TN Learner’s Permit Requirements: Documents, Tests, and Restrictions

To get a Tennessee learner’s permit, you must be at least 15 years old and go in person to a Driver Services Center with proof of citizenship, your Social Security number, two proofs of Tennessee residency, a signed school attendance form, and a parent-signed affidavit. You’ll pass a 30-question knowledge test and a vision screening, pay $10.50, and walk out with a temporary paper permit the same day. The permit is the first of four stages in Tennessee’s Graduated Driver License (GDL) program, and you’ll hold it for at least 180 days before you can move up to an intermediate restricted license.¹

Age and Paperwork Before You Go

Fifteen is the minimum age.² If you’re under 18, two extra forms have to be filled out before your visit, and both cause more failed applications than anything else on the checklist.

The School Attendance Form (SF-1010)

Tennessee requires a completed Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance, form SF-1010, signed by a school official, principal, or director of schools in blue or black ink. It’s only valid for 30 days during the school year. If you’re applying in the summer, the form can be dated within the last 30 days of the spring semester.³ Fill in the student section yourself before you hand it over, so the school only has to complete its portion. Homeschooled students need the form too; the umbrella school or local school district can sign it.

Parent or Guardian Affidavit

A parent, stepparent living at the same address, or legal guardian must sign the Minor/Teenage Affidavit and Cancellation form.⁴ Signing it does more than grant permission. The adult agrees to be jointly and severally liable for any damages you cause while driving before you turn 18, meaning they can be held personally responsible alongside you for a crash.⁵

Documents to Bring

Bring originals, not photocopies. The examiner verifies them and hands them back. Missing any one item means a return trip.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency: birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, or permanent resident card.
Social Security card, or another document from the Social Security Administration showing the number.
Two proofs of Tennessee residency, such as utility bills or bank statements with your name and current Tennessee address.
The SF-1010 school attendance form, signed within the last 30 days.
The Minor/Teenage Affidavit, signed by a parent or legal guardian.

The citizenship, Social Security, and residency requirements are set by state law and apply to every Tennessee driver license applicant.²

The Knowledge Test

The written exam has 30 multiple-choice questions on Tennessee traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving. You need 24 correct, or 80 percent, to pass.⁶ Everything on the test is covered in the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, which is free at any Driver Services Center or on the Department of Safety and Homeland Security website.⁷ Right-of-way rules, warning sign shapes, and GDL-specific rules trip people up more often than basic traffic knowledge.

Taking the Test Online

Applicants aged 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test at home, supervised by a parent or legal guardian acting as proctor through the Tennessee Proctor ID App. You have 60 minutes to finish. The parent scans a QR code for authentication at the 30-minute mark, and skipping it fails the test automatically. No notes, no reference materials, and clicking away from the test window is an automatic failure. You get two online attempts. If you don’t pass by the second, you’ll finish the test in person.⁶

Retaking It

Whether you tested online or in person, you must wait at least 24 hours before retesting.⁶ There’s no extra fee for a retake at a Driver Services Center, and the department can require an in-person retest even if you passed online.

Vision Screening

You’ll take a quick vision test at the Driver Services Center. The standard for non-commercial drivers is at least 20/40 in each eye and both eyes together.⁸ If you can’t hit that number, the examiner gives you a form to take to a licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist. Correcting to 20/40 with glasses or contacts is fine; you just need to come back with the lenses to finish the screening.⁹

Fees and Where to Apply

The permit costs $10.50 at a state-run Driver Services Center: a $5.00 annual permit fee, $3.50 in additional license fees, and a $2.00 application fee.¹⁰ The permit is valid for one year.¹¹ Centers accept credit cards, debit cards, and personal checks.

First-time applicants have to go to a Driver Services Center. County clerk partner offices handle only renewals and replacements, not initial applications. Book an appointment through the Department of Safety and Homeland Security website to skip the walk-in line.¹²

Once you pass everything and pay, you’ll take a photo and receive a temporary paper permit on the spot. You can start practicing right away. The permanent card arrives by mail, typically within 10 to 20 days. If it doesn’t show up within 20 business days, contact the department at Online.driverlicense@tn.gov.¹³

Rules While You Hold the Permit

A learner permit is not a license. Break any of these rules and you can be fined and lose ground toward the next stage.

