Driving Tests

Tennessee Intermediate Restricted License: Rules, 50 Hours, Passengers

informational·how to guide·Published June 9, 2026

When can you get the intermediate restricted license in Tennessee?

You can get the Tennessee intermediate restricted license (Level 2) at 16, after you hold your learner permit for at least 180 days. You also need 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night, on a signed 50-hour form, and fewer than 6 points on your driving record. Then you must pass the road skills test at a Driver Services Center.

Where these rules come from

The requirements come from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) teen Graduated Driver License page, the TDOSHS license types page and the 50-hour certification form (SF-1256). The exceptions, the road test rules, the phone rule and the rules for teens who move to Tennessee come from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (text dated July 1, 2022). The fees come from the TDOSHS fee page, and the points rules from the TDOSHS driver improvement points page. This guide is correct as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (tn.gov/safety) before you drive.

What you need before you apply

Age: at least 16.
Learner permit: held for at least 180 days.
Driving practice: 50 hours behind the wheel, including 10 hours at night. A parent, guardian or driving instructor signs the 50-Hour Certification form (SF-1256) to confirm it.
Points: fewer than 6 points on your driving record in the 180 days before you apply. Some TDOSHS pages say "more than six points", so aim for fewer than 6 and confirm your record with TDOSHS.
Documents: one proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence, one proof of your Social Security number and two proofs of Tennessee residency. Bring the originals or certified copies, even if the documents were pre-approved online.
Road skills test: passed at a Driver Services Center.

What can delay your intermediate restricted license?

You have 6 or more points in the 180 days before you apply

Keep your learner permit until your record has fewer than 6 points for 180 days in a row, then apply.

You are convicted of using a cell phone while you drive with your learner permit

You must wait 90 more days before you can get the intermediate restricted license, and 6 points go on your record.

You have fewer than 6 points and no phone conviction

Your record does not block the Level 2 step.

Steps to get the intermediate restricted license

1
Hold the permit and log your driving
Keep your learner permit for 180 days. Log every drive until you reach 50 hours, with 10 at night.
2
Get the form signed
Ask a parent, guardian or driving instructor to sign the 50-Hour Certification form (SF-1256). Print all information clearly in black ink.
3
Book a road test
TDOSHS encourages teen drivers to book an appointment. Without one, you may not be able to take the test.
4
Take the road skills test
Bring the signed form, your documents, your car and a licensed driver who is 21 or older to your Driver Services Center.
5
Pay the fee and carry your restriction card
Pay the license fee (see the cost table below). You also get a restriction card that explains the limits of this license. Carry it with your license.

What to expect at the road test

A permit holder who comes without a licensed driver 21 or older cannot take the test. Your car must have all its working equipment and safety features. If you are more than 5 minutes late, the test is canceled and you must reschedule. You need enough English to talk with the examiner. The examiner fails you at once for a traffic law violation, refusing directions, a dangerous action or contributing to a crash. After a failed test, the wait before a retest depends on your number of errors, and you pay a $2 application fee. The Tennessee road test guide covers the retest waits.

Intermediate restricted license rules at a glance

Intermediate restricted license rules at a glance
Rule	What Tennessee says
Night driving	No driving between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., unless an exception applies
Passengers	One other passenger, unless an exception applies
Phone	No cell phone while driving on any Tennessee road
Time at this level	1 year before you can apply for the intermediate unrestricted license

Can you drive between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Tennessee?

Only when an exception applies. The limit starts at 11 p.m., so a drive home alone at 10:30 p.m. is legal. The question on driving home at 10:30 p.m. with this license tests this rule. The manual lists these exceptions:

When the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. limit does not apply

A parent or guardian is with you.
A licensed driver who is 21 or older is with you, and your parent or guardian named that person in writing. You must carry the written note.
You drive to or from a specific school-sponsored activity or event, and you carry written permission from a parent or guardian.
You drive to or from work, and you carry written permission from a parent or guardian that names your place of work and lets you drive there and back.
You drive to or from hunting or fishing between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., and you carry a valid hunting or fishing license.

How many passengers can you carry?

You can have only one other passenger in the car. The manual lists two exceptions. First, one or more of your passengers is 21 or older and holds a valid, unrestricted license. Second, the passengers are your brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, stepsisters, or adopted or foster children who live in your home, you drive them only to and from school, and you carry a letter from your parent that allows it. The question on taking two friends to a movie tests the one-passenger rule. If you are convicted of having a forged or fake permission letter, you lose this license and get only a learner permit until you turn 18.

Can you use a phone with an intermediate restricted license?

No. Tennessee law bars a driver with a learner permit or an intermediate license from using a cell phone while driving on any Tennessee road. Wait until you park. A conviction is a Class C misdemeanor with a $50.00 fine, and it adds 6 points to a minor's driving record.

What the intermediate restricted license costs

What the intermediate restricted license costs
Item	Cost (U.S. dollars, as of 2026)
Intermediate restricted license (under 18)	$24.50 total
County Clerk Partner administrative fee	$4.00 extra
Application fee after each failed test	$2.00 each time
Next step: intermediate unrestricted license	$2.00

What comes after the intermediate restricted license?

Hold the intermediate restricted license for 1 year before you apply for the next level. The guide to the intermediate unrestricted license has the details. A regular Class D license is available at 18, or when you graduate from high school or receive a GED, whichever comes first.

Key takeaways

You can apply at 16 with a learner permit held 180 days, 50 hours of driving (10 at night) and fewer than 6 points.
A parent, guardian or driving instructor signs the 50-hour form (SF-1256). Then you pass the road skills test.
You may not drive from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and may carry only one other passenger, with the exceptions in the manual. Carry any written permission.
The total fee is $24.50 (U.S. dollars), plus $4.00 at a County Clerk Partner.
Next step: practice the traffic laws and signs on the free Tennessee Class D practice test. It is in English only.

Intermediate restricted license: common questions

Can I drive to work after 11 p.m. with an intermediate restricted license?

Yes, if you carry written permission from a parent or guardian. The note must name your place of work and allow you to drive to and from work. Without the note, the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. limit applies, so carry it on every late drive.

Who can sign the 50-hour driving form in Tennessee?

A parent, guardian or licensed driving instructor. On form SF-1256, the signer certifies that you, a permit holder under 18, completed 50 hours behind the wheel, with at least 10 hours at night. Print all information on the form clearly in black ink.

Can I drive my friends home from a school game after 11 p.m.?

The 11 p.m. limit does not apply on the way to or from a specific school-sponsored activity or event if you carry written permission from a parent or guardian. The passenger limit still applies: one other passenger, unless a passenger is 21 or older with a valid, unrestricted license. A school event is not a passenger exception.

We just moved to Tennessee. Can my 16-year-old get an intermediate restricted license?

Yes. A 16-year-old with a valid license from another state, issued at least 90 days before the Tennessee application, applies for the intermediate restricted license. If the license is newer, bring a clear driving record from the previous state that shows a permit or license held for at least 180 days combined. An exchange also needs a vision screening.

What happens if I get a ticket with an intermediate restricted license?

The points go on your driving record. A driver under 18 with 6 or more points in any 12-month period gets a notice of proposed suspension, enters the Driver Improvement Program and must attend a hearing with a parent or guardian. After a second moving violation on this license, you must complete an approved driver education class before you get the next license.