How to Pass the Tennessee DMV Exam 2026
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility and Gather Your Documents
Make sure you qualify before you begin
Tennessee lets you apply for a Class PD learner permit once you are at least 15 years old. Gather your paperwork before visiting a Driver Services Center run by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security so your visit goes smoothly.
- Proof of identity and date of birth (such as a certified birth certificate or passport)
- Proof of your Social Security number
- Two documents proving your Tennessee residency/address
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency
Bring originals or certified copies that are unexpired. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must come along to sign your application. New residents who already hold a current, valid out-of-state license need only a vision screening; if that license has been expired more than six months, or you have never been licensed, you must take the knowledge test, the road skills test and the vision screening.
Step 2: Study the Official Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual
Prepare for the knowledge test
The written knowledge test is drawn from Sections B and C of the official Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual published by the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division. The manual tells you exactly how the questions are distributed, so you know where to focus.
- Traffic signs and signals — about 25% of the test
- Safe driving principles — about 25%
- Rules of the road — about 25%
- Drugs and alcohol — about 25%; Tennessee law requires that at least 25 percent of the questions deal with drugs and alcohol
Pay special attention to Tennessee-specific rules: the Two-Second Rule following distance, the 55 mph default limit on state and federal highways, the 70 mph interstate maximum, the Move Over law, the School Bus Stop Law, and the hands-free law. Take online practice tests that mirror the real exam format to check your readiness. Read the manual here: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (PDF)
Step 3: Pass the Knowledge Test and Get Your Class PD Learner Permit
Take the knowledge and vision tests
Visit a Driver Services Center to take the written knowledge test, or take it online if you are eligible. The exam has 30 multiple-choice questions with a 60-minute time limit, and you must score at least 80% to pass.
- Answer 24 of 30 questions correctly (80%) to pass; no more than 6 mistakes are allowed
- Pass the vision screening, which requires at least 20/40 vision in each eye separately and in both eyes together, with or without corrective lenses
- Receive your Class PD learner permit once you pass both; it is valid for 12 months and costs $10.50 for any applicant under 18
If you fail, you must wait a full day — no test may be repeated the same day — and a $2 application fee is charged each time you take a test and fail. Online, you may attempt the knowledge test only two times before you must test at a Driver Services Center. Any form of cheating means automatic failure and no re-attempt for 30 days.
Step 4: Practice Driving and Log Your Supervised Hours
Build your driving experience under the permit rules
You must hold your Class PD learner permit for at least 6 months before you can move up to an Intermediate Restricted License. During that time you may drive only when supervised, and only during permitted hours.
- A licensed driver at least 21 years old must be seated in the seat beside you (the front passenger seat) at all times
- You cannot drive between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- Certify 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience, including at least 10 hours of night driving
Keep your record clean while you practice: to move to the next step you must have fewer than 6 points on your record during the 180 days immediately preceding your application. Drivers under 18 who accumulate 6 or more points in a 12-month period receive a notice of proposed suspension, and an advisory letter is mailed at 1 to 5 points.
Step 5: Understand Tennessee's Graduated Driver License Steps
Know the restrictions before you drive alone
Tennessee uses a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program that moves teen drivers through the learner permit, an Intermediate Restricted License, an Intermediate Unrestricted License and finally a regular Class D license.
- Intermediate Restricted License — at 16, after holding a valid Class PD for at least 6 months, certifying 50 hours of practice (10 at night), having fewer than 6 points in the preceding 180 days, and passing the driving test
- While restricted, only one passenger is allowed, and you may not drive between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or by a licensed driver 21 or older designated in writing by your parent or guardian
- Intermediate Unrestricted License — at 17, after holding the Restricted License for 1 year with no six-or-more points on your record, no at-fault traffic crash, and no second seat belt conviction; any of those adds 90 days to the one-year wait
At 18 you may obtain a regular unrestricted Class D license. There is an $8 duplicate fee unless you simply keep your Intermediate license until the end of its five-year renewal cycle.
Step 6: Schedule and Pass the Road Skills Test
Prove you can drive safely
Once you meet the holding period and practice requirements, schedule the road skills test at a Driver Services Center. Bring a properly registered and insured vehicle with working seat belts and lights.
- Demonstrate proper steering, lane use, turns, and signaling at least 50 feet before a turn or lane change
- Show safe starting, stopping, backing and parking — including turning your wheels correctly when parking on a hill
- Obey all traffic signs, signals, right-of-way rules and speed limits; a complete stop is required at a flashing red light just as at a stop sign
The examiner scores your errors. Scoring 1 to 6 errors is a pass with no re-test needed. If you score 7 to 9 errors you must wait 1 day to retest, 10 to 12 errors means a 7-day wait, 13 to 15 errors means 14 days, and 16 or more errors — or an automatic failure — means a 30-day wait.
Step 7: Receive Your Tennessee Driver License and Get Insured
Get licensed and drive responsibly
Once you pass the road skills test and pay the fee, the Driver Services Division issues your license. Tennessee's non-commercial classes are Class D (regular operator), Class M (motorcycle), Class H (for-hire endorsement), Class PD (learner permit) and Class XID/ID (identification only).
- Carry at least Tennessee's minimum liability insurance of 25/50/25: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident and $25,000 property damage — or a single limit of not less than $65,000 per accident
- Licenses issued to persons over 21 expire every eight years from the date of issuance
- Report any change of address to the Department of Safety within 10 days, and report any crash involving death, injury or property damage over $50 to police immediately
Keep your record clean. Drivers 18 or older who accumulate 12 or more points in a 12-month period receive a notice of proposed suspension, with an advisory letter mailed at 6 to 11 points. A Defensive Driving Course can be used to avoid or reduce a suspension, but only once in any five-year period.
Fees to plan for
Tennessee charges a small set of fees along the way, and a failed test is not free.
- Class PD learner permit: $10.50 for any applicant under 18
- $2 application fee each time you take a test and fail
- $8 duplicate fee to convert an Intermediate license to a Class D license at 18 (avoidable by keeping the Intermediate license to the end of its five-year cycle)
Fee schedules change, so check the current amounts in the License Fees at a Glance table before you go: Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (PDF)
These links should help guide you through the application and testing process. Each official state agency page contains the latest requirements and resources to ensure you have everything needed to obtain your Tennessee driver’s license.
