(a) An owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state and who is a member of a volunteer fire department or full-time firefighting unit, or another bona fide firefighter, including a paid, paid-on-call, or volunteer firefighter, or a bona fide retired firefighter, shall be issued a special firefighter registration plate, as provided for in this part, upon proof of current membership in a firefighting unit, or upon proof of former membership in a firefighting unit from which the owner or lessee is a retired member in good standing, and upon compliance with state motor vehicle registration and licensing laws and payment of the applicable registration fee under § 55-4-111; except, that any active volunteer firefighter who has at least one (1) year of service shall be exempt, at the time of renewal, from the applicable registration fee for only one (1) motor vehicle, upon the certification or sworn statement from the chief of the fire department to which the person is attached confirming the person is an active volunteer firefighter. In addition to the exemption provided by this subsection (a), the legislative body of a county is authorized to waive the motor vehicle tax for motor vehicles receiving an exemption under this subsection (a) from the registration fee if the waiver is approved in the same manner as the adoption of the motor vehicle tax under § 5-8-102.
Owner: means a person who holds the legal title of a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof, with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for the purpose of this chapter and chapter 10, parts 1-5 of this title. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
Person: means a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation, or an engaged ADS. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Vehicle: means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
(b) Subject to the requirements of § 55-4-202, the commissioner is authorized and shall issue a license plate to an owner or lessee of a motorcycle who is otherwise eligible for a special firefighter registration plate; provided, however, that the owner or lessee shall comply with the state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motorcycles and shall pay the regular fee applicable to motorcycles and the applicable fee specified in § 55-4-204 prior to the issuance of the plate.
