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Tennessee driver's license

Get your first license in Tennessee after moving to the US.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to Tennessee and you want to drive here.
  2. 2
    Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
  3. 3
    The written testYou take the written test.
  4. 4
    Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
  5. Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.

What it costs

A first license

$28 in total for a standard Class D license — $26 for the license plus a $2 application fee — and it is valid for eight years.

  • $26

  • The $2 application fee is charged again each time you take a test and fail. This applies to PD, D, and H tests.

You pay this when you apply.

If you just arrived in the US

Your immigration status

Tennessee also offers an identification-only license; its page is tn.gov/safety/driver-services/idonly.html.

Foreign documents with no expiry date

If your legal stay in the United States does not have a specific end date, Tennessee will issue you a temporary license that is valid for one year.

If your license from another state has expired

If it has been expired for more than six months, you must take the vision screening, the Tennessee knowledge test, and the road skills test.

Your Social Security Number

Giving your number, and who may see it

Tennessee requires your Social Security number on every application if the U.S. government has issued you one. The department keeps it on your record; it is not printed on your license.

Tests you take

Eye test

You need at least 20/40 vision in each eye and in both eyes together, with or without glasses or contact lenses. If you cannot pass the screening, an eye specialist of your choice fills out an eye statement for the department to evaluate.

  • A vision screening is required before any license or permit is issued.

Tries you get on the written test

You must wait at least one day after failing the knowledge test. The same wait applies if you fail again on a second or later attempt.

  • The one-day wait after a failed knowledge test is flat, with no exceptions for a near pass. Your failure dates and scores go into the statewide system, so visiting a different center does not skip the wait.

Practice questions for the written test

Online practice tests are in e-Services: click Take a Driver Services Practice Test under Schedule a Test.

  • Free practice knowledge tests are online at tn.gov/dlpractice.

  • The test is multiple choice, and every question comes from Sections B and C of the Tennessee driver license manual — the manual itself is what you study.

Practising with your permit

Who can sit with you while you practise

A person who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license must be with you whenever you drive on a learner permit.

  • Your learner permit lets you drive only while a person who is at least 21 and has a valid driver license is with you.

  • A licensed driver who is at least 21 years old must sit in the seat beside you.

  • You can drive on a learner permit only while a person with a valid driver license who is at least 21 years old is in the car with you.

What to bring to the drive test

Who comes with you

If you hold a learner permit, a person who is at least 21 years old and has a valid driver license must come with you to the road test. Without them you will not be allowed to take the test.

The car and its insurance

You bring your own car, and it must have valid Tennessee tags and meet Tennessee registration and safety laws. Its equipment must work: seat belts, regular and parking brakes, high and low beam headlights, tail and brake lights, windshield wipers, defroster and fan, rearview mirrors, horn, clear windows and windshield, muffler, doors that open from inside and outside, lawful bumpers, and a speedometer.

Where to go

Booking an appointment

You can book an appointment at tndscappt.cxmflow.com.

  • Road-test appointments for a regular driver license are booked at dl.safety.tn.gov.

Office locations

You can search for Driver Services Centers by county, ZIP code, or city at tn.gov/safety/driver-services/locations.html.

Other states

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Every source, quoted22 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

Applying for a driver's license in Tennessee?

Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.

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