Tennessee's Teen Driving Laws: A 2025 Guide for Parents and Intermediate Drivers

For teenagers in Tennessee, getting a driver's license is a rite of passage symbolizing freedom and maturity. For their parents, it's a period of both excitement and significant concern. To help ensure this transition is as safe as possible, Tennessee has a Graduated Driver License (GDL) program. This system is not meant to be an obstacle; it's a proven method for reducing teen driver crashes by introducing privileges in stages as they gain critical experience.

Understanding these laws is essential for both teens and parents to ensure safety, avoid costly tickets, and protect that newly earned license. Here is a clear guide to Tennessee's teen driving laws for 2025.

The Purpose of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL)

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. This is largely due to inexperience combined with high-risk factors, such as driving at night and being distracted by friends in the car. Tennessee's GDL program directly addresses these risks by placing common-sense limits on new drivers, allowing them to build skills in a safer, more controlled environment before granting full freedom.

The program has distinct stages, each with its own set of rules.

Stage 1: The Learner Permit (Class PD) (Age 15+)

This is the very first step, where all on-road driving practice begins. A teen must be at least 15 years old to apply.

Key Permit Restrictions:

• Constant Supervision: A permit holder must always be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old.
• Front Seat Only: The supervising driver must be seated in the front passenger seat at all times.

Stage 2: The Intermediate Restricted License (Age 16+)

After holding a permit for at least 180 days, completing the required practice hours, and passing the road test, a teen earns an Intermediate Restricted License. This is a major step, as it allows for unsupervised driving, but with critical safety restrictions in place.

The 50-Hour Driving Requirement

Before taking the road test, a teen's parent or guardian must sign a form certifying the completion of at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice.

• Night Driving: At least 10 of these 50 hours must be completed at night, after sunset. This is to ensure the new driver gains experience in lower-visibility conditions, a statistically more dangerous time to drive.

Intermediate Restricted License Restriction 1: Driving Curfew

Nighttime driving is one of the highest-risk situations for new drivers. The GDL curfew addresses this directly.

• Curfew Hours: An intermediate restricted license holder is prohibited from driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
• Exceptions: The curfew does not apply if the teen is accompanied by a licensed parent/guardian or a licensed driver who is at least 21 and has been designated by the parent/guardian. Exceptions may also apply for travel to and from work or school events.

Intermediate Restricted License Restriction 2: Passenger Limits

Research consistently shows that a teen driver's crash risk increases exponentially with each additional peer passenger in the vehicle. Tennessee's law is designed to minimize this distraction.

• The Rule: A driver with an intermediate restricted license may not transport more than ONE passenger.
• The Exception: The passenger limitation does not apply if one of the passengers is the teen's parent/guardian, or if the teen is accompanied by a licensed adult (21+) in the front seat.

Intermediate Restricted License Restriction 3: Cell Phones

• Zero Tolerance: It is illegal for an intermediate license holder to use a handheld cell phone or personal digital assistant while driving. This is a primary offense, meaning an officer can pull a teen over just for this violation.

Stage 3: The Intermediate Unrestricted License (Age 17+)

This stage removes some of the most stringent restrictions for responsible teen drivers.

Eligibility:

• Must be at least 17 years old.
• Must have held the Intermediate Restricted License for at least one year.
• Must not have accumulated 6 or more points on their driving record.
• Must not have been involved in an at-fault accident.

Upon meeting these criteria, a teen can apply to have the time-of-day and passenger restrictions lifted.

The Final Step: The Full, Unrestricted License

At age 18, an intermediate license automatically converts to a full, unrestricted adult license, and all GDL provisions are removed.

By working together, parents and teens can navigate the GDL process, ensuring the new driver builds the safe habits needed for a lifetime behind the wheel.