A field-by-field walkthrough of the Tennessee Form RV-F1315201 (Multi-Purpose Application (Application for Title / Registration)) for licensed used car dealers — what goes in every section, who signs what, and the documents you attach. Verified against the official form as of July 2026.
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Tennessee instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with Tennessee Department of Revenue / County Clerk before you file.
DealerVLO fills the official Tennessee Form RV-F1315201 straight from your deal — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, and sale price already in place. $99/month, free to try — no credit card.
Form RV-F1315201 is how a vehicle gets titled and registered in Tennessee. On a dealer sale the dealer prepares it, collects the tax and fees, and the package is filed at the county clerk's office — Tennessee titles run through the county clerk, not a central DMV counter.
Tennessee's tax calculation trips up dealers from flat-rate states. The state charges 7% on the purchase price minus the trade-in allowance, but the local option tax and the state 'single article' tax only apply to capped portions of the price — the local tax to the first $1,600, and an additional state single-article tax to the slice between $1,600 and $3,200. Miss the caps and you over- or under-collect. This guide walks every section a dealer fills.
RV-F1315201 is the Tennessee Department of Revenue's Multi-Purpose Application — one form that covers a new title, registration, lien noting, and duplicates. Tennessee titles are issued through the county clerk's office, so that's where the package goes. The tax math is the Tennessee-specific part: 7% state sales tax on the price less trade-in, plus a local option tax that only applies to a capped slice of the price (the 'single article' rule), so getting it right means knowing the caps, not just a rate.
Gather these before you complete the Form RV-F1315201. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the Tennessee Department of Revenue / County Clerk bounces a title application back.
The buyer — the new owner. Enter the legal name, Tennessee address, and county exactly as they appear on the buyer's license. The county matters: the application is filed at the buyer's county clerk, and some counties add a wheel tax.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner's full legal name From the buyer's license — match it exactly. | You (dealer) |
Tennessee residence address and county Sets the county clerk and any local wheel tax. | You (dealer) |
Driver license number / date of birth | Buyer |
Co-owner (if any) | You (dealer) |
Identifies the vehicle. The VIN on the RV-F1315201 must match the assigned title and the vehicle's VIN plate.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
VIN Must match the title and the VIN plate. | You (dealer) |
Year, make, model, body type | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading and status Must match the disclosure on the assigned title. | You (dealer) |
The tax section, and the Tennessee-specific one. The 7% state sales tax applies to the purchase price minus the trade-in allowance. On top of that, the local option tax applies only to the first $1,600 of the price (a cap that varies by county rate), and an additional 2.75% state single-article tax applies to the portion of the price between $1,600 and $3,200. Enter the price and trade-in accurately and apply the caps — the county clerk checks the math.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Purchase price Match the buyer's order. | You (dealer) |
Trade-in allowance Subtracted before the 7% state tax. | You (dealer) |
State tax (7% of price less trade-in) | You (dealer) |
Local option tax (capped to the first $1,600) County rate; single-article cap applies. | You (dealer) |
State single-article tax (2.75% on the $1,600–$3,200 slice) | You (dealer) |
Cash deal? Leave it blank. Financed? Record the lender's name and address so the lien is noted on the new Tennessee title.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder name Blank for a cash sale. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder address | You (dealer) |
The buyer signs as the owner/applicant. The dealer's information ties the application to the sale.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner signature and date | Buyer |
Co-owner signature (if any) | Buyer |
Selling dealer name and dealer number | You (dealer) |
Tennessee's local option tax applies only to the first $1,600 of the price (the single-article cap), and the additional state single-article tax applies only to the $1,600–$3,200 slice. Applying local tax to the full price over-collects on every deal above $1,600.
The 7% state tax is on the price minus the trade-in allowance. Enter the allowance so the buyer isn't taxed on the full price.
The application goes to the buyer's county clerk. Filing in the dealership's county (when the buyer lives elsewhere) can misroute the registration and any wheel tax.
The state title fee is modest, but county clerk fees, registration, and any county wheel tax vary. Confirm the buyer's county fees so the out-the-door number is right.
The reading on the application must match the odometer disclosure on the assigned title, or the county clerk sends it back.
It's the Tennessee Department of Revenue's Multi-Purpose Application — one form for a new title, registration, lien noting, or duplicate. Dealers prepare it on a retail sale; it's filed at the buyer's county clerk office.
At the county clerk's office. Tennessee issues titles and registrations through the county clerk in the buyer's county of residence, not a central DMV.
7% state sales tax on the purchase price minus the trade-in allowance, plus a local option tax that applies only to the first $1,600 of the price, plus a 2.75% state single-article tax on the portion between $1,600 and $3,200. The single-article caps are the part dealers most often get wrong.
Yes — the trade-in allowance is subtracted from the purchase price before the 7% state tax is computed.
The state title fee is modest (roughly $11–$14), but total cost depends on county clerk fees, registration, and any county wheel tax. Confirm the buyer's county fees before quoting an out-the-door number.
The buyer (and any co-owner) signs as the owner/applicant. The dealer prepares the form, supplies the dealer information, and collects the tax and fees for the county clerk.
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