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Tennessee plates from 1939 through 1987 (excluding 1966-70) started with a numeric county code, which was assigned by the population of the county. Codes stayed constant from 1939 through 1965, then were re-assigned according to population shifts when the 1971, 1977 and 1984 baseplates were released. For example, Montgomery county was the 10th most populous in 1971, so county code #10 on the 1971-76 plate indicates Montgomery. #10 on the 1977-83 base, however, indicates Anderson county, which was 10th most populous in 1977.

The table below shows the county code numbers for the 1971, 77 and 84 baseplates. Counties are listed in order of their 1984 population standings.

Initial distribution blocks for the 1966, 1989 and 1995 bases are known as well, but since these plates all carried county stickers at the bottom of the plates, identification of the plates by the serial is not necessary.

County 1971-76 1977-83 1984-1988 Shelby 1 1 1 Davidson 2 2 2 Knox 3 3 3 Hamilton 4 4 4 Sullivan 5 5 5 Washington 6 6 6 Sumner 18 12 7 Rutherford 11 11 8 Montgomery 10 9 9 Blount 9 8 10 Madison 7 7 11 Bradley 17 13 12 Anderson 8 10 13 Williamson 32 23 14 Wilson 28 20 15 Greene 13 15 16 Maury 14 16 17 Carter 15 17 18 Gibson 12 14 19 Hamblen 20 19 20 Roane 16 18 21 Putnam 23 21 22 Hawkins 21 24 23 McMinn 19 22 24 Sevier 34 31 25 Coffee 24 25 26 Robertson 29 28 27 Campbell 27 35 28 Dyer 22 26 29 Lawrence 26 29 30 Tipton 25 32 31 Weakley 35 30 32 Obion 30 27 33 Warren 43 34 34 Franklin 31 33 35 Jefferson 48 39 36 Dickson 52 47 37 Cocke 40 37 38 Monroe 41 43 39 Cumberland 50 48 40 Henry 45 42 41 Loudon 37 41 42 Carroll 38 36 43 Bedford 42 38 44 Lincoln 36 40 45 Fayette 33 44 46 Giles 44 46 47 Clairborne 51 52 48 Lauderdale 46 50 49 Marion 49 49 50

County 1971-76 1977-83 1984-1988 Rhea 57 57 51 Hardeman 47 45 52 McNairy 53 53 53 Hardin 54 54 54 Cheatham 78 66 55 Henderson 56 56 56 Haywood 39 51 57 Marshall 55 55 58 White 58 58 59 Scott 59 61 60 Overton 61 60 61 Grainger 65 63 62 Morgan 63 64 63 Unicoi 60 59 64 Humphreys 72 65 65 Macon 66 70 66 Hickman 70 72 67 Crockett 62 62 68 Smith 68 68 69 Benton 75 71 70 Fentress 64 67 71 Wayne 69 69 72 Grundy 71 76 73 Johnson 74 74 74 Polk 67 73 75 DeKalb 73 75 76 Chester 77 77 77 Union 81 79 78 Decatur 82 78 79 Cannon 80 80 80 Lewis 87 85 81 Bledsoe 84 83 82 Jackson 79 81 83 Stewart 83 84 84 Sequatchie 88 88 85 Clay 86 87 86 Lake 76 82 87 Meigs 90 91 88 Hancock 85 86 89 Houston 92 89 90 Trousdale 91 92 91 Perry 89 90 92 Van Buren 94 94 93 Moore 95 95 94 Pickett 93 93 95

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