Tennessee teen driving laws: permits, curfew, and passenger rules

Four steps, and the letters printed on the plastic

The manual names four steps to becoming a full, unrestricted Driver License holder: the learner permit, the Intermediate Restricted License, the Intermediate Unrestricted License, and the Regular Driver License. A license issued under the first three of those steps has GDL printed in the bottom left corner. Both intermediate levels show the license class as Class D and carry the words Intermediate Driver License in the yellow header bar on the front of the license, so an officer or a store clerk can read the level off the card without asking.

Two of those levels come with a card you have to carry alongside the license. The manual says a driver with a learner permit will be given a Restriction Card explaining the restrictions of driving with the permit, and that it also explains the requirements for advancing to the Intermediate Restricted level of the Class D license. A driver holding the first-level Intermediate Restricted Class D gets a restriction card as well, explaining that level's restrictions and what it takes to advance. The second-level Intermediate Unrestricted Class D has no restrictions on driving, so the manual says there is no restriction card for that level. Effective July 1, 2018, all licenses issued to persons under 21 years of age are printed in a vertical format.

The department explains why the ladder exists rather than just imposing it. The manual says the graduated steps are designed to incrementally teach young drivers how to drive by requiring minimum levels of driving experience and a safe driving history record before allowing teenage drivers to receive a full-fledged Class D driver license. It then gives the reason in one sentence: motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 20, and by requiring more supervised practice the State of Tennessee hopes to save lives and prevent tragic injuries.

Turning 15, and the school form with a thirty-day life

The learner permit opens at 15, and the manual's graduated licensing chapter and the Teen/Graduated Driver License page carry the same list. You must be 15 years old and pass the standard written exams and vision screening, and you must hold the learner permit for 180 days in order to move to the Intermediate Restricted License step. While you hold it, four rules apply: you may drive a car only when accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years or older riding in the front seat; you may not drive between the hours of 10 P.M. and 6 A.M.; driver and passengers must wear a safety belt; and the manual's teen FAQ adds that the driver may not use a handheld device while operating the vehicle.

Where that written test happens is the teenager's own choice, and it is the one route Tennessee prints figures for. The Teen/Graduated Driver License page says Tennesseans aged 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test in two ways — online via e-Services, or at a Driver Services Center, where scheduling a Knowledge Test Appointment is not required but will save time — and adds that walk-ins are welcome for all visits. For the online, parent-proctored route the department's Test Format list sets the test at 30 questions, with 60 minutes to finish it and a minimum score of 80% required to pass; 80% of that same online 30-question test works out to 24 correct, which is our arithmetic rather than a count the page prints. One parent or legal guardian may proctor up to five applicants, the online test may be taken a maximum of two times, an applicant who fails the online test must wait 24 hours before retesting, and the department may still require the knowledge test to be retaken at a driver services center even after an online pass.

School paperwork gates everything, and the manual accepts four different proofs. If the applicant has graduated, they bring the original high school diploma or G.E.D. certificate, with no photocopies. If still enrolled in a Tennessee school, the applicant asks the school to complete a Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance, Form SF1010, and takes the original completed form to the Driver Service Center; that form is only valid for thirty days from the date of signing by the school official. If the applicant is enrolled in school outside Tennessee, or in an approved private or church school in Tennessee without access to the SF1010 forms, they must provide a statement from the school principal or headmaster on official school letterhead specifically confirming that the applicant is not truant, and copies and faxes cannot be accepted. Home-schooled applicants provide two documents: a letter from the local director of schools in the district of the applicant's legal residence confirming the district received the proper annual notice of intent to home school, and a Verification of Home School Enrollment, Department of Safety Form SF-1193, signed and completed by the parent or legal guardian at the time of application at the Driver License Center.

Two footnotes on that form save families a wasted trip. During the traditional summer vacation months, a properly completed SF1010 signed within the last thirty days of the school year will be accepted throughout the summer until thirty days after the start of the following school year — the manual's own example is that a form signed in May is accepted through roughly August or September. And grade cards and school transcripts are not acceptable as proof of compliance with this law: the manual says driver license personnel are not authorized to interpret them, because grading scales and the handling of excused and unexcused absences differ between school systems.

