sale, no mso, no title.

Took pictures of the bike (both sides, front, and rear, just to be sure) that show there is a headlight, tailight, mirror.

Made an impression of the VIN plate on paper (tape paper over the plate and scribble with a pencil to transfer the info)

Walked into the DMV with the above items, completed a Certificate of Ownership, filled out the application for title, they did some computer checks on the VIN, I paid the sales tax + tag fees and left with a new plate.......3 weeks later clean street title arrived in the mail.

I just told them it was a dual-purpose bike that had never been plated (to my knowledge) and the odometer was non-functional so mileage can't be determined, I DID NOT deceive or misrepresent any facts and I suggest you don't either.
The key to a smooth visit is to have everything you need when you walk in the door the first time, be confident and polite, and don't ask a million questions that they probably don't know the answer to anyway........it just makes them suspicious and then they call in a supervisor who is on a power trip and won't even let you do something totally LEGAL.

As I said, this is one persons experience so don't expect it to work everywhere, every time........but it's a good blueprint for having success.
 
#33 ·
Sounds like you may need to "sell" the bike to a family member here in TN to get a tennessee title (and they can sell it back to you if you want) that hopefully isn't marked as not eligible for registration, then hit up a more rural county to get tags..........with the way your Illinois title is written there's almost no chance they overlook all that.

I didn't have to go through inspection or anything with mine, and I suggest doing the bare minimum (headlight, tail/brake light, mirror, horn and DOT rubber on whatever wheels you have right now) just for pictures to bring with you.
 
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