📋 What to Bring
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Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
A document such as a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or permanent resident card
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Proof of identity
Primary and secondary identity documents as listed in the manual
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Two proofs of Tennessee residency
Two documents showing your Tennessee street address
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Social Security Number
Provide your SSN (or proof you were never issued one)
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Parent/guardian (under 18)
Minors need a parent/guardian signature, proof of school attendance, and the certified driving log
📅 How to Schedule
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Study the manual and practice
Read the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual and take practice tests before visiting a Driver Services Center.
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Make an appointment
Schedule your visit online at tn.gov/safety; appointments reduce wait times at Driver Services Centers.
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Bring all required documents
Bring proof of citizenship/lawful presence, identity, two proofs of residency, and your SSN. A vision screening is done on-site.
💡 Test Day Tips
- •The Tennessee knowledge test has 30 questions; you must answer 24 correctly (80%) to pass.
- •Tennessee uses the Two-Second Rule for following distance under normal conditions; increase it in poor conditions.
- •Tennessee's adult BAC limit is 0.08%; for drivers under 21 it is 0.02% (and any detectable amount can mean trouble).
- •Tennessee's Move Over law requires you to move over or slow down for stopped emergency, utility, and other vehicles with flashing lights.
- •When passing a bicyclist, Tennessee law requires leaving at least three feet of clearance.
📚 Driver Handbook
All practice questions are based on the chapters below. Click any chapter to read it on the official DMV website.
🎯 Practice by Topic
Your License
Tennessee license classes (A/B/C/D/M/PD/H), who needs a license, penalties for driving without one, Temporary Driver License, organ/veteran/voter designations, and ID-only licenses.
Applying For Your License
What to bring to apply in Tennessee: proof of citizenship/lawful presence, identity, name change, residency, SSN, accepted payment, license fees, new residents, and military applicants.
Intermediate Licenses for Drivers Under 18
Tennessee's Graduated Driver License program: learner permit, intermediate restricted and unrestricted licenses, restrictions, minor documentation, cell phone and texting bans, and teen work-zone rules.
The Examinations
Tennessee's driver exams: vision screening, the knowledge test, the road test, pre-trip vehicle inspection, causes for immediate failure, and what happens when you pass or fail.
Getting Familiar With Your Vehicle
Getting ready to drive in Tennessee: vehicle condition, seat and mirror adjustment, safety belts, steering, backing and stopping, carbon-monoxide warnings, and texting/phone/video-device laws.
Tennessee Safety Belt Laws
Tennessee's safety belt and child restraint laws, how safety belts protect you, air bag safety, and the child passenger protection requirements by age and size.
Traffic Signs and Signals
Tennessee traffic signs by shape and color, regulatory/warning/work-zone/guide signs, traffic signals and arrows, pedestrian and lane-control signals, and pavement markings.
Rules of the Road
Tennessee rules of the road: headlights, speed laws and the two-second rule, required stops, railroad crossings, the school bus stop law, intersections and right-of-way, turns, roundabouts, lane use, passing, and parking.
Interstate Driving
Driving on Tennessee interstates: entering, driving and exiting safely, interchanges, handling congestion, the Move Over law, and vehicle breakdowns and emergency stopping.
Driving at Night and in Inclement Weather
Driving at night and in inclement weather in Tennessee: night driving and headlight use, rain and fog, high water and flooding dangers, and winter driving.
Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving
How alcohol and drugs affect driving in Tennessee: blood-alcohol concentration, effects on judgment/vision/reaction, implied consent, DUI consequences and penalties, and young-driver laws.
Driving Responsibility
Tennessee's driving responsibility rules: the Problem Driver Pointer System, losing and reinstating your privilege, the point values table, financial responsibility, and reporting crashes.
Defensive Driving and Road Rage
Defensive driving in Tennessee: concentration and alertness, scanning the road, keeping a safe driving space, and recognizing and avoiding road rage.
Special Driving Conditions and Your Vehicle
Special driving conditions in Tennessee: avoiding collisions, collisions with animals, vehicle maintenance for safety, tires and steering, and understanding road and traffic conditions.
Sharing the Road Safely
Sharing Tennessee roads safely with pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, large trucks and buses (NO-ZONES), school buses, slow-moving vehicles, work zones, trains, 15-passenger vans, and RVs.