Tn driving license requirements

Identity e. TN residency 2 documents issued within the last 4 months. Social Security number. Name change, if applicable e. Pass the following DMV tests : Vision screening. Knowledge exam. Driving test. You will need to make an appointment to take this test. Unless otherwise indicated, your driver's license will be valid for 8 years at a time. Knowledge and Driving Tests To obtain your TN driver's license, you will need to pass both a written knowledge exam and driving skills test.

Knowledge Exam Before attempting your driving test, you must first pass a knowledge exam, which will consist of questions about: Traffic signs and signals. Local road rules. Safe driving techniques. Documents subject to further verification may delay the issuance of your permit, driver license, or identification only license. All new or returning residents must surrender their out-of-state license at time of application for Tennessee license. Tennessee law does not allow a resident of this state to hold more than one valid driver license or ID.

Skip to Main Content. Go to TN. Print This Page. Go to Search. New Residents. Instructions for new or returning Tennessee resident. If proof of liability insurance in effect on the date of the violation is not received within 30 days of the notice or there was no insurance on the date of the violation, the driving privileges will be suspended for a period of 1 year from the date of the notice.

A driver who is convicted of Fleeing and Evading a Police Roadblock will have their driving privileges revoked for one year. A driver who is convicted of felony Reckless Endangerment Vehicle will have their driving privileges revoked for one year. A driver who is convicted of Vehicular Assault or Aggravated Vehicular Assault will have their driving privileges revoked for a period of one year.

If the court does not indicate the length of revocation, the revocation length will default to ten years. A driver who is convicted of Human Trafficking may have their non-commercial driving privileges revoked for a period of 1 year and shall have their commercial driver license and privilege to obtain a commercial driver license revoked for life. Revocation Length: 1 year for non-commercial driver license; lifetime for commercial driver license and privilege to obtain a commercial driver license.

A driver who is convicted of Using a Motor Vehicle in a Felony will have their driving privileges revoked for a period of one year. A driver who is convicted of Theft of a Vehicle or Part of a Vehicle will have their driving privileges revoked for a period of one year. Drivers who have an order of revocation for habitual offender status prior to July 1, shall have their driving privileges revoked for a period of 3 years.

Drivers with revocations effective prior to July 1 st , who have not yet ended the 3 year revocation period, may submit a court order for reinstatement prior to the expiration of the 3 year period.

Reinstatement Requirements, if revocation effective prior to July 1 st , :. A driver who is convicted of Driving after Convicted as Habitual Offender will have their driving privileges revoked for 1 year if the violation occurred prior to July 1 st , Reinstatement Requirements, if violation occurred prior to July 1 st , :. A driver who is convicted of Two Reckless Driving Violations which occurred in a 12 month period will have their driving privileges revoked for a period of one year.

A driver who is convicted of Driving off without Paying for Fuel will have their driving privileges suspended for a period of years depending on the number of convictions. Restricted license? A driver who is convicted of Driving While Possessing Methamphetamine will have their driving privileges revoked for a period of 5 years.

Drivers who entered into a payment plan with the Department for re-payment of reinstatement fees and subsequently default on the payment plan, may have their driving privileges suspended. When a payment plan payment is missed, the driver is sent a notice of proposed suspension and given 30 days to remit the payment and avoid suspension. This does not change the payment plan due date of any subsequent payments due.

Drivers who have defaulted on a payment plan for reinstatement fees are not eligible to enter into another payment plan until the defaulted fees are satisfied in full. See promulgated rules governing payment plans. Return to the top. Drivers are asked to submit a variety of compliance documents depending on the reason for suspension or revocation.

The list below provides guidance on what documents are compliant for reinstatement purposes. For how to submit compliance documents, visit the Pay Fees and Submit Documents section. Drivers who held a valid Tennessee driver license or permit at the time of a suspension or revocation are required to surrender the license within 20 days.

