To get a driver’s license in Tennessee, you visit a Driver Services Center with proof of identity, your Social Security number, and two documents showing Tennessee residency, then pass a vision screening, a 30-question knowledge test, and a road skills test. An eight-year Class D license costs $28. The process shifts depending on your age, whether you’re moving from another state, and whether you want a REAL ID-compliant card, so what applies to you may be a subset of what follows.
Documents to Bring
Tennessee asks for three categories of documents. All must be originals or certified copies — photocopies are not accepted, and every document can be verified with the agency that issued it.1Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Teen/Graduated Driver License
- One proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence. A birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or permanent resident card all work. Non-citizens with temporary status can use a foreign passport paired with a valid visa and I-94, an employment authorization card (I-766), or a conditional resident alien card, among other federal immigration documents.2Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Identification License
- One proof of Social Security number. Your Social Security card is simplest. A W-2 or 1099 from the past 12 months also qualifies.
- Two proofs of Tennessee residency. Utility bills, bank statements, a rental lease, mortgage documents, vehicle registration, or a Tennessee voter registration card are all accepted. Documents must be dated within the last four months unless otherwise specified.3Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. REAL ID
If you want to confirm your paperwork before making the trip, the state’s New Resident application lets you upload documents for pre-approval. Review takes up to five business days. You still have to bring the originals in person.4State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. New Residents
The Tests
The knowledge test has 30 multiple-choice questions on traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving. You need 80 percent, or 24 correct, to pass. Study the official Tennessee Driver’s Manual. You can also take the knowledge test online from home, but you’re limited to two online attempts, and if you fail you must wait at least 24 hours before trying again.5Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver License Knowledge Permit Test Online
Every applicant takes a vision screening. The standard is 20/40 in each eye and in both eyes together. Fall short of that and you’ll leave with a form to take to an optometrist or ophthalmologist.6Legal Information Institute. Tennessee Comp R and Regs 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards If corrective lenses can bring you to 20/40, you’ll need to have them before returning.7Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening
The road skills test uses your own vehicle. The examiner inspects it before you drive: current Tennessee registration, valid insurance, working brake lights, turn signals, headlights, horn, seatbelts, and mirrors. Dashboard warning lights like “Check Engine” or “ABS” will get the car rejected, so clear those before your appointment. The test covers turning, lane changes, parking, and general traffic navigation. If you don’t pass, you can’t retake it the same day, and the wait depends on how you scored. Road test appointments can be scheduled online, except for applicants under 16 and out-of-state applicants, who schedule through a Driver Services Center directly.8Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver Service Locations and Appointments
What It Costs
The eight-year Class D license is $28: $26 for the license and a $2 application fee. If your term is shorter than eight years because your legal presence authorization expires sooner, the $26 portion is prorated. Going through a County Clerk partner location instead of a state-run Driver Services Center adds a $4 administrative fee.9Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver License Fees
At the Driver Services Center
Walk-ins are accepted, but booking an appointment through the state’s online ticketing system saves significant wait time. Arrive 15 minutes early. Show up late and your appointment may be canceled, dropping you into the walk-in line.8Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver Service Locations and Appointments
The visit follows a set order: document verification, vision screening, knowledge test, then the road test once you’ve held a learner permit long enough to qualify. After you pass and pay, you leave with a temporary paper license. The permanent card arrives by mail.
If You’re Moving from Another State
You have 30 days after establishing residency in Tennessee to get a Tennessee license.4State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. New Residents At a full-service Driver Services Center you’ll surrender your out-of-state license and take a vision screening. The state can waive the knowledge and road tests if your out-of-state license is valid, hasn’t been expired for more than six months, and isn’t subject to suspension or revocation.10Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-322 – Examination of Applicants
If your out-of-state license has been expired for more than six months, you take both tests as a first-time applicant. Drivers coming from a foreign country can have testing waived only if Tennessee has a memorandum of understanding with that country’s licensing authority and the driver holds a valid license from there. Otherwise, expect the full testing process.10Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-322 – Examination of Applicants
If You’re Under 18
Drivers under 18 go through Tennessee’s four-level Graduated Driver License program. Restrictions ease as you move up.1Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Teen/Graduated Driver License
Level 1: Learner Permit at 15
Apply at 15 after passing the knowledge test and vision screening. A parent or legal guardian must be there to sign a minor affidavit and financial responsibility form.1Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Teen/Graduated Driver License You can only drive with a licensed driver who is at least 21 in the front passenger seat, and not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.11Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Types of Issued Licenses
Level 2: Intermediate Restricted License at 16
After holding the learner permit for at least 180 days, a 16-year-old can take the road skills test for an Intermediate Restricted License. A parent, legal guardian, or licensed driving instructor must verify at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night. The applicant can’t have more than six points on their record in the 180 days before applying.11Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Types of Issued Licenses
Driving is barred between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless you’re with a parent, a designated adult driver who is at least 21, or traveling to or from work or a school event with written parental permission. Passengers are limited to one, unless an additional passenger is 21 or older with a valid license, or the extra passengers are siblings traveling to or from school with a parental letter.12Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-311 – Learner Permit
Level 3: Intermediate Unrestricted License at 17
At 17, after a full year with the restricted license, you move to the Intermediate Unrestricted License. The passenger limit and curfew drop away. No additional tests, but you need a reasonably clean record: no more than six points, no at-fault accidents, and no more than one seatbelt violation. If you’ve exceeded six points, you hold the restricted license for another 90 days before advancing.1Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Teen/Graduated Driver License
Level 4: Full Class D at 18
At 18, or upon graduating high school or earning a GED equivalency certificate, you transition automatically to a full, unrestricted Class D license. The “Intermediate” label is removed and GDL restrictions end.11Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Types of Issued Licenses
A narrow Hardship License (Class H) exists for 14- and 15-year-olds who can show genuine need (school transport where no bus is available, a job that helps support the family, medical appointments). It requires supporting letters, limits driving to a pre-approved route of no more than 25 miles one way and to daylight hours of 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., and expires on the applicant’s 16th birthday.13Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Hardship License (Class H or XH)
REAL ID or Standard
You’ll choose between a REAL ID-compliant license and a standard license during your application. Since May 7, 2025, a REAL ID (or a passport or military ID) is required to board domestic flights, enter federal buildings, and access military bases. A standard Tennessee license still covers everyday driving and state purposes, but it will carry “NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES” on the front and won’t get you through a TSA checkpoint on its own.3Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. REAL ID
The core documents are the same for both. The extra demand for a REAL ID is a complete name trail: if your name has changed since birth through marriage, divorce, or a court order, you need every document linking your birth certificate name to your current legal name.3Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. REAL ID