Vending machine license and permits in Tennessee

Short answer: Tennessee has no vending machine license and no state food permit for vending machines. You need a Certificate of Registration from the Department of Revenue, and you register with your city and county for business tax. Amusement games owe a separate annual tax.

Checked against official sources on October 1, 2026 · Not legal or tax advice

Sales tax registration: Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax), from the Tennessee Department of Revenue
Vending machine license: No vending license; amusement games owe a separate state tax
Food and health: Tennessee Department of Agriculture (retail food stores) and Department of Health (food service establishments); neither permits vending machines
City and county: Nashville (Davidson County) · Memphis (Shelby County)

01

Sales tax registration in Tennessee

Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax) — Tennessee Department of Revenue.

Register in TNTAP before you start selling. Vending sales go on your regular monthly return, with no separate vending account. Vending operators must also register with their city and county for business tax. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

How vending sales are taxed

Machine sales pay the 7% state rate, or 4% on qualifying food, plus a flat 2.25% local rate. If your prices include tax, say so on the machine, for example with a posted sign. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

02

Is there a vending machine license in Tennessee?

Tennessee has no vending-machine license. Coin-operated amusement games that vend no merchandise owe a separate annual license tax instead: $500 for 1-50 machines, plus a $10 tax sticker on each machine. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

03

Food and health permits

Who regulates it: Tennessee Department of Agriculture (retail food stores) and Department of Health (food service establishments); neither permits vending machines.

State food rules exclude food and beverage vending machines from "retail food store" and vending machine locations from "food service establishment," so no state food permit applies to the machine itself. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

Cotton candy, ice cream and frozen-drink machines prepare or hold food, so they are the ones most likely to need a permit where a packaged-snack machine does not. Check the classification for your exact machine before you place it.

04

City and county rules

Nashville (Davidson County)

Get a business license from the Davidson County Clerk: $30 inside Nashville city limits (Urban Service District), $15 elsewhere in the county (General Service District). Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

Memphis (Shelby County)

Register with the Shelby County Clerk within 20 days of starting business; $15 goes with each application. A separate city business license is required inside Memphis or another municipality. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

The license goes where the machine sits, not where you live: a machine in another town means that town’s rules.

05

Sources

Checked on October 1, 2026 against these official pages:

What we could not confirm: We could not confirm the registration fee; the Revenue Help article on registering blocks automated access. We did not confirm whether Metro Nashville or Shelby County health departments regulate vending machines, or whether a claw or prize machine counts as an amusement device.

Agencies change their rules and their websites. Confirm with the office before you rely on this page, and tell us if something here is out of date.

06

What we've signed in Tennessee

Pinpoint currently holds 3 signed, available locations in Tennessee, with 1 more already hosting a machine. Listed venues average 121,667 visitors a year, and signed venues take 40% of revenue. Every one has a host agreement in place — the permits above are the operator’s side of the paperwork; the venue’s side is done.

You handle the permits. We find the venue and sign it for you.

Have us find one in Tennessee See vending locations in Tennessee →

07

Common questions

Do I need a license to put a vending machine in Tennessee?

Tennessee has no vending-machine license. Coin-operated amusement games that vend no merchandise owe a separate annual license tax instead: $500 for 1-50 machines, plus a $10 tax sticker on each machine. Separately, you need the Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax) from the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

Do I need a health permit for a vending machine in Tennessee?

State food rules exclude food and beverage vending machines from "retail food store" and vending machine locations from "food service establishment," so no state food permit applies to the machine itself.

How is sales tax charged on vending machine sales in Tennessee?

Machine sales pay the 7% state rate, or 4% on qualifying food, plus a flat 2.25% local rate. If your prices include tax, say so on the machine, for example with a posted sign.

Does the venue need the permits, or do I?

You do. The venue provides the space and the power under the host agreement; the sales tax registration, licenses and health permits attach to whoever operates the machine.