Tennessee · Permit testHow to schedule a road test in TN
The locations page says you can book a non-commercial road skills test online, for a regular license or a motorcycle license. If you’re under 16 or from out of state, you can’t book online and use the request form instead. You can also book by phone; the centers page has the number.
The teen page encourages a booking, because without one you may not be able to test. Arrive early for the paperwork, because a late arrival means rescheduling.
Before the road test
You need all of these:
- A passed knowledge test. Without one, the appointment is canceled
- If you hold a learner permit, a licensed driver 21 or older who comes with you. State law (Tennessee Code Annotated § 55‑50‑311) requires it, and without one the test won’t go ahead
- If you don’t hold a Tennessee learner permit, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency
- Under 18, your time on the permit and the certificate of supervised hours
- Enough English to talk with the examiner
Car checks before you drive
Your car needs valid tags and must meet Tennessee’s safety rules. The examiner asks you to show that these eight items work:
- Safety belts, for you and the examiner
- Foot brake and parking brake
- High and low beam headlights
- Tail lights, brake lights and the rear license light
- Windshield wipers
- Defroster and fan, to show you can clear a fogged windshield
- Rearview mirror
- Horn
The manual also checks the windows (no tint on the windshield, and no film that lets through less than 35% of light on a car’s other windows), the muffler, doors that open from inside and out, bumpers 14 to 22 inches off the ground on a car, and a working speedometer. Off-road vehicles can’t be used for the test.
What the examiner watches
The examiner gives directions and won’t ask you to do anything illegal. Only you and the examiner ride along, with no animals in the car. The manual lists what’s scored, including how you:
- Get ready: mirrors, seat belt, lights and wipers
- Start off and enter traffic
- Control the car, turn and handle intersections
- Obey signals and signs
- Drive in traffic and yield
- Stop smoothly, and quickly in an emergency
- Back up, including into and out of a parking space
- Keep a safe distance, signal and share the road
- Adjust your speed to the conditions
These mean an immediate fail: breaking any traffic law, refusing to follow directions, any dangerous action, or contributing to a crash. The manual adds that a rolling stop is grounds for failing.
What if you don’t pass the TN driving test?
The examiner explains your errors and what to practice. You can’t retest the same day, and the wait depends on your score:
| Errors | Retest after |
|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | Pass, no retest |
| 7 to 9 | 1 day |
| 10 to 12 | 7 days |
| 13 to 15 | 14 days |
| 16 or more, or an automatic fail | 30 days |
The same waits apply after a second or later try.
Weather and winter hours
Road tests go ahead in light to moderate rain, fog or snow. They aren’t given in heavy rain, thunderstorms, thick fog, on flooded roads or roads packed with snow and ice, or during severe weather warnings. In winter, tests aren’t given in the dark, so the times shift with the shorter days.
Sources: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and 3 more. Checked November 2026.
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: Comprehensive Driver License Manual (PDF, information as of July 1, 2022) ↗
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: Driver services locations ↗
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: Teen and graduated driver license ↗
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: Adult first-time drivers ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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