The permit application itself can start online. The Teen/Graduated Driver License page says you can complete the Regular Driver License application online and get your required documents pre-approved, and to allow up to five business days for that. It also spells out what counts as acceptable proof of guardianship: the minor's certified birth certificate listing the parents, a certified court order granting temporary or permanent custody to the adult, or a certified final adoption decree. Where there is no parent, stepparent, grandparent, guardian or foster parent, the page says a responsible party may sign for the minor upon providing financial responsibility — SR22 proof of insurance — on behalf of the minor until the minor reaches eighteen years of age.

Logging the driving experience on form SF-1256

Moving up to the Intermediate Restricted License takes four things at once. You must be at least 16 years old. You must have held a valid learner permit for a minimum of 180 days. You must have verification from a parent, legal guardian or licensed driving instructor stating you have completed fifty hours of driving experience, ten of them at night — certification made on the official form the Department of Safety provides, which the manual identifies as SF-1256 and the Teen/Graduated Driver License page calls the 50-Hour Certification form, and which must be signed by one of those three people. And you must pass the driving skills test, also known as the road test. The manual attaches one further condition: you cannot have been convicted of moving violations or contributed to accidents that equal six or more points within a twelve-month period.

How you keep the log is left to you, and the manual offers two suggestions plus a benchmark. It says to keep track of the hours you can either get a simple spiral ring notebook to keep in the glove compartment to record your practice sessions, or make copies of the sample log printed on page 118. It also cites a number larger than the state requirement: safety researchers have found the more supervised miles new drivers have before driving on their own, the fewer accidents they have, and the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute recommends 3,000 miles. The manual is careful to frame Tennessee's own requirement as the specific number of hours — fifty — that a minor must drive before being eligible to move up.

One rule applies on the day of the skills test itself. The Teen/Graduated Driver License page says any applicant holding a learner permit who visits a Driver Services Center to take a skills or road test must be accompanied by an individual 21 years or older with a valid driver license, and cites T.C.A. section 55-50-311 for the underlying rule that a learner permit only authorizes driving when the permit holder is accompanied by someone at least 21 with a valid license. If a permit holder visits the center and is not accompanied by a licensed driver, the page says the permit holder will not be allowed to proceed with the test. It also notes that at this step a vision screening is required only if you are exchanging a learner permit or license from another state, and that teen drivers are encouraged to schedule a Road Skills Test Appointment because without one you may not be able to take the test that day.

Passengers capped at one, and a clock that starts at 11

The Intermediate Restricted License is where the real restrictions live, and the passenger rule comes with its own two exceptions. The manual's teen FAQ says those with an intermediate license can only have one other passenger in the vehicle, and then gives two ways out. The cap does not apply if one or more of the passengers is age 21 or older and has a valid, unrestricted license. It also does not apply where the passengers are brothers and sisters, step-brothers or step-sisters, adopted or fostered children residing in the same house as the driver — and, the manual is explicit that this second exception carries a second condition, the intermediate license holder has in their possession a letter from the driver's parent authorizing passengers to be in the motor vehicle for the sole purpose of going to and from school.

The curfew tightens by an hour compared with the permit, and it has five written exceptions. Those with an Intermediate Restricted License are prohibited from driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless they meet one of the following: they are accompanied by a parent or guardian; they are accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older who has been designated by the parent or guardian, with that designation in writing and in the possession of the teen driver; they are driving to or from a specifically identified school sponsored activity or event and have written permission from a parent or guardian in their possession; they are driving to or from work and have in their possession written permission from a parent or guardian identifying the place of employment and authorizing the driver to go to and from work; or they are driving to or from hunting or fishing between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. and have a valid hunting or fishing license in their possession. Four of those five require a document in the car, not just a family understanding.

Faking the paperwork is treated as a licensing matter, not just a family one. The manual's teen FAQ says a driver with an Intermediate Restricted License who is convicted of having a forged or fraudulent letter or statement will have their Intermediate Restricted License revoked, and will only be reissued a learner permit until they reach the age of 18. That is a step backwards that lasts years rather than weeks.

Level three at 17: no test, but conditions

To apply for the Intermediate Unrestricted from the Intermediate Restricted License, the manual says you must be 17 years old and meet a short list: you must have held an Intermediate Restricted License for one year; you cannot have accumulated over six points on your driving record, or you must hold the Intermediate Restricted License for an additional ninety days; you cannot have had a traffic accident that was your fault; you cannot have two safety belt violations; and driver and passengers must wear a safety belt. The last line of that list is the one that shortens the visit: no additional tests are required at this step.

