A first offense DUI in Tennessee carries a mandatory minimum of 48 hours in jail, fines between $350 and $1,500, a one-year license revocation, 24 hours of roadside litter removal in a bright orange vest, mandatory DUI school, and an ignition interlock device on your vehicle in most cases. The conviction is permanent. Tennessee does not allow DUI convictions to be expunged, so it stays on your record for the rest of your life.1Justia. Tennessee Code 40-32-101 – Destruction or Release of Certain Records
Jail Time and Fines
The statute sets a floor of 48 consecutive hours in the county jail or workhouse, with a ceiling of 11 months and 29 days.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-403 – Penalty for Violations of 55-10-401 and 55-10-404 The 48 hours cannot be suspended, and judges cannot let you serve them on weekends.
If your blood alcohol concentration was 0.20% or higher, that minimum jumps to seven consecutive days.3Knox County General Sessions Judges. Knox County General Sessions Judges – DUI Laws Tennessee treats a BAC that far above the 0.08% legal limit as an aggravating factor on its own.
Fines run from $350 to $1,500.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-403 – Penalty for Violations of 55-10-401 and 55-10-404 The minimum is mandatory unless the court finds you indigent. Court costs and fees stack on top. If someone was physically injured, the court can also order restitution as a condition of probation.4FindLaw. Tennessee Code 55-10-403 – Penalty for Violations of 55-10-401 and 55-10-404
The 24-Hour Litter Removal Requirement
Every first-time DUI offender in Tennessee must complete 24 hours of roadside litter removal as a condition of probation, broken into three eight-hour daylight shifts.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-403 – Penalty for Violations of 55-10-401 and 55-10-404 This is not generic community service. It is written into the statute and cannot be swapped out for something else.
While you work, you have to wear a bright orange vest with “I AM A DRUNK DRIVER” printed on the back in letters at least four inches tall.5Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-420 – Litter Removal Program The probation office schedules the shifts, and the law requires enough opportunities for you to finish all three within 90 days.
License Revocation
A first DUI conviction revokes your driving privileges for one year.2Justia. Tennessee Code 55-10-403 – Penalty for Violations of 55-10-401 and 55-10-404 It is a flat statutory period, not a range that flexes with your driving history. Getting caught driving on that revoked license adds new charges on top of your existing case.
Reinstatement is not automatic when the year is up. You have to satisfy all court-ordered conditions, pay reinstatement fees to the Tennessee Department of Safety, and provide proof of financial responsibility, which usually means filing an SR-22 through your insurance carrier.
Restricted License and the Ignition Interlock Device
You do not have to lose a full year of driving. Tennessee lets first-time offenders apply for a restricted license, but the court almost always requires an ignition interlock device on your vehicle as a condition.6FindLaw. Tennessee Code 55-10-425 The device is a breath sensor wired into the ignition. If it detects alcohol, the engine will not start.
The interlock stays on for a minimum of 365 consecutive days, or the full length of the revocation, whichever is longer.7State of Tennessee Help Center. How Long Do I Have to Have an Ignition Interlock Device You pay for installation, monthly calibration and monitoring, and removal. Installation typically runs $70 to $150, with monthly fees in the $60 to $90 range.
A judge can waive the device only in narrow circumstances. The court has to specifically find that your BAC was below 0.08%, no minor under 18 was in the vehicle, no accident was caused by your intoxication, and you did not violate the implied consent law.6FindLaw. Tennessee Code 55-10-425 If the judge does not make those findings, the device is required by default. Most first-time offenders end up with one installed.
Refusing the Breath or Blood Test
Everyone who drives on Tennessee roads is treated as having given implied consent to breath and blood testing when an officer has probable cause to suspect impaired driving.8FindLaw. Tennessee Code 55-10-406 The officer has to warn you first that refusing will suspend your license and may trigger the interlock requirement if you are later convicted.
