Sumner County Clerk & Title: A Gallatin-Area Guide to Tags, Titles and Licenses

The Sumner County Clerk’s Office handles vehicle registration renewals, title and registration transactions, business licenses and taxes, marriage licenses, notary applications, passports and related services. The main Gallatin office is at 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111, and is generally open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Vehicle renewals may also be available online, by mail, at a drive-through window or through county kiosks. Driver-license renewals are handled separately by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

If you are searching for “Sumner County Clerk & Title,” you are probably trying to complete one of several different tasks: renew a vehicle registration, transfer a title, obtain a business license, apply for a marriage license, become a notary or submit a passport application.

The main Sumner County Clerk’s Office is in Gallatin at 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111. The office lists weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can be reached at 615-452-4063 or [email protected]. The office’s official website provides online applications, forms, registration services and current office information.

A key distinction: the County Clerk handles vehicle titles and registrations, but a Tennessee driver-license renewal is handled by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, not the county clerk. Real-estate deed recording and property-title records generally belong with the Sumner County Register of Deeds.

What the Sumner County Clerk handles

The Sumner County Clerk’s official service directory includes:

• Vehicle registration renewals
• Vehicle title and registration applications
• Transfers of Tennessee registrations
• Out-of-state vehicle transactions for people moving to Tennessee
• Duplicate titles
• Boat registration and boat sales-tax services
• County business licenses and business-tax services
• Marriage licenses and certified marriage copies
• Notary public applications
• Passport application acceptance
• Beer permit applications
• Related forms and online services

The best starting point is the official Sumner County Clerk website rather than a general search result. Service requirements vary significantly depending on whether you are renewing a plate, applying for a first Tennessee title, registering a business or requesting a certified record.

Where to go and how to contact the office

Gallatin County Clerk’s Office

Address: 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111, Gallatin, TN 37066

Phone: 615-452-4063

Email: [email protected]

Regular office hours listed by the clerk: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Gallatin office is the primary location for county clerk services and mail transactions. The clerk also lists a Hendersonville motor-vehicle office at 114 Dunn Street. Vehicle-renewal kiosks are listed in Gallatin, Hendersonville, Portland and White House.

The Gallatin location also lists an extended Friday drive-through window for motor-vehicle customers. Drive-through service is intended for basic renewals; title applications and some other transactions must be completed inside. Check the official hours page before making a special trip.

Vehicle titles, tags and registration

Renewing a vehicle registration

Sumner County registration renewals may be available through several channels:

1. Online renewal through the county’s vehicle-service portal.
2. Self-service kiosks in Gallatin, Hendersonville, Portland and White House.
3. Mail.
4. Drive-through service in Gallatin or Hendersonville for basic renewals.
5. In-person service at a county clerk motor-vehicle office.

The clerk says a vehicle generally must already be present in the local county system for online or kiosk processing. A plate that has been expired for more than 90 days may not be eligible for online or kiosk renewal. Specialty plates that require documentation and some military renewals may also require in-person processing.

The official clerk page currently lists an $80 regular walk-in renewal amount, with different totals for some mail transactions. Card payments may include an additional processing charge. Because registration fees can include state, county, specialty-plate, wheel-tax and vehicle-type components, verify the exact total before paying.

Applying for a title or registering a vehicle

For a title-and-registration transaction, the clerk instructs applicants to bring the completed title, proof of residency and payment. The back of a Tennessee title must be completed by the seller and buyers, including the sale date, sales price and odometer reading for vehicles that require the disclosure.

Title applications generally need to be handled inside the office rather than at a drive-through window. The documents required can change based on the transaction, including whether the vehicle is financed, leased, inherited, gifted, purchased from a dealer or transferred from another state.

Before visiting, review the clerk’s forms page for items such as:

• Power of attorney
• Odometer statements
• Affidavit of inheritance
• Non-dealer transfer forms
• Disabled-person plate or placard applications
• Military wheel-tax exemption forms
• Temporary-operation permit applications
• Antique-vehicle registration forms

Moving to Sumner County from another state

The Sumner County Clerk’s out-of-state checklist includes a Tennessee driver license showing a Sumner County address, the most recent out-of-state registration and the out-of-state title. If a lienholder holds the title, the applicant must provide the lienholder’s complete name and address.

The clerk currently lists $94 for a Tennessee title and one-year plate in its moving-to-Tennessee instructions. That figure does not necessarily represent the complete cost in every case. Sales tax, lease fees, specialty-plate charges or other transaction-specific amounts may apply.

New county residents should not assume there is a grace period for registration. The clerk’s renewal guidance says new county residents must register immediately. Bring proof of residency and confirm the current Tennessee identification requirements before arriving.

