Get a REAL ID in Tennessee

Get a Tennessee REAL ID: apply in person at a Driver Services Center or participating County Clerk (new residents: a full-service center) with original documents; it costs the renewal or duplicate fee and the card arrives by mail in 10-20 days.

Online?No, one office visitFederal law requires REAL ID applications in person. A first REAL ID can't be done online, at a kiosk or by mail.
Office visitOne visit, appointment encouragedAt a Driver Services Center or a participating County Clerk. Appointments are available and encouraged, but not offered at every center.
CostRenewal or duplicate feeNo separate REAL ID fee. In your renewal period you pay the 8-year renewal fee (Class D license $28, ID 18 and over $12); otherwise a duplicate fee ($8 for a first duplicate). County Clerks add a $4 administrative fee.
You leave withPaper interim card, card by mail in 10-20 daysYou don't get the card the same day. Driver Services warns the paper credential may not be accepted by TSA.

Your situation

Do you have a Tennessee driver license or photo ID?

A Tennessee REAL ID has a black circle with a star in the corner. A card without it says "NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES" on the front.

Is your current legal name different from the name on your birth certificate, passport or immigration document?

For example, you married or divorced since that document was issued.

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • U.S. birth certificate from a state vital statistics office or equivalent (with a raised and/or colored seal)
      • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
      • U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, DS-1350 or FS-545)
      • Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-570 or N-578)
      • Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)
      • Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
      • Unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and an approved I-94
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Social Security card
      • W-2
      • 1099
      • Payroll check stub
      • Sworn No SSN Affidavit (only if you were never issued a Social Security number; signed in front of a driver license examiner or notary)
    • Accepted documents (bring 2)
      • Mortgage contract or receipt, including the deed of sale
      • Signed rental lease (only with a signed landlord letter dated within the last 30 days, not handwritten, confirming the lease is current, on letterhead or notarized; the lease must show your name, the address, the terms (such as rent), the dates and both signatures)
      • Current utility bill (landline phone, electric, water, gas or cable)
      • Current bank statement (checks are not accepted)
      • Current employer letter or verification of your address (on company letterhead with an original signature, or notarized)
      • Current paycheck stub, or work ID or badge showing your address (not from the same company as your W-2)
      • IRS W-2 form from the last 12 months (not from the same company as your paycheck stub)
      • Unexpired auto, life or health insurance policy (wallet cards not accepted)
      • Unexpired Tennessee license or ID of your parent, legal guardian or spouse
      • Unexpired Tennessee vehicle registration or title (one, not both)
      • Tennessee voter registration card
      • Receipt for personal property or real estate taxes paid within the last 12 months
      • For students living on campus: photo student ID plus documentation from the Dean or Bursar's office
      • Affidavit of Tennessee Residency for Homeless or Shelter Residents (SF-1631) (accepted as the second proof)

  2. Book an appointment

    Appointments are available and encouraged. In the scheduling system choose Schedule an Appointment and pick the REAL ID or Driver License appointment, whichever it offers; you need a valid email address and phone number. The same system also offers an E-Ticket. Not every Driver Services Center offers appointments. Arrive 15 minutes early: if you are late, the appointment may be cancelled and you are served as a walk-in.

    Schedule an appointment ↗

  3. Or go to a participating County Clerk

    If you already have a Tennessee license or ID, participating County Clerk offices also take first REAL ID applications, for non-commercial licenses only. Check the office's service list on the locations page; County Clerks add a $4 administrative fee.

    Locations on tn.gov ↗

  4. At the office

    Bring original or certified documents. Driver Services accepts cash, check, money order, and MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. If you already have a valid license, there is no knowledge or skills test for a REAL ID. Commercial license holders: use the separate Commercial REAL ID document list on tn.gov and have a valid DOT medical on file or with you.

    Driver license fees on tn.gov ↗

  5. Wait for your card

    You leave with a paper interim REAL ID credential. The card arrives at your mailing address in 10-20 days. A paper credential may not be accepted by TSA, so apply well before a trip.

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Photocopies are not accepted: bring originals or certified copies.
  • A changed name needs every linking document (each marriage, divorce or court order), not just the latest one.
  • A lease counts as a residency proof only with a signed landlord letter dated within the last 30 days, and you still need a second proof.
  • The paper interim credential may not be accepted by TSA; allow time for the card to arrive by mail before you fly.

Offices that issue REAL ID

Tennessee Driver Services says a first REAL ID must be applied for in person at a Driver Services Center or a participating County Clerk office (a full-service center if you have no Tennessee license or ID); kiosks can only renew or replace it afterwards. Agency source.

44 offices in Tennessee
49 other offices that handle licenses

Neither the office's service list nor the agency says these offices issue REAL ID. Call the office before you go.

93 offices where you can't get it

Results show offices that issue REAL ID or may, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

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Sources · checked October 30, 2026

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.