The manual's teen FAQ restates the ninety-day delay and lists three separate triggers — and it draws the points line one point lower than the section above does, so treat six points as enough to trigger the delay. A teen driver will be ineligible for an Unrestricted Intermediate License for an additional ninety days beyond the minimum one year if the driver has received six or more points — which the manual glosses as the equivalent of two minor traffic citations — on their Intermediate Restricted License; if the driver has contributed to a traffic crash; or if the driver has been convicted of a second seatbelt violation. A fourth consequence sits alongside those rather than inside them: if the teen driver gets a second moving violation while holding the Intermediate Restricted Driver License, an approved Driver Education class must be completed before receiving an Intermediate Unrestricted Driver License.

The GDL steps have their own fee table, and it is short. The Driver License Fees page lists the D-Intermediate Restricted under 18 at $22.50 in license cost plus a $2.00 application fee, $24.50 in total, for a five-year period; the D-Intermediate Unrestricted under 18 at $2.00 with no application fee, for one year; and D-Graduating to Class D at age 18 at $8.00 plus a $2.00 application fee, $10.00 in total, running until age 21. The manual's teen FAQ describes that last step as an $8 duplicate fee, and adds that you can instead keep the license with the word Intermediate on it until that license reaches the end of its five-year renewal cycle. County Clerk Partners add their $4.00 administrative fee on top. Confirm every one of these amounts on the Driver License Fees page, which is the document that carries them.

What actually changes on the card is worth knowing before you pay for anything. At the Intermediate Unrestricted level the word Intermediate is still printed on the license, but the restrictions are lifted. At the final level you may obtain a Class D regular driver license when you are 18 years of age, or when you graduate from high school or receive a GED, whichever is sooner; the word Intermediate is removed at that point, though the manual says the license will still include the Under 21 indicators.

The phone rule that only permit and intermediate holders live under

Tennessee has a phone rule aimed squarely at teen license holders. The manual states that Tennessee law prohibits any driver possessing a learner permit or intermediate driver license from using a cell phone while driving on any Tennessee roadway, and it defines a cell phone in three parts: a handheld cellular telephone, a cellular car telephone, or another mobile phone. This is not the general distracted-driving rule everyone drives under; it attaches to the level of license in the driver's pocket.

The manual prints four consequences of conviction together in one box: it is a Class C misdemeanor; it carries a $50.00 fine; it puts six points on a minor's driving record; and it triggers a ninety-day delay in eligibility for the Intermediate Restricted Driver License. Read the third item beside the level above and the reach becomes clearer, though the connection is ours rather than the manual's: the manual's teen FAQ says a learner permit holder with driving offenses adding up to six or more points during the 180 days before applying has to keep holding the permit until the record is under six points for a full 180 consecutive days, and the phone box says one conviction puts six points on a minor's record. The manual does not state the two rules as a single consequence. Fines and court costs are set by statute and can change; these figures are the manual's, so check the current ones against the manual and with Tennessee Driver Services.

Texting is banned more broadly. The manual says that as of July 1, 2009, texting while driving is prohibited for teenage drivers as well as adult drivers, and describes the conduct as using a hand-held telephone or hand-held personal digital assistant to transmit or read a written message while the driver's motor vehicle is in motion. Violations can result in a fine not to exceed fifty dollars and court costs not to exceed ten dollars, per the same passage — again, statutory amounts worth confirming against the current manual.

An adult puts their name on the Minor/Teenage Affidavit

Applicants under eighteen years old must have an adult sign a Minor/Teenage Affidavit and Cancellation form, available at all driver license service centers. The manual describes what signing means in plain terms: the form confirms that the adult signing joins in the application for the license and will be responsible for the actions of the minor driver, and that this includes assuming financial responsibility for the minor driver. That is the sentence to read aloud before anyone signs anything.

The manual is specific about who may sign, and it names five categories: a parent, a foster parent, or a step-parent living at the same address as the applicant; a legal guardian; or a grandparent authorized by the parent, step-parent or guardian. If the adult cannot accompany the minor to the driver license service center to sign the form, it may be completed ahead of time and signed before a notary public. Where a grandparent is assuming financial responsibility, the manual requires them to bring a notarized statement authorizing this, signed by the parent, a step-parent, custodian or guardian as appropriate. And if a minor applies for an additional class of license such as motorcycle, the parents or legal guardian will be required to sign a second teenage affidavit for that license type.