Refusal is charged as a separate offense on top of the DUI itself and can be prosecuted even if police then get a warrant and draw your blood anyway. As of 2026, a first-time refusal with no prior convictions in the past 10 years brings an 18-month license suspension, six months longer than the standard DUI revocation. Refusing does not make the DUI charge go away, and it puts you off the road longer.
DUI School and Substance Abuse Assessment
Tennessee requires every first-time offender to complete a state-certified DUI education course of at least 12 hours.9Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. DUI Schools in Tennessee The curriculum covers the physiological effects of alcohol and drugs, patterns of substance abuse, and Tennessee DUI law. Anyone who does not finish all 12 hours has not satisfied the requirement, and most probation orders give you six months to complete it.
You will also sit for an alcohol and drug assessment with a licensed professional. If it flags a substance use problem, you can be referred to treatment or mental health services. DUI school itself typically costs $125 to $200. Court-ordered treatment, if it happens, costs more depending on the level of care.
Probation Conditions
Most of your sentence will be served on probation after the mandatory jail time. Standard conditions include reporting to a probation officer within 72 hours of your plea or release, checking in at least monthly after that, finishing DUI school and litter removal on schedule, refraining from excessive alcohol use and all illegal drug use, and staying out of any new legal trouble.10Nashville DUI Probation. Rules of DUI Probation
Monthly supervision fees apply, and amounts vary by county. Some courts also require attendance at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel. Violating any condition can send you back in front of the judge to serve the remainder of the 11-month-and-29-day sentence.
If a Child Was in the Vehicle
If a passenger under 18 was in the car, the penalties escalate. Tennessee adds a mandatory 30-day consecutive jail sentence with no probation or weekend option for those 30 days, plus an additional $1,000 fine on top of the standard range. The ignition interlock is automatically required for a restricted license, and a judge cannot waive it.6FindLaw. Tennessee Code 55-10-425 If the child suffers serious injury, the charge can be elevated to a felony.
Insurance and SR-22
A DUI conviction makes you a high-risk driver as far as insurance carriers are concerned. Premiums commonly rise 50% to 80% or more, and some carriers cancel policies outright. You will need to file an SR-22, a certificate of financial responsibility that your insurer sends to the Tennessee Department of Safety confirming you carry the required minimum coverage.
The SR-22 has to stay in place throughout your suspension period, and in Tennessee this filing obligation can extend up to five years. Letting it lapse, even briefly, triggers a fresh suspension. Between the interlock costs, probation fees, DUI school, higher premiums, and SR-22 filings, the total financial hit from a first DUI typically climbs several thousand dollars past the court fine.
Permanent Record and the 10-Year Lookback
Tennessee’s expungement statute specifically excludes DUI. A conviction under Section 55-10-401 is on the list of misdemeanors that cannot be expunged, which means it stays on your record for life.1Justia. Tennessee Code 40-32-101 – Destruction or Release of Certain Records No waiting period, no petition, no workaround.
Tennessee generally uses a 10-year lookback when deciding whether a new DUI is charged as a second or subsequent offense, and some circumstances stretch that window to 20 years. A first offense from nine years ago will still count if you are charged again. Because the record is permanent and the lookback is long, the consequences reach well past the immediate sentence.
Other Lasting Consequences
Jobs and Professional Licenses
The conviction shows up on background checks. Roles that require driving, security clearance, or a clean criminal history get harder to land. If you hold a professional license in healthcare, law, education, or another regulated field, expect the board to review the conviction. Boards have wide discretion and can impose conditions, extra monitoring, or a formal reprimand even when they do not revoke the license.
Travel to Canada
Canada treats DUI as a serious criminal offense under its own law, regardless of how Tennessee classifies it. A single misdemeanor DUI can make you inadmissible. Entry may be possible with a temporary resident permit, which takes three to six months to process, or through criminal rehabilitation once at least five years have passed since you finished your entire sentence. Neither route is fast or guaranteed.
Housing and School
Landlords increasingly run criminal background checks, and a DUI can get a rental application denied. Some colleges and universities weigh criminal history in admissions, scholarships, or financial aid decisions. These consequences are harder to quantify than fines and jail time, and they last longer.