Renewals that are more than 90 days late

If a registration has been expired for more than 90 days, the clerk says the renewal cannot be completed online or at a kiosk. If the vehicle has been driven since expiration, the current expiration month is generally retained. If it has not been driven for at least 90 days after expiration, the registered owner may be able to sign a certified statement to obtain a new expiration date.

Business licenses and business tax

Businesses operating in Sumner County can apply for a county business license through the County Clerk. The clerk lists an original application fee of $15 and accepts applications online, by mail or at the Gallatin office.

The county distinguishes between:

• Standard business licenses for businesses with more than $100,000 in annual gross sales of goods or services.
• Minimal-activity licenses for businesses with $100,000 or less in annual gross sales of goods or services.

The clerk’s current instructions say a minimal-activity license renews annually through a $15 payment to the clerk’s office. Standard licenses are renewed through the Tennessee Department of Revenue’s business-tax reporting process and should be available through TNTAP after filing and payment.

A business inside a city’s limits may need both a county license and a city license. For example, a business located inside Gallatin should review the City of Gallatin Recorder’s Office requirements in addition to county requirements. The city lists business licenses among its Recorder’s Office services.

Business owners should also confirm zoning, sales-tax registration, building-code requirements and any industry-specific permits. A county business license does not replace every other approval that a business may need.

Marriage licenses

Sumner County marriage-license applications are handled at the Gallatin location, Room 105, during the hours listed by the clerk. The official page says both applicants must appear together, provide proof of age and identity, and provide a Social Security number if they have one. Acceptable identification may include a driver license, passport or certified birth certificate.

The clerk currently lists a $95 license fee, reduced to $35 when the couple completes an approved premarital preparation course and submits the required certificate. Card payments may include an additional processing fee. The license has no waiting period and must be used within 30 days of issuance.

A marriage license issued in Sumner County is valid throughout Tennessee. Couples can begin the information-collection process online, but the official instructions still require both applicants to appear at the office to sign the permanent record book.

The clerk also provides marriage-license lookup and certified-copy services online. Confirm the current copy fee and delivery or pickup options before ordering.

Notary public applications

Sumner County residents or people whose principal place of business is in the county may apply to become a Tennessee notary through the County Clerk. The clerk’s current instructions say applicants must appear at the Gallatin office to take the oath and pay the fee.

The listed application materials include:

• Completed notary application
• Identification
• Notary bond
• $12 fee
• A $10,000 original bond for the term

The clerk says applications must be submitted by noon on the date specified for the County Commission meeting and that applicants must appear in person for the oath. Notaries are elected by the County Commission for a four-year term.

Because meeting dates and application deadlines are time-sensitive, check the current notary page or contact the office before preparing the bond and making a trip.

Passports

The Sumner County Clerk accepts passport applications by appointment at the Gallatin location. The current instructions list application processing from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and require applicants to schedule by calling 615-452-4063.

Applicants should review the U.S. Department of State requirements before the appointment. The county says applicants should bring the completed federal application, proof of citizenship, a passport photo and the required federal fee by check or money order. The county does not make passport photos at the facility.

What the County Clerk does not handle

Knowing which office is responsible can save a trip:

• Tennessee driver-license renewal, REAL ID and driver testing: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The Gallatin Driver Services Center is listed at 855 N. Bluejay Way, Gallatin.
• Real-estate deeds and recorded property documents: Sumner County Register of Deeds. The county says deeds and other real-property records should be requested from that office.
• City business licenses: The municipality where the business operates may have a separate licensing requirement. Gallatin directs city business-license services through its Recorder’s Office.
• Property assessments and property-tax records: Sumner County Assessor of Property or Trustee, depending on the question.

Before you visit: a practical checklist

1. Identify the exact service: renewal, title, transfer, business license, marriage license, notary or passport.
2. Start with the official Sumner County Clerk service page.
3. Check whether the transaction is online, mail-in, kiosk, drive-through or in-person only.
4. Bring original documents when the clerk requires them, especially titles, identification, proof of residency and certified records.
5. Confirm the exact fee and payment method before leaving home.
6. If your business is inside a municipality, check city requirements separately.
7. For a driver license or real-estate deed, go to the state Driver Services or county Register of Deeds office instead.
8. Recheck hours and holiday closures on the day before your visit.

For official forms and current service instructions, use the Sumner County Clerk’s website. MyGallatin readers can also continue exploring local government and civic resources through the [MyGallatin Government & Civic Services hub](/search?q=Government%20%26%20Civic%20Services).