So it has long been discussed what all we have to do in order to obtain a title for an old VW in TN!!! I thought I'd do a little walk through on what all I've unearthed over the years. Use at your own risk. I haven't done any of this...YET!!!

1). Find a buddy in Georgia!
In GA, you don't need a title for a vehicle over a certain age, so you can have a friend register it and then "sell it to you." You will need a copy of the most recent registration (proof of ownership) and a notarized bill of sale. The GA resident can also request a title, but one hasn't always been issued. The biggest downside is that a GA resident will have to pay sales tax and show proof of insurance on the vehicle in order to get it registered. When you "buy it" from them, you will also have to pay sales tax on it, so it's a double hit.

2). Go through the 5 Step Process to get a Title in TN
1- Notification

a. If the owner is known to the applicant – certified letters with return receipt requested must be sent to
all known parties with a legal interest in the vehicle, requesting an assigned certificate of title, the green `return receipt' cards must be submitted with the certification of ownership, or
b. If the previous owner is unknown to the applicant – evidence of a notification in a publication of general circulation in the county in which the application is being made, of the intent of the applicant to apply for the title on the vehicle. The notification shall contain a description of the vehicle, including make, model, year and vehicle identification number, and a request to any and all parties holding an interest in the vehicle to contact the person in possession of the vehicle by certified mail, return receipt requested, within ten (10) business days of the date of the publication.

2- VIN Verification- Get a LEO or Licensed Dealer to check the VIN number and fill out the form.

This can be a pencil tracing of the actual Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate or a statement verifying the actual Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

3- A notarized bill of sale from the last registered owner or a notarized statement from the seller stating why the vehicle was not titled or registered in the seller's name.

4- In the absence of a notarized bill of sale or notarized statement as indicated in #3, submit a licensed motor vehicle dealer appraisal of the value of the vehicle.

5- Photographs of the vehicle in its pre-repaired state.

If these are not available, then post-repair photographs must be submitted, along with a notarized statement from the applicant that the pre-repair photographs are not available, and that the applicant was unaware that such photographs were required prior to the repairs being made. If no repairs were made, that fact should be reflected in the statement.

3) Certificate of Ownership!!!!
Now, if you have a vehicle over 30 years old OR valued at less than $3,000, you can apply for a "Certificate of Ownership." It is a one page form that asks for Buyer info, Vehicle info, Seller info, date, price and location of sale. Additionally it asks for a short explanation of WHY there is no paperwork (i.e bought it from a state that did not issue a title, or inherited vehicle or was abandoned on property when bought).

This form is required only if the applicant is seeking title to a vehicle (1) with a fair market value (FMV) of $3,000 or less or a vehicle at least 30 years old [regardless of FMV], and (2) the applicant is not able to provide other proper documentation to obtain a title.
Approval of this application and issuance of a title does not relieve the applicant from any past or future litigation concerning the vehicle. Any person fraudulently using a false or fictitious name on any application for registration of a vehicle or certificate of title, knowingly concealing a material fact, or otherwise committing fraud on any such application shall, upon conviction, be punished by the penalty prescribed under the Sentencing Reform Acts of 1989.

Their take on "Fair Market Value-"
FAIR MARKET VALUE DEFINED: Fair Market Value (FMV) is the price that property would sell for on the open market. It is the price that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both have reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts.