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Tennessee truck lettering requirements
Short answerTenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1340-06-01-.17: every carrier operating solely in intrastate commerce and subject to the Commissioner of Safety's jurisdiction must display on the side of each vehicle the owner or lessee name, the Department of Safety certificate number, and a unit number. The rule sets no inch height. Rule 1340-06-01-.08 adopts the federal motor carrier safety regulations.
Some details on this page come from agency guidance rather than the statute text and are being confirmed. The federal rule below applies regardless.
What Tennessee requires
| USDOT for intrastate carriers | Not confirmed. Tennessee is not on FMCSA's list of states that require intrastate USDOT numbers. Ask the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security before assuming you are exempt. |
|---|---|
| State number | Tennessee certificate number for intrastate carriers under the Commissioner's jurisdiction (for-hire carriers and private towing and wrecker services need intrastate authority, now issued through the Department of Revenue) |
| Printed format | Name, certificate number and unit number |
| Size | No inch minimum; legible from 50 feet in daylight with sharp contrast (49 CFR 390.21). Two inch numbers is the standard. |
| Enforced by | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security; Department of Revenue (intrastate authority) |
| Sources | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1340-06-01-.17, 1340-06-01-.08; T.C.A. 65-15-106, 65-15-113 |
What the door looks like
Your Company LLC
USDOT 1234567
Also worth knowing
- The rule text says 'side of each vehicle'; lettering both doors is the safe choice.
- Not confirmed: the current certificate number format now that authority is issued through the Department of Revenue. Ask before printing.
The federal rule underneath
49 CFR 390.21 applies to every commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce: legal or single trade name, the letters USDOT and the number, both sides of the power unit, contrasting color, legible from 50 feet in daylight while parked. No federal inch minimum. The MC number is not a federal marking requirement, and trailers don't need markings. States add to this; they don't replace it.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Plain-English summary of the regulations, not legal advice. Rules change; the citations above are where to confirm.