Tennessee Permit Test PDF: Questions & Answers (2026)
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
How the Tennessee knowledge test works
Tennessee's knowledge test for the Class PD learner permit has 30 questions and requires 80% - 24 correct answers - to pass. That means you can miss only 6. The test is run by the Driver Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and every question comes from the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual.
Tennessee offers the knowledge test online in some cases. If you fail the online test you must wait 24 hours before trying again, and you get only two attempts online - after that you test in person.
Tennessee knowledge test - verified facts
- Questions on the test
- 30
- To pass
- 24 of 30 correct (80%)
- Permit
- Learner Permit (Class PD)
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- If you fail
- 24 hours (online test); online test limited to 2 attempts
- Online test
- Partially - online testing is available only in some cases (see the official site).
You can miss up to 6 of the 30 questions and still pass. The minimum is 24 correct answers (80%).
Official source: Tennessee TDOSHS driver handbook (edition checked: Current as of July 1, 2022) · facts last reviewed 2026-09-28
5 Tennessee-specific questions from the PDF
Under Tennessee's Hands-Free Law, a driver may not:
- A. Hold a phone or device with any part of their body while driving
- B. Use a Bluetooth headset
- C. Use a dashboard mount
- D. Talk to a passenger
Show answer
A. Hold a phone or device with any part of their body while driving - Tennessee's Hands-Free Law makes it illegal to hold a cell phone or mobile device with any part of your body while driving.
Source: Tennessee handbook, PDF p.6, Distracted driving - hands-free law
What is the maximum speed limit on Tennessee interstate highways?
- A. 70 mph
- B. 65 mph
- C. 75 mph
- D. 80 mph
Show answer
A. 70 mph - Tennessee law sets a maximum of 70 mph on interstate highways, posted on most rural sections. Urban interstates may be as low as 55 mph. Always obey the posted limit.
Source: Tennessee handbook, PDF p.61, Tennessee Speed Laws - Interstate Speed Limits
In Tennessee, a driver under 21 can be charged with underage driving while impaired at a BAC of:
- A. 0.02
- B. 0.05
- C. 0.08
- D. 0.10
Show answer
A. 0.02 - Tennessee's limit is 0.08 for adults, but a driver under 21 can be charged at a BAC of just 0.02.
Source: Tennessee handbook, PDF p.97, Under 21 BAC
A Tennessee Intermediate Restricted (GDL Level 2) license holder may carry:
- A. Only one passenger
- B. Up to three passengers
- C. Up to five passengers
- D. Any number of passengers
Show answer
A. Only one passenger - A Tennessee Intermediate Restricted license holder may have only one other passenger, unless a passenger is 21 or older with a valid unrestricted license, or the passengers are siblings going to or from school with a parent's written authorization.
Source: Tennessee handbook, PDF p.33, Restrictions for an Intermediate Restricted License
A Tennessee Intermediate Restricted license holder may not drive between the hours of:
- A. 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- B. 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- C. Midnight and 5 a.m.
- D. 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Show answer
A. 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. - Tennessee Intermediