Tennessee Learner Permit Test: What to Know

The Tennessee learner permit knowledge test is multiple choice and covers traffic signs and signals, safe driving principles, rules of the road, and drugs and alcohol. Teens 15 to 17 can take it online at home with a parent as proctor, or in person at a Driver Service Center. The online test has 30 questions, and you need 80% correct (24 of 30) to pass. No official source confirms the same count or score for in-center tests.

The Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual does not state the number of questions, the passing score, or a time limit. Check the official TN.gov Driver Services pages or call your Driver Service Center before you go.

What the Tennessee permit test covers

The test draws on Sections B and C of the Tennessee handbook, in four areas of roughly 25% each. State law requires at least 25% of the questions to cover alcohol and drugs.

• Traffic signs and signals
• Safe driving principles, including following distance: at least two seconds, or four seconds in bad weather, at night, on high-speed interstates, and when following a motorcycle
• Rules of the road, including dimming high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle you are following, and stopping for a stopped school bus with flashing red lights from both directions
• Drugs and alcohol, including that drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher, or who are under the influence of alcohol, face underage driving while impaired, a one-year license loss and a $250 fine. A BAC of .08 or higher is always illegal.

Where and when to take the permit test

In-center tests are given at all Driver Service Centers except express service centers, on a first-come, first-served basis. Centers are normally open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed on state holidays. The toll-free number is 1-866-849-3548.

In-center knowledge tests run on computerized testing machines. Written formats are used only in very limited circumstances. Centers with computerized testing offer the test in Spanish, Korean and Japanese.

• You may use a translation dictionary if it has no notes or handwriting.
• Phones, PDAs, electronic dictionaries and interpreters are not allowed.
• Turn off all cell phones, pagers and texting devices during written and road tests.
• Talking during the exam, bringing notes of any kind, or having someone else take the test means automatic failure and a 30-day wait before retesting.
• Oral tests are available by appointment at selected centers for applicants with a learning disability or who cannot read. Applicants under 18 need a written statement from a physician or educational specialist.

Taking the Tennessee permit test online (ages 15 to 17)

Teens 15 to 17 who must take the written test may take it online under a parent or legal guardian's supervision, using the Tennessee Proctor Identification (PID) App. The online test is offered in English and Spanish. The online knowledge test page and the online test instructions list these rules:

• The proctor must be the applicant's parent or legal guardian.
• The proctor installs the PID App on their own device, not the teen's. The App requires an iPhone 6 with iOS 13.1 or newer.
• The test must be taken on a computer, laptop or tablet. Cell phones are not permitted.
• A parent or guardian may proctor up to five applicants.
• The applicant must stay on the test screen. Navigating away results in automatic failure.
• At the 30-minute mark, the proctor must rescan a QR code with the PID App. Missing this causes automatic failure.
• A network or power outage lasting more than 60 minutes causes automatic failure. A shorter interruption can be resumed after the proctor re-authenticates.
• The online test shuts off after seven missed questions, or if the applicant stays on one question for more than two minutes. See TN Safety Support.
• The online test can be taken a maximum of two times. After two attempts, the applicant must test in person at a Driver Service Center.
• The department may require a retake at a Driver Service Center even if the applicant passed online.

Fees and how to pay

• Learner permit (PD), under 18: $10.50 for one year. This includes an $8.50 license fee and a $2.00 application fee.
• Learner permit (PD), age 18 and over: $5.50 for one year.
• Temporary learner permit (XPD): $33.00 under 18 and $28.00 over 18.
• County clerk partners: an additional $4.00 administrative fee on top of state fees.
• Payment methods: the handbook lists cash, check, money order, MasterCard, Visa and Discover. The official fees page also lists American Express.

Documents you need to bring

Bring originals or certified copies only. Faxes and photocopies are not accepted. The handbook lists these required items:

• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency
• Primary and secondary proof of identity. An original applicant needs at least one item from the primary list.
• Proof of any name change
• Two proofs of Tennessee residency, dated within the last four months, and not P.O. boxes
• A Social Security number or affidavit

If you are under 18, you also need a Teenage Affidavit/Financial Responsibility form and proof of school attendance or progress, Form SF1010, signed within the past 30 days. An adult (parent, foster or step-parent at the same address, legal guardian, or an authorized grandparent) must sign the Minor/Teenage Affidavit. Grade cards and transcripts are not accepted as school proof. Graduates need the original diploma or GED certificate. Home-schooled applicants need a district letter and Form SF-1193.

Residency documents may show a parent or guardian's name for a minor, but you must then prove the relationship. REAL ID is not required to drive in Tennessee.

Eligibility and vision screening

The minimum age for a Class PD learner permit is 15. You must pass the written knowledge test and a vision screening. Anyone under 18 who has dropped out of school, or is not making satisfactory progress, is not eligible.

You need at least 20/40 vision in each eye and in both eyes together, with or without glasses or contacts. If you fail the screening, an eye specialist of your choice must complete an eye statement for the department to review.

Retakes and failed tests

• No test may be repeated on the same day.
• After failing the in-center test, you must wait at least one day before retaking it. The same wait applies after later failures.
• After failing the online test, you must wait 24 hours before retesting.
• You pay a $2 application fee each time you take and fail a test. This applies to permit, Class D and hardship tests.
• Failures are recorded in the state computer system, so every center can see your prior test dates and scores.
• When you return for a retest, bring all original documents again.

The handbook does not state a limit on in-center retakes, and that limit is not confirmed by any official source reviewed. Some third-party sites say the in-center wait is 7 days and that there is no retest fee. Neither claim appears in the handbook or official pages, so this post uses the one-day wait and $2 fee from the handbook. Check with your Driver Service Center if you have failed more than once.

Rules after you pass

• Permits normally expire one year from the date of issuance.
• You may drive only with a licensed driver age 21 or older in the seat beside you.
• If you are under 18, you may not drive between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• You and all passengers must wear safety belts.
• You may not use a handheld device while driving on a permit.
• Using a cell phone on a learner permit or intermediate license is a Class C misdemeanor with a $50 fine, 6 points on the minor's record, and a 90-day delay in eligibility for the Intermediate Restricted license.
• You receive a Restriction Card explaining your restrictions and what you need to advance.
• If you are under 18, you need 180 days on the permit and 50 supervised hours, including 10 at night, certified on Form SF-1256. The road test is at age 16.
• The graduated license rules do not apply to anyone 18 or older.

Study for the test

Read the Tennessee handbook sections on alcohol and drugs first, since they make up at least a quarter of the questions. The state also offers practice tests at www.tn.gov/dlpractice. You can also try full practice tests on GetMyPermit to see how the questions are worded before test day.

Sources

• Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual
• Online knowledge test, TN.gov Driver Services
• Driver Services fees, TN.gov
• Online Knowledge Test Instructions (PDF), TN.gov
• At-Home Knowledge Testing, TN Safety Support