TCA § 55-4-120 — Limited exemption of nonresident owners from registration — Registration required when transporting for hire

A nonresident owner of any regularly licensed passenger motor vehicle not operated for hire registered in any state or territory of the United States, Canada or Mexico may have the privilege of operating upon the public roads of this state for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days, plus such additional period of time as a resident of Tennessee would be permitted to operate passenger vehicles not for hire over the highways of the state of the nonresident. In the event the commissioner finds that another state has failed to extend the benefits of reciprocity to a resident of this state for a period of more than thirty (30) days, the commissioner is authorized to deny the privileges of reciprocity to vehicles registered in the other state for any period of time in excess of thirty (30) days. An owner or operator who operates in this state shall not be entitled to reciprocity for a period in excess of thirty (30) days; provided, that any personnel of the army, navy, marine corps or air force stationed in this state, whose motor vehicle is properly registered in that person's state of domicile, will not be required to reregister the vehicle in this state. A nonresident owner of a foreign licensed private passenger automobile, or a pickup or panel truck, who operates the vehicle in this state solely as a means of transportation to and from a place of temporary employment shall be permitted to operate it without titling and paying registration fees and taxes in this state to the same extent as a resident of Tennessee, under similar circumstances, would be permitted to operate a like vehicle over the highways of the state of the residence of the nonresident pursuant to a reciprocity agreement. A nonresident owner of any regular licensed or unlicensed mobile home or house trailer may have the privilege of occupying the mobile home or house trailer and traveling upon the public roads of this state for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days without the necessity of having to register the mobile home or house trailer in this state. If any such person remains in the state for any period of time in excess of sixty (60) consecutive days, the person will be required to register the mobile home or house trailer in the state. A nonresident owner, having a valid foreign certificate of title and/or certificate of registration for a foreign vehicle, which is operated within this state for the transportation of persons or property for compensation, or for the transportation of merchandise, shall register and obtain a Tennessee certificate of registration for the vehicle and pay the same fees as are required with reference to like vehicles owned by residents of this state, but shall not be required to surrender the foreign certificate of title, certificate of registration, or registration plate or plates, except during the pendency of the application, for a Tennessee certificate of registration, if the vehicle is to continue to remain registered in a foreign state as well as in this state; provided, that the nonresident owner of a foreign vehicle operated within the state for the transportation of persons or property for compensation or for the transportation of merchandise shall be permitted to operate the vehicle over the highways of this state without obtaining a certificate of registration or registration plate or plates or paying registration fees, to the same extent and for the same period of time as a resident of this state under similar circumstances would be permitted to operate a vehicle over the highways of the state of the residence of the nonresident by reciprocity agreement. Every nonresident, including any foreign corporation carrying on business within this state and owning and regularly operating in such business any motor vehicle, within this state, shall be required to register and procure a Tennessee certificate of registration and registration plate or plates for each such vehicle and pay the same fees therefor as are required with reference to like vehicles owned by residents of this state. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect, change or restrict the authority of the commissioner to enter into reciprocal agreements with other states in accordance with § 55-4-121.