Tennessee DMV Cheat Sheet
A condensed study guide for the Tennessee DOSHS written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the Tennessee-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for the official Tennessee driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions. Looking for the core rules and signs that apply everywhere, not just Tennessee? Check the general driving theory cheat sheet instead.
30Questions
80%To Pass
$10.50 (Learner Permit, under 18, 1-year) or $28.00 (Class D Operator license, 8-year cycle)Fee
- Test length varies: Tennessee's 30-question knowledge test is built from four roughly equal parts: traffic signs & signals (about 25%), safe driving principles (about 25%), rules of the road (about 25%), and drugs & alcohol (about 25%) -- Tennessee law specifically requires at least a quarter of the test to cover drugs and alcohol.
- Fee: Fees scale with license type and age: a Learner Permit is $10.50 under 18 (or $5.50 for 18+), the Intermediate Restricted License is $23.25 at 16 ($21.00 at 17), the Intermediate Unrestricted License is just $2.00, and moving to a regular license at 18 costs an $8 or $12 duplicate fee. A Temporary Driver License (TDL) is a flat $28. Every knowledge or road test retake after a failure costs a separate $2 application fee.
- Documents required:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency (a certified birth certificate or valid passport, for example)
- Primary proof of identity, plus a second (primary or secondary) proof of identity
- Two proofs of Tennessee residency (current utility bill, bank statement, lease, etc.) dated within the last 4 months
- Your Social Security number, or a signed affidavit if one was never issued
- Proof of any name change, if your name differs across documents
- If under 18: a parent/guardian-signed Minor/Teenage Affidavit, proof of school attendance or graduation (Form SF1010 or a diploma/GED), and -- for the Intermediate Restricted step -- certification of 50 hours of supervised driving (10 at night) on form SF-1256
- If you don't pass: A mandatory 1-day wait applies after failing the knowledge test, no matter the attempt number. The road (skills) test uses a sliding wait tied to how many errors you made: 1-6 errors passes outright, 7-9 errors means a 1-day wait, 10-12 means 7 days, 13-15 means 14 days, and 16 or more errors (or an automatic-failure offense) means a 30-day wait. Each retake -- knowledge or road -- costs a separate $2 application fee.
- Online testing: Teens 15-17 required to take the written knowledge test can take it online at home, under a parent or legal guardian's supervision, through the state's own Tennessee Proctor Identification (PID) App -- no Driver Service Center visit required for that step. Adults with a current valid photo license may also be eligible to renew online or by mail, unless it's their first renewal since January 1, 2001, which must be done in person.
Tennessee-Specific Rules
Minor & Provisional Licensing
- Teens 15-17 can take the required knowledge test online at home, proctored by a parent or legal guardian, via the Tennessee Proctor Identification (PID) App.
- A Learner Permit (Class PD) can be issued at 15, and must be held 180 days before applying for an Intermediate Restricted License.
- Learner Permit holders can't drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front seat.
- Intermediate Restricted License: at least 16, permit held 180 days, and a passed road test.
- Intermediate Restricted curfew: no driving 11 p.m.-6 a.m. unless with a parent/guardian, or a licensed driver 21+ designated in writing by the parent/guardian.
- Intermediate Restricted holders may carry only 1 other passenger, with narrow exceptions for a 21+ licensed passenger or a sibling covered by a parent's written school-trip letter.
- Moving up from a Learner Permit requires 50 hours of certified driving (10 hours at night), verified by a parent, guardian, or instructor on form SF-1256.
- 6+ points in the 180 days before applying for the Intermediate Restricted License means holding the Learner Permit until the record is clean for 180 straight days.
- Intermediate Unrestricted License: at least 17, having held the Restricted license a full year -- extended by 90 more days for 6+ points, an at-fault crash, or a second seatbelt violation.
- A second moving violation on the Intermediate Restricted License requires an approved driver-education course before advancing further.
- A forged curfew-exception letter gets the Intermediate Restricted License revoked, reissued only as a Learner Permit until 18.
- A regular, unrestricted Class D license is available at 18, or earlier upon high school graduation or a GED.
- Under-18 driving privileges can also be lost for non-driving reasons: dropping out of school, failing to maintain satisfactory grades, a drug/alcohol conviction, or a weapon on school property.
- Points thresholds are stricter for minors: a suspension notice at 6+ points in 12 months, versus 12+ points for an adult.
- Learner Permit and Intermediate License holders face a total cell phone ban while driving -- broader than the adult hands-free rule -- with a $50 fine, 6 points, and a 90-day delay in Intermediate Restricted eligibility.
DUI Laws & Penalties
- 1st DUI conviction: at least 48 hours in jail (7 days if BAC was 0.20%+), a $350-$1,500 fine, and a 1-year revocation.
- 2nd DUI conviction: 45 days to 11 months 29 days in jail, a $600-$3,500 fine, a 2-year revocation, and vehicle seizure/forfeiture.
- 3rd DUI conviction: 120 days to 11 months 29 days in jail, a $1,100-$10,000 fine, a 3-to-10-year revocation, and vehicle seizure.
- A fourth or subsequent DUI conviction is a Class E felony: 150 days up to the felony maximum, a $3,000-$15,000 fine, and a revocation of 5 years up to indefinite.
- DUI probation includes 3 eight-hour litter-pickup shifts wearing clothing reading 'I am a DRUNK DRIVER.'
- The 2012 No Refusal Law lets police seek a search warrant for a blood sample from a driver who refuses testing.
- Refusing a BAC/drug test under implied consent triggers a 12-month license suspension by the court.
- An 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old convicted of buying or possessing alcohol -- even away from a vehicle -- loses their license for 1 year on a first offense, 2 years on a second.
Emergency Vehicles, School Buses & Work Zones
- On a 4-lane highway with only a center turn lane (no true median), oncoming traffic still has to stop for a flashing-lights school bus.
- Passing a stopped school bus with lights flashing/stop arm extended is a Class A misdemeanor, $250-$1,000 fine.
- The Move Over Law also covers any stationary vehicle with hazard flashers on -- not just emergency vehicles -- on roads with 4+ lanes.
- Work-zone speeding with workers present carries a $250-$500 fine.
- Dialing *THP (*847) connects you free to the nearest Tennessee Highway Patrol dispatcher.
Speed, Right-of-Way & Legal Rules
- Unposted speed limit on primary/secondary state and federal highways: 55 mph.
- Interstates: up to 70 mph rural, a 45 mph right-lane minimum, and under 55 mph is illegal in the leftmost lane outside congestion.
- Passing more than one vehicle at once is legal, but must finish -- and return to the right lane -- before 100 feet of no-passing markings.
- An officer may hold a green light for a funeral procession; drivers can't pass one on a two-lane road without an officer's direction.
- A reportable crash (injury, death, or over $400 in damage) must be reported to the Department of Safety within 20 days.
Intersections and Turns
- U-turns require at least 500 feet of visibility in each direction, and are always illegal on an interstate.
- Signal at least 50 feet before a turn or lane change.
Fog, Glare & Night Driving
- Dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming or preceding vehicle.
Parking Rules & Technique
- No parking within 20 feet of a fire station driveway on the same side, or 75 feet on the opposite side; also 20 feet of a crosswalk and 30 feet of a signal/stop sign.
- Misusing a handicap parking space is a $100-fine misdemeanor, and the vehicle can be towed.
Weather & Road Surface Conditions
- As little as 6 inches of moving flood water can knock a person down; 18-24 inches can sweep away most cars.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current details with Tennessee DOSHS before your exam. Cheat sheet v1.0, last checked 2026-07-31.