A Licensed Adult in the Front Seat

Every time you drive, a licensed driver at least 21 years old must sit in the front passenger seat.² Someone in the back seat or someone asleep next to you doesn’t satisfy the rule. Tennessee doesn’t cap the number of other passengers during the permit stage, but fewer people in the car means fewer distractions while you’re learning.

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

The night ban is absolute. No exceptions, even with an adult in the car.² It’s clock-based, not light-based, which catches people during winter months when it’s dark well before 10.

No Phone in Hand

Tennessee’s general hands-free law prohibits any driver from holding a phone. If you’re under 18, the rules go further: permit and intermediate license holders cannot use a hand-held cell phone at all while the vehicle is moving.² The exemptions that let adults use earpieces, voice-to-text, and GPS don’t apply to drivers under 18 either.¹⁴ Practically, leave the phone alone while you’re driving. The only recognized exception is calling a custodial parent, which the law treats as a bona fide emergency.

Penalties for Breaking the Rules

A conviction for a learner permit violation carries a $10 fine on top of any other penalty. Cell phone violations are worse: a Class C misdemeanor with a $50 fine and a 90-day delay before you can advance to an intermediate or unrestricted license.² A second or later hands-free violation by a driver under 18 adds seven points to your record.¹⁴ Six points disqualifies you from moving up to the intermediate license, so a single repeat phone offense can stall your progress for months.

The court also notifies your designated parent or guardian of any moving violation conviction.²

Insurance

Tennessee requires every vehicle on the road to carry minimum liability insurance of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage. That requirement covers permit holders too. Most insurers automatically cover household members who drive on a learner permit under an existing family policy, but call yours before your teen starts practicing to confirm. Some companies want the permit holder added to the policy formally. Skipping that call can leave a coverage gap after a crash, and since the parent who signed the affidavit is on the hook for damages, verifying coverage is not optional.

Moving Up to the Intermediate Restricted License

After holding your permit for at least 180 days and turning 16, you can apply for an intermediate restricted license, the second GDL stage.² You have to:

Have 50 hours of practice driving certified by a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor on form SF-1256, including at least 10 hours at night.¹⁵
Have fewer than six points on your driving record during the 180 days before you apply.²
Pass an in-person road skills test.¹⁵

Start logging your practice hours the day you get the permit. The 50-hour requirement takes longer than most families expect, and the 10 nighttime hours especially. Waiting until the 180-day mark to think about the log is the single most common reason teens can’t advance on schedule.

If the Permit Expires

The permit is good for one year.¹¹ If you haven’t moved up to the intermediate license in that time, renew online through the Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s E-Services portal, or visit a Driver Services Center if the online option doesn’t work.¹⁶ Don’t drive on an expired permit. There’s no grace period, and any points from getting caught can push back your advancement to the next stage.

1
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Teen/Graduated Driver License
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-50-311 – Learner Permit – Intermediate License – Fees – Restrictions – Penalties – Application – Parental Notification
3
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Certification of Compulsory School Attendance
4
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Minor/Teenage Affidavit and Proof of School Attendance
5
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Minor/Teenage Affidavit and Cancellation
6
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver License Knowledge Permit Test Online
7
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual
8
Tennessee Department of State. Tennessee Comp R and Regs 1340-01-13-.10 – Vision Standards
9
State of Tennessee. What if I Cannot Pass the Vision Screening
10
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Driver License Fees
11
Tennessee Traffic Safety. Tennessee Graduated Driver License Guidelines
12
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Driver Services Locations and Appointments
13
State of Tennessee. I Did Not Receive My License or ID in the Mail What Should I Do
14
FindLaw. Tennessee Code Title 55 Motor and Other Vehicles 55-8-199
15
Tennessee Traffic Safety Resource Service. Teen Driver Safety
16
State of Tennessee. My Learner’s Permit Is Expired Now What