Tennessee Learner’s Permit Requirements and Restrictions

A Tennessee learner’s permit lets you practice driving at age 15 or older, but only with a licensed adult 21 or older sitting in the front passenger seat and never between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. It is officially a Class PD license and the first stage of the state’s graduated driver licensing system. To get one you bring identity and residency documents to a Driver Services Center, pay the fee, and pass a written knowledge test and a vision screening.

Who Qualifies

You must be at least 15 and a Tennessee resident.¹ There is no upper age limit; adults who have never been licensed also start here. Non-U.S. citizens must show documentation of lawful presence, and everyone must prove a physical Tennessee address (P.O. boxes don’t count).²

What to Bring

Tennessee requires documents in three categories. Bring originals or certified copies. Photocopies won’t be accepted.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence: a certified U.S. birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or permanent resident card.²
Proof of your Social Security number: the card itself, a W-2 or 1099 from the last 12 months, or a pay stub showing the full number. If you’ve never been issued one, you can sign a sworn affidavit in front of a driver license examiner or notary.²
Two proofs of Tennessee residency: utility bills, bank statements, or lease agreements, generally dated within the last four months. A signed rental lease only counts as one residency proof, and only when paired with a landlord letter dated within the last 30 days.²

If your name has changed through marriage or a court order, bring the paperwork that links your current name to the name on your identity documents.

Additional Forms for Applicants Under 18

Minors also need two extra forms. A parent or legal guardian must sign the Minor/Teenage Affidavit (Form SF-0260), which places financial responsibility for the minor’s driving on the signing adult.³ You also need a Certification of Compulsory School Attendance (Form SF-1010) signed by a school principal or director of schools. During the school year it’s valid for 30 days from its signing date; over the summer, it must be dated within the last 30 days of the spring semester.⁴

Cost

The state fee is $10.50 for applicants under 18 and $5.50 for applicants 18 and older. County Clerks add a $4.00 administrative fee, so the out-the-door total is $14.50 for minors and $9.50 for adults.⁵

The Knowledge Test and Vision Screening

You have to pass both before the permit is issued.

The knowledge test is 30 multiple-choice questions on traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving. You need 24 correct (80%) to pass. Tennessee lets you take the test online, but only twice. If you fail, wait at least 24 hours before trying again. Once you’ve used your online attempts, you’ll need to test in person at a Driver Services Center. The test is available in multiple languages and in audio format.⁶

The vision screening requires at least 20/40 acuity, with or without corrective lenses. If you can’t meet that at the counter, the examiner will give you a Tennessee standard vision statement to take to a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. If new lenses can correct you to 20/40, you’ll need them in hand before you come back.⁷

What You Can Do With the Permit

A permit is not an unrestricted license. Tennessee sets firm rules about when, how, and with whom you can drive.

Always With a Supervisor

You can only drive when a licensed driver 21 or older is in the front passenger seat. No exceptions. Driving without a qualifying supervisor is a Class C misdemeanor: a $50 fine and a 90-day delay before you can apply for an intermediate license.⁸

No Driving Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

The nighttime ban is flat during the permit stage.⁸ The broader nighttime exception for driving with a parent or guardian only applies once you move up to an intermediate license.

No Phone in Your Hand

Tennessee’s hands-free law applies to every driver. You can’t hold a phone or electronic device, text, read messages, watch video, or reach for a device in a way that takes you out of a normal seated position. A first offense is up to $50. In a school zone or work zone it jumps to $200. For a permit holder under 18, a second or later offense adds seven points to your record, which alone can trigger suspension.⁹

Passengers and Seat Belts

The permit itself doesn’t cap how many passengers you can carry beyond the requirement that your supervising adult be in the front seat.⁸ Passenger limits arrive at the intermediate stage. Everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt.

Insurance

The car you’re driving must be insured. In most cases, that means being added to the supervising driver’s existing auto policy rather than buying your own. Talk to the insurer before the first supervised drive, because adding a young or new driver usually raises the premium.¹⁰

What Can Cost You the Permit

School Attendance

Minors have to stay enrolled and keep attendance up. Ten consecutive unexcused absences or 15 total unexcused absences in a single semester will trigger suspension or denial of the permit, and dropping out has the same result. To get driving privileges back, you re-enroll and get a fresh SF-1010 from a school official.⁴

Traffic Points

Drivers under 18 face much tighter limits than adults. Adults face suspension proceedings at 12 points in 12 months; drivers under 18 start facing consequences at six.¹¹ Between six and nine points brings a mandatory hearing with a parent or guardian present, a possible three to six month suspension, and a required defensive driving course. Ten or more points brings a six-month suspension outright. Skipping the hearing at either tier triggers an automatic six-month suspension on its own.

Alcohol

Tennessee applies a zero-tolerance rule to drivers under 21. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.02% or higher supports an underage driving while impaired charge whether or not you look intoxicated. For someone 18 to 20, it’s a Class A misdemeanor; for someone under 18, it’s a delinquent act. Either way the penalty is a one-year license suspension, a $250 fine, and possible public service work at the court’s discretion.¹²

Moving Up to an Intermediate License

The permit is a stepping stone. To advance, you need to meet all of these:

Be at least 16.
Have held the permit for at least 180 days (about six months).¹³
Complete at least 50 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, including 10 at night, certified by a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor.¹⁴
Not have accumulated six or more points in the 180 days right before applying.⁸
Pass a road skills test.⁸

If you’re 16 or older and already held a license in another state for at least 90 days, you may qualify without the full 180-day Tennessee holding period.

How Long the Permit Lasts

The permit is valid for one year from the date it’s issued. If it expires before you earn your intermediate license, you can renew online or in person at a Driver Services Center, as long as the permit has not been expired for more than a year. If more than a year has passed, you have to start over, including the knowledge test.¹⁵

Moving to Tennessee With a Permit From Another State

If you already hold a valid learner’s permit from another state and become a Tennessee resident, visit a full-service Driver Services Center to apply for a Tennessee permit. You’ll surrender your out-of-state credential at that visit, since Tennessee does not allow residents to hold more than one valid license. Bring the same paperwork as a new applicant: proof of citizenship or legal presence, proof of your Social Security number, and two proofs of Tennessee residency.¹⁶ Time you already spent on the out-of-state permit counts toward the 180-day requirement for the intermediate license.⁸

1
Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-312 – Licensing of Minors
2
State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. REAL ID
3
State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. Minor/Teenage Affidavit
4
State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. Certification of Compulsory School Attendance – SF-1010
5
TN.gov. Driver License Fees
6
TN.gov. Driver License Knowledge Permit Test Online
7
State of Tennessee, Safety & Homeland Security. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening
8
Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-50-311 – Driver’s Licenses
9
Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-8-199 – Prohibited Uses of Wireless Telecommunications Devices or Stand-Alone Electronic Devices
10
Tennessee Department of Revenue. DIFD-1 – Insurance Verification Overview
11
TN.gov. Driver Improvement Points Accumulation
12
Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-10-415 – Underage Driving While Impaired – Penalties
13
Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Minors Obtaining Licenses or Temporary Licenses
14
TN.gov. Certification of 50 Hours Behind the Wheel Driving Experience
15
TN.gov. Renewing Your License
16
TN.gov. New Residents