Driving Tests

How to Get a Tennessee Learner Permit at 15: Requirements and Rules

informational·how to guide·Published June 17, 2026

How old do you have to be to get a learner permit in Tennessee?

You must be 15. Pass the knowledge test online (ages 15 to 17, with a parent or legal guardian as proctor) or at a Driver Services Center, then a vision screening at the center. You drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the front seat, never from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and hold it 180 days before Level 2. Under 18, it costs $10.50.

Where the Tennessee learner permit rules come from

The rules come from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) teen Graduated Driver License page, the TDOSHS driver license fee page and the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual (text current as of July 1, 2022). Other details come from the TDOSHS pages on the online knowledge test, the Minor/Teenage Affidavit, license types and the Hardship License, and a 2022 TDOSHS news release. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (tn.gov/safety) before you drive.

Tennessee learner permit requirements

Be 15 years old. The permit is Level 1 of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) program. The manual calls it Class PD.
Pass a vision screening: at least 20/40 in each eye and with both eyes together, with or without glasses or contacts.
Pass the Class D knowledge test.
Under 18: a parent, a stepparent who lives at your address, or a legal guardian signs the Minor/Teenage Affidavit and takes financial responsibility for you.
Under 18 and still in school: bring the Certificate of Compulsory School Attendance (Form SF1010) from your school. It is valid for only 30 days.
Bring one proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence, your Social Security number and two proofs of Tennessee residency. Bring originals or certified copies, because photocopies are not accepted. The Tennessee driver's license documents guide lists the accepted documents.

Steps to get your Tennessee learner permit

1
Apply online and get your documents pre-approved
You can complete the application online and have your documents pre-approved. Allow up to five business days. Pre-approval tells you that you bring the right documents.
2
Choose where to take the knowledge test
At 15 to 17, you can take it online with a parent or legal guardian as proctor, or at a Driver Services Center. At 18 or older, you take it at a center. Walk-ins are welcome, and an appointment is not required but saves time.
3
Bring your parent or legal guardian
If you are under 18, the adult signs the Minor/Teenage Affidavit at the Driver Services Center in front of a driver license examiner. If the adult cannot come, the signature must be notarized.
4
Pass the vision screening at the center
The examiner checks your vision at the Driver Services Center. You also take the knowledge test there if you did not pass it online.
5
Pay the fee and get your permit
The permit costs $10.50 (U.S. dollars) under 18, or $5.50 at 18 and older, for 1 year, as of 2026. A county clerk partner office adds a $4.00 administrative fee.

Do you take a road test for the permit?

No. The permit needs only the vision screening and the knowledge test. The road skills test comes at the next step, the Intermediate Restricted License at 16. If you come to that road test with a permit, bring a licensed driver 21 or older. A permit holder who comes alone cannot start the test. The intermediate restricted license guide covers that step.

What is on the Tennessee knowledge test?

The multiple choice questions come from the manual, with about 25% each on traffic signs and signals, safe driving principles, rules of the road, and drugs and alcohol. The online test for ages 15 to 17 has 30 questions and a 60-minute limit, and you need at least 80% to pass. It is in English and Spanish, and your parent or legal guardian proctors it with the Tennessee Proctor ID App. At a Driver Services Center, you take the test on a computer.

What if you fail the knowledge test?

You fail the knowledge test at a Driver Services Center

You cannot retake it on the same day. Wait at least one day (24 hours), and pay the $2 application fee each time you fail.

You fail the online test

Wait 24 hours before you try again. You can take the online test a maximum of two times. After a second fail, a 2022 TDOSHS news release says you take the test at a Driver Services Center.

Who can ride with you?

You may drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older who rides in the front seat. The driver and every passenger wear a safety belt. You may not use a cell phone while you drive with a permit, anywhere in Tennessee, and the ban covers a car phone too. The question about who can ride with a learner permit driver tests the supervisor rule.

What hours can you drive with a permit?

A permit holder under 18 may not drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The GDL rules do not apply to anyone 18 or older, or to anyone under 18 who has graduated high school or received a GED. A permit holder of 18 or older still drives only with a licensed driver 21 or older. See the question about a practice drive at 10:15 p.m. for an example.

Tennessee learner permit rules at a glance

Tennessee learner permit rules at a glance
Rule	What Tennessee requires
Age	15 years old
Tests	Vision screening and the Class D knowledge test
Who rides with you	A licensed driver 21 or older in the front seat
Hours	No driving from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (under 18)
Seat belts	The driver and all passengers
Phone	No cell phone while driving
Fee	$10.50 under 18; $5.50 at 18 and older (1 year)
Minimum holding time	180 days before Level 2

How long must you hold the permit, and what comes next?

Hold the permit for at least 180 days before you apply for the Intermediate Restricted License (Level 2). You must also be 16 and have 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving, 10 of them at night. A parent, guardian or driving instructor signs the 50-Hour Certification form for these hours. With 6 or more points in the 180 days before you apply, you keep the permit until your record has fewer than 6 points for 180 days in a row. The TDOSHS license-types page says "more than six points" instead, so ask a Driver Services Center if your record has exactly 6.

Key takeaways

You can get a Tennessee learner permit at 15 after a vision screening and the knowledge test. No road test is needed.
Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs the Minor/Teenage Affidavit, and you show proof of school attendance.
Drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the front seat, with seat belts on, no cell phone, and not from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The permit costs $10.50 under 18. Hold it at least 180 days and log 50 hours, 10 of them at night, before Level 2.
Next step: practice the signs and rules on the free Tennessee Class D practice test.

Tennessee learner permit: common questions

Can my parent sit in the back seat while I drive on a permit?

No. The licensed driver 21 or older must ride in the front seat, so a parent in the back seat does not meet the rule. That adult must also have a valid driver license, and the driver and every passenger in the car must wear a safety belt.

Can I drive at 11 p.m. on my permit if my parent is with me?

No. The ban from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. applies to every permit holder under 18, even with a licensed adult in the front seat. For the 10 hours of night driving that Level 2 asks for, plan practice drives after dark but before 10 p.m.

Can my grandparent sign my permit affidavit?

Yes, with a notarized statement. A grandparent who takes financial responsibility for you must bring a statement signed by your parent, stepparent, custodian or legal guardian, and that statement must be notarized. If the adult who signs the affidavit cannot come to the Driver Services Center, the signature must be notarized.

How long is a Tennessee learner permit valid?

Permits normally expire one year from the date of issue, and the fee covers 1 year. You can apply for Level 2 after you hold the permit for 180 days, turn 16, log your 50 hours and pass the road skills test.

Can I drive at 14 in Tennessee?

Only with a Hardship License (Class H), which is not a learner permit. It is for a minor aged 14 or 15 in a family hardship, after a vision screening, a knowledge test and a road test. You may drive only from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., and only to the places that TDOSHS approves.