Behind that signature sits Tennessee's Financial Responsibility Law, which the manual explains separately. Collision insurance is not required by Tennessee law, but the Financial Responsibility Law requires drivers to produce evidence of financial responsibility when charged with any violation or when involved in a motor vehicle crash, without regard to apparent or actual fault. Five forms of evidence are listed: a declaration page of your insurance policy; an insurance binder; an insurance card from an insurance company authorized to do business in Tennessee; a certificate issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Safety stating that a cash deposit or bond in the amount required by statute has been paid or filed; or proof of qualification as a self-insurer as provided by statute. A driver who cannot present evidence and is convicted of failure to show it has their driving privileges suspended, with a stop placed on the renewal of vehicle tags and registration.

Class H, and driving at 14 in a family hardship

The Hardship License page describes Class H or XH as a special license issued to a minor who is either fourteen or fifteen years of age, to operate a Class D non-commercial passenger vehicle, a Class M motorcycle, or both. It is only issued in cases of family hardship and is limited to specific needs. What happens next is in the manual rather than on that page: proof of hardship must be mailed with a Hardship License application to the Driver Services Administrative Office for evaluation, each application is reviewed and evaluated on an individual basis, less than one percent of all licenses issued to minors are hardship licenses, and if approved the applicant will receive a letter authorizing application for a hardship license. The page also sets out the testing: an applicant approved to apply must pass a vision screening, knowledge test and road test to operate a passenger vehicle, and to drive a motorcycle must also take the Motorcycle License knowledge and road skills test in addition to the Regular Driver License knowledge test, with motorcycle operation limited to those with 125 cylinder capacity.

The restrictions are written tightly, and the page spells out each one. Hardship Licenses are valid only for daylight hours, which the page defines as no driving earlier than 5 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m., with no exceptions. They are valid only for travel to pre-authorized locations specified on the approval letter, and approved for the most direct route only, with a mileage limitation of twenty-five miles one way. Passengers are limited to immediate family members only, not including minor passengers. Holders are not allowed to tow other vehicles or trailers. The page warns that a driver found driving before or after hours, on an unapproved route, or with non-approved passengers can have the license suspended.

Three kinds of destination are considered, each with its own paperwork. School counts only if no bus transportation is provided, and requires a letter from the principal or headmaster on school letterhead verifying that no bus transportation is provided from home to school, or verifying participation in a school-sponsored activity or accredited course. Work requires a letter from the employer verifying employment, and the page adds that the job must assist in financially supporting the family. Medical requires a letter from the attending physician verifying the condition and the frequency of visits where the applicant is the patient; where the medical reason applies to someone else, that person submits a medical statement from their attending physician verifying the condition and stating how it affects their ability to drive. On eligibility, the applicant must be a Tennessee resident at least fourteen years old, must submit a Minor/Teenage Affidavit and Cancellation Form and a Certification of Compulsory School Attendance Form, must meet the same eligibility standards as a GDL learner permit, and — if fourteen, or if they have not held a GDL Level I learner permit for at least three months — must show proof of successful completion of a state-approved driver education or training course.

The Class H is a bridge, not a destination, and it ends on a birthday. Regardless of age at the time of approval, a Hardship License expires on the applicant's sixteenth birthday. If you are approved with under six months to go before that birthday, the page says you will be required to renew into a Teen/Graduated Driver License on expiration, and will need to hold the GDL Level I learner permit until you have attained a total of 180 days of driving experience before advancing to the Intermediate Restricted step. A holder who is at least fifteen may use the hardship license as an instructional permit for their Teen/Graduated Driver License, as long as all other requirements are met, and the page says such holders are extended the same privileges as GDL holders. On cost, the Driver License Fees page totals the H-Hardship at $9.00 for a two-year period — $7.00 in license cost plus a $2.00 application fee — which is the figure to confirm there before applying.

Leave school at 15 and the department hears about it

Tennessee ties the license to school attendance, and the reporting is automatic. The manual says that if a student fifteen years old or older drops out of school, the school is required to notify the Department of Safety, which suspends the student's driving privileges. The first time a student drops out, they may regain the privilege to drive by returning to school. The manual then says plainly that there is no second chance: the second time a student drops out, they must wait to turn eighteen years old before being eligible to apply for a license again.

