Tennessee driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How to get a first Tennessee license or teen learner permit, transfer an out-of-state license within 30 days, renew or replace your license, and what a REAL ID or ID-only license requires, based on Driver Services' own pages.

Guide · Tennessee · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

Tennessee driver licenses, learner permits and ID-only licenses are issued by the Driver Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. This guide covers the common cases in order: a first license as an adult or a teen, moving to Tennessee with a license from another state, renewing, replacing a lost license, REAL ID, and ID-only licenses. For booking a visit and the general document list, see the Tennessee DMV visit guide.

Your first license (18 and older)

If you are 18 or older and applying for a regular (Class D) license for the first time, Driver Services lists three steps:

1. Complete the application online in e-Services ("Apply for a License, Permit, or ID") and upload your documents for pre-approval. Allow up to five business days.
2. Bring your original documents to a Driver Services Center: one proof of citizenship or legal presence, one proof of Social Security number, two proofs of Tennessee residency, and any name change documents.
3. Pass the tests: a standard vision screening and the Class D knowledge test. Practice tests are available in e-Services, and you can book a knowledge test appointment to save time.

If you hold a learner permit and come in for a road test, you must be accompanied by a licensed driver aged 21 or older. The fee table lists a Class D operator license at $28.00 for 8 years, including the application fee.

Teens: the graduated driver license

Drivers under 18 go through the graduated driver license (GDL) program:

• Level I, learner permit (from age 15). You must pass the written exams and a vision screening. Applicants aged 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test online through e-Services or at a Driver Services Center. You may drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front seat, not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and everyone in the car must wear a safety belt. A parent or legal guardian must sign the minor/teenage affidavit and financial responsibility form, and you must show proof of school attendance.
• Level II, intermediate restricted license (from age 16). You must have held the learner permit for at least 180 days. You must also have 50 hours of driving practice, including 10 at night, certified on the 50-Hour Certification form. Then you pass a road skills test.
• Level III, intermediate unrestricted license (from age 17). You must have held the restricted license for one year. You need no more than 6 points on your record (otherwise you wait another 90 days), no at-fault crash and no two safety belt violations. No more tests are needed.
• Regular license. You can get a full Class D license at 18, or when you graduate from high school or get a GED, whichever comes first. It still carries "Under 21" indicators.

Moving to Tennessee

Driver Services says new or returning residents holding another state's license must get a Tennessee license no later than 30 days after establishing residency. You apply at a full-service Driver Services Center:

1. Complete the application online and get your documents pre-approved, if you like.
2. Present your original documents.
3. Surrender your out-of-state license, or present a driver record from that state. Tennessee does not allow a resident to hold more than one valid license or ID. If your license is from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Nevada or West Virginia, you must bring a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) from that state.
4. Take a vision screening. If your out-of-state license has been expired for more than six months, you also take the knowledge test and road skills test. New residents from other countries take all three tests and may keep their foreign license.

New residents under 18 with a learner permit from another state follow the teen GDL rules.

Renewing your license

A Tennessee license or ID issued to someone 21 or older is valid for eight years from the date it is issued. Driver Services sends a courtesy renewal notice about 8 to 10 weeks before it expires. You do not need the notice to renew: bring your current license to any Driver Services Center. Once your license has expired, you may no longer legally drive.

You may be able to renew online in e-Services. Driver Services notes that a new photo is required in person every other renewal cycle, which can rule out online renewal. Other exceptions:

• Commercial licenses (CDL) must be renewed in person, with a current medical certification.
• Temporary licenses must be renewed in person, with updated proof of legal presence and two proofs of residency.
• Learner permits can be renewed online or in person if they have not been expired for more than one year.

Active-duty military members based outside Tennessee can have a "Code 30" added, which keeps the license valid while they serve.

Replacing a lost license

If you have the DD number from the front of your license, you can order a replacement online. If you do not have it, Driver Services cannot verify your identity by phone or online, so you must buy a duplicate at a Driver Services Center. Driver Services lists the first regular duplicate at $8 and later ones at $12. If your lost license expires within 12 months you may renew instead. If it expires in less than six months, you must renew.

REAL ID

Driver Services says REAL ID is optional. You do not need it to drive, vote, buy alcohol or tobacco, apply for federal benefits, or visit hospitals, post offices and federal courts. Since May 7, 2025, though, adults need a REAL ID or a passport to board domestic commercial flights or enter certain federal buildings, military bases and nuclear power plants.

You must apply in person, at a Driver Services Center or a participating county clerk if you already hold a Tennessee license or ID. Bring one proof of citizenship or legal presence, a document showing your full Social Security number, two proofs of Tennessee residency and any name change documents. Driver Services says you need these documents even if you already hold a Tennessee license, or held a REAL ID in another state.

A REAL ID costs the same as a regular license if you get it at renewal time. Outside your renewal period, you pay the duplicate fee. A compliant card has a black circle with a star in the right corner. Non-compliant cards say "NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES". See also REAL ID explained.

ID-only licenses

An ID-only license is for identification and is not valid for driving. No testing is required, but you must meet the same identity, legal presence and residency standards as for a driver license. Families can get ID-only licenses for children, including infants. A parent or guardian completes part of the minor affidavit for applicants under 18.

The fee table lists an ID at $12.00 for 8 years if you are 18 or older, and $5.00 for 2 years if you are under 18. Expiring ID licenses do not expire for Tennessee residents 65 or older. Residents with an intellectual or physical disability who cannot drive, as certified by a licensed doctor, may get a free Permanent Identification License.

For vehicle paperwork, see the Tennessee vehicle registration guide, and for nearby offices the Tennessee office list.