Drivers may be required to submit proof of liability insurance in effect at the time of a violation or submit proof of liability insurance currently in effect. At the time of the violation — The proof of insurance effective date range must include the date of the violation and must clearly show that the driver was the policy holder, was a covered driver on the policy, or show coverage for the vehicle operated at the time of the violation.

Current liability insurance — The proof of insurance must clearly show the driver as the policy holder or a covered driver. The effective date range of the insurance must include the current date. Only the insurance ID card or policy declaration pages are needed. Typically, this is only one page. Please do not submit multiple pages or additional policy documentation as they are not needed and will add to the time required to process your document.

Drivers with certain types of suspensions or revocations are required to keep and maintain SR insurance. The SR insurance must be carried for a minimum of 3 years following the date of the suspension or revocation and may be required for up to 5 years. New suspensions or revocations which also require SR insurance will restart the requirement over from the date of the new action.

Cancellation of the SR insurance may result in suspension of the driving privileges. If your insurance company submits a cancellation or proposed cancellation of your SR insurance, you or your insurance company must submit a new SR form prepared after the cancellation notice.

In order to obtain SR insurance, contact a liability insurance carrier licensed to do business in Tennessee and have them file an SR form with this department.

If you are an out of state resident, the SR form must show filed with Tennessee, not your home state. The SR form is a specific form and differs from the insurance ID card and policy pages. You may have to request that your insurer provide this document to you. If you are a resident of another state, you may request a waiver of the Tennessee SR requirement. Please contact our office at to request an out of state waiver. You and a representative from the licensing authority in your state will be required to complete the waiver and send it back to our department.

Once approved, SR insurance will not be required for Tennessee while you remain a resident of another state. Should you wish to obtain a license in Tennessee before expiration of the SR requirement, SR insurance would be required as part of the licensing process. A conditional release may be required if a driver has a revocation or pending revocation for an Accident Claim or Unsatisfied Judgment. To obtain a conditional release, you must contact the party which filed a claim or obtained a judgment against you.

If you do not know who the other party is, you should contact our office at A conditional release is provided to you while you are making payments towards and amount owed to the other party. Should you default on the conditional release after reinstatement from the revocation, your driving privileges may be revoked again.

The conditional release must be signed and dated by the party who filed the claim or obtained the judgment. A general release may be required if a driver has a revocation or pending revocation for an Accident Claim or Unsatisfied Judgment. To obtain a general release, you must contact the party which filed a claim or obtained a judgment against you.

The general release must be signed and dated by the party who filed the claim or obtained the judgment. A driver may satisfy a pending Accident Claim revocation by posting a bond with our department in the amount of the claim. If, after one year, the driver has not been sued as a result of the crash, the bond may be refunded to the driver.

Important — A bond posted with the Department is not sent to the party who filed the claim, the bond is held by the Department. In order to satisfy the other party, you must contact them to obtain a conditional or general release. We will verify any insurance submitted with your insurance company. Filing the report with our Department immediately after a crash does not generate any type of crash report or returned notice.

The form is simply filed in the event that another party files a claim against you. If you need a crash report, you must contact the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the crash occurred. A driver who is currently revoked for failure to satisfy a judgment rendered against them as a result of a crash may submit documentation from the court where the judgment was rendered provided that the judgment is more than 10 years old and has not been renewed.

In order to obtain a Judgment Non-Renewal Letter, you will need to contact the court where the judgment was rendered. If you do not know where the judgment was rendered, please contact our office at The Defensive Driving Course must be completed after the date of notification of proposed suspension.

Defensive Driving Courses completed prior to any proposed suspension cannot be accepted. The Defensive Driving Course may only be completed once every 5 years. Moreover, the applicants are required to have a learner permit to start taking road tests. If you make a traffic violation or crash at this period, you will be sent back to a Learner Permit. It is geared towards helping parents and their children teens establish the state- and rule-related expectations.

Furthermore, they are in charge of:. What is the Tennessee Written Knowledge Test?