In Tennessee, remove the license plates from your donated vehicle before it is towed. Do not leave them on the car. After pickup, either transfer the plates to another eligible vehicle through the Tennessee DMV/county clerk or surrender them as directed. Keep the surrender receipt. It is your proof for canceling the registration and is sometimes needed for penalty-free insurance cancellation. Also complete the notice of transfer / release of liability using TuneIn Rides Notice of Transfer / Release of Liability Guide.
What to do with your plates
Confirm the Tennessee plate rule
Tennessee treats plates as belonging to the donor, so they should not leave with the donated car. Confirm the current instruction with the Tennessee DMV/county clerk if your registration is unusual, the vehicle has specialty plates, or a clerk gives you different guidance. State rules are not all the same, and the safest time to settle the question is before the tow truck leaves.
Remove plates before pickup
Take off every plate assigned to the vehicle before your Nashville Metro pickup. Check both the rear and front of the vehicle, and remove plate frames if they block the screws. Keep the plates with your registration papers, not in the glove box. If the driver arrives first, pause the handoff long enough to remove the plates safely.
Surrender or transfer them
After the vehicle is gone, choose the next plate action. If you are replacing the vehicle, ask the Tennessee DMV/county clerk about transferring the plates to the next eligible vehicle. If you are not transferring them, surrender the plates as directed. Do not throw plates away unless the DMV/county clerk tells you that is acceptable for your exact situation.
Keep your surrender receipt
If you surrender plates, ask for and keep the receipt or written confirmation. That receipt is your proof for canceling the registration. It is also sometimes a prerequisite to penalty-free insurance cancellation, because the insurer may want proof that the vehicle is no longer registered for road use. Store it with your donation and title paperwork.
File the liability notice
After the plates are handled, file the notice of transfer / release of liability. Use TuneIn Rides Notice of Transfer / Release of Liability Guide as your separate checklist. Keep a copy or confirmation with your records. This step is separate from surrendering or transferring plates, so do not assume one action automatically completes the other.
Why plates are state-specific
License plate rules depend on the state. In most states, the plates belong to the donor. The donor removes them before the tow, then either surrenders them to the DMV or transfers them to another vehicle. In a minority of states, plates stay with the vehicle and should not be removed. For this page, follow Tennessee’s owner-keeps-plates rule unless the Tennessee DMV/county clerk gives you a different instruction for your specific registration. If any paperwork conflicts, ask before the vehicle leaves.
Common questions
Can I leave the plates on the donated car for the driver?
No. For a Tennessee donation, remove the plates before the vehicle is towed. The driver does not need your plates to take the donated vehicle. Leaving plates on the car can make registration, insurance, or toll questions harder to clean up later.
What if the car was already towed with the plates still on?
Contact TuneIn Rides as soon as you notice the problem and ask whether the plates can still be recovered. Also contact the Tennessee DMV/county clerk for instructions. Do not cancel insurance or assume the registration is closed until you know how the plate issue should be handled.
Should I cancel insurance before or after surrendering plates?
Ask your insurance company how it wants the cancellation handled. A plate surrender receipt is sometimes required for penalty-free insurance cancellation. Keep the receipt and any registration cancellation proof together before you finalize the insurance cancellation, so you can show that the vehicle is no longer registered for your use.
Can I transfer the plates to my next vehicle?
Usually, plates that stay with the owner may be transferred only when the next vehicle and registration type qualify. Ask the Tennessee DMV/county clerk before assuming the plates can move to a replacement vehicle. If they cannot be transferred, surrender them and keep the receipt.
More donation prep guides
Once the plates are off, the main jobs are simple: surrender or transfer them, keep proof, and file the separate notice of transfer / release of liability. Keep those records with your donation paperwork. Your vehicle donation through TuneIn Rides benefits Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). If you are unsure which plate step fits your situation, contact TuneIn Rides and we can help you find the right next step.