Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
For Tennessee teens getting ready for the learner permit, and the parents who will proctor or drive them to the test. The Tennessee knowledge test covers road rules, signs and safe driving from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual. Teens aged 15 to 17 can take it online at home with a parent or legal guardian as proctor, or in person at a Driver Services Center.
Key facts
- Minimum age for a Tennessee learner permit: 15.
- Two checks: a vision screening and the knowledge test.
- Online test: 30 questions, 60 minutes in total (check the current format with the Tennessee Department of Safety before you start).
- Vision standard: 20/40.
- Study material: the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, plus the free practice quiz in the MyTN app.
Online or at a Driver Services Center?
| Online at home | At a Driver Services Center | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Applicants aged 15 to 17 | Any applicant |
| Supervision | A parent or legal guardian registered as proctor in the Tennessee Proctor ID app | Center staff |
| Where you sit it | The IDEMIA testing site, reached from the Department’s online test page | At the center; appointments are available for knowledge tests at some centers |
| Vision screening | Still done at the center when you get the permit | Done at the visit |
| Catch | The Department may ask you to retake the test at a center even if you passed online | Walk-in waits can be long without an appointment |
How the online Tennessee permit test works
- The parent or legal guardian downloads the Tennessee Proctor ID app and registers as the proctor.
- The teen opens the IDEMIA testing site from the Department of Safety’s online knowledge test page.
- The teen answers 30 questions within the 60-minute limit while the parent supervises.
- After passing, the teen goes to a Driver Services Center with documents, the school attendance form and the signed minor affidavit to get the permit.
The manual (July 2022 edition) says the questions split roughly evenly across four areas: signs and signals, safe driving, rules of the road, and alcohol and drugs. If you fail, you must wait at least one day before trying again, you cannot retest the same day, and each failed attempt costs a $2 application fee. Cheating (notes, talking, phone use or a stand-in) is an automatic fail with a 30-day wait. Check the pass mark on the Department’s online test page.
At a center the test is on a computer, in English, Spanish, Korean or Japanese. A paper translation dictionary without notes is allowed, but interpreters and electronic devices are not. Oral tests can be booked at some centers for applicants who cannot read or have a learning disability (under 18, with a statement from a physician or educational specialist).
What to bring to get the permit
- Proof of identity and Social Security number, and proof of US citizenship or lawful status.
- Form SF-1010, the Certification of Compulsory School Attendance, or your diploma or GED. See Tennessee school attendance rules.
- The Minor/Teenage Affidavit, signed by a parent or guardian in person or notarized.
- Glasses or contact lenses if you need them to see.
- The fee. The July 2022 manual listed $10.50 for an under-18 learner permit. Check the current figure on the Department’s fees page.
The Tennessee vision screening
You need at least 20/40 in each eye. If either eye is worse, you get a Tennessee vision statement for an optometrist or ophthalmologist to complete. If new lenses will bring you up to 20/40, wait until you have them before going back. If you pass with one eye and have no vision in the other, you can still be licensed. Your record then gets restriction code 04, meaning you must keep outside mirrors on both sides of your vehicle.
What to study
The test is built from the manual. Spend most of your time on:
- Sign shapes and colors: US road signs by shape and color
- Right of way: four-way stops and school buses
- Lines and signals: pavement markings and traffic signals
- Alcohol and the law: implied consent and DUI
- Tennessee’s teen rules: permit and intermediate license limits
Then take the free practice quiz in the MyTN app (search “MyTN” in the Apple App Store or Google Play and open the Driver Services section). To compare Tennessee’s test with other states, see permit tests by state.
After you pass: Tennessee learner permit rules
- Drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older in the front seat.
- No driving between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Hold the permit for 180 days and log 50 hours (10 at night) before the road test. See the 50 hour certificate guide.
Back to the full route: learning to drive in Tennessee.
Common questions
Can I take the Tennessee permit test online at home?
Yes, if you are 15 to 17. A parent or legal guardian must register as your proctor in the Tennessee Proctor ID app and supervise the whole test.
How many questions are on the Tennessee permit test?
The online knowledge test has 30 questions with 60 minutes allowed. Check the current format with the Department of Safety before test day.
Can a grandparent or older sibling proctor the online test?
The online option names a parent or legal guardian as proctor. Anyone else should check with Driver Services first.
If I pass online, do I still go to a Driver Services Center?
Yes. You still need the vision screening, your documents and the fee to get the permit, and the Department may ask you to retake the test there.
What if I fail the vision screening?
You get a vision statement for an eye professional to complete. If corrective lenses bring you to 20/40, come back once you have them.
Can adults take the knowledge test online?
The online option is for applicants aged 15 to 17. Adults take the knowledge test at a Driver Services Center.
Sources
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, “Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual” (information as of July 1, 2022) (tn.gov)
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, “Are there other ways for me to practice for the knowledge test?” (safetysupport.tn.gov)
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, “What if I cannot pass the vision screening?” (safetysupport.tn.gov)
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, “What if I am blind in one eye?” (safetysupport.tn.gov)
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, “How do I make, view, or cancel an appointment at a Driver Service Center?” (safetysupport.tn.gov)
- Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Office of Research and Education Accountability, “Driver Education in Tennessee” (comptroller.tn.gov)
- Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Office of Research and Education Accountability, “Tennessee’s Graduated Driver Licensing Law” (comptroller.tn.gov)