Coming back has a defined path. The manual says that if a person who dropped out returns to school, the appropriate school official can certify that the student has returned by completing a different section of the Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance, and will give the student a copy of the form to take to a driver license service center. The student will be required to pay a $20 reinstatement fee, in addition to the appropriate application and license fees, and the manual adds that other fees may be added depending on the individual's history. That $20 figure appears in the manual's chapter on additional documentation requirements for minors rather than in the Driver License Fees page's tables, so confirm the current amount with Tennessee Driver Services before you budget for it.

School is one item on a longer list of disqualifications the Teen/Graduated Driver License page publishes under the heading of who is not eligible for a Regular Driver License. Alongside anyone under the age of 18 who has dropped out of school before graduating, or who does not make satisfactory progress in school, it lists anyone whose license is currently suspended or revoked in Tennessee or any other state; anyone the Commissioner has reason to believe would be unable to operate a motor vehicle safely because of mental or physical disabilities; anyone who has been proven to be a habitual drunkard or who is addicted to the use of narcotics; anyone required to show proof of financial responsibility who has not yet done so; and anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, who the page says will not qualify for the issuance of a driver license or identification only license.

Four phases of practice, from an empty lot to the interstate

Chapter C-4 of the manual is written for the adult in the car, and it lays out one approach in four phases. Phase One is control of the car itself somewhere safe and away from traffic, with a large deserted parking lot named as ideal: buckling up and adjusting the seat and mirrors so all necessary controls are within easy reach, operating the gearshift and clutch, gas and brake pedals, backing and pulling the car forward with right and left turns, and staying within an imaginary lane. Phase Two moves to a quiet residential area and adds pulling into traffic and navigating simple intersections, keeping proper lane position with a safe two-second following distance, and easy lane changes. Phase Three takes the new driver into heavier traffic and adds parallel parking and uphill and downhill parking, multiple turn lane intersections, and U-turns and quick stops simulating an emergency. Phase Four practices everything above on high-speed multi-lane highways or interstates, in various weather conditions, at night in good weather and bad, and in city driving or heavy traffic areas.

The same chapter coaches the coach. Give directions well in advance and always use the same terms, so the accelerator does not become the gas pedal halfway through the lesson. Do not hit the beginner with everything at once: the manual points out that even a simple right turn involves checking mirrors, signaling, lane use, braking and turning, and that expecting a beginner to get all of it right in early sessions is asking too much. Do not get excited during practice sessions, because yelling over every mistake erodes confidence and makes performance harder. Do not overload or distract, since everything you say is also a distraction for the driver. And stop and discuss as soon as you can while a major mistake is still fresh, then talk through what the safest response would have been.

Two more ideas close the chapter. The manual suggests a driving contract as it gets closer to the time your new driver will apply for the Intermediate license, and says it is up to you whether it is written and signed or just discussed as a family. Seven areas are offered for the agreement: where they may drive in terms of miles and road types; what hours of the day they may drive; the condition the car should be returned in, such as gas in the tank and clean, and the consequences if that is neglected; who pays for the car's gas and maintenance; what amount they will contribute toward auto insurance; responsibility for parking tickets or vehicle damage; and consequences for moving violations, including speeding. The chapter's final word to parents is a caution about reading too much into a pass: a driver license examiner spends under thirty minutes driving with your child, it is a special trip on which applicants perform at their very best level, and performing at the passing level does not necessarily mean those safe driving procedures continue once the examiner is out of the car.

If the new driver's first language is not English, the manual asks for two specific things. Make every effort to ensure the driver studies the material on traffic signs and signals thoroughly, and help them translate those signs while you are out driving together. Then put yourself in the role of an examiner and let the driver practice following simple instructions in English — the manual's own examples are turn left, slow down, and go straight at the next intersection. The reason is procedural rather than academic: all applicants must understand and speak enough English to safely communicate with the examiner before a road test can be administered.

Tennessee licensing — frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (PDF)
• Tennessee Teen/Graduated Driver License steps
• Tennessee Hardship License (Class H or XH)
• Driver License Knowledge Permit Test Online — requirements and rules
• Tennessee Driver Services — Driver License Fees

Checked against official state sources on August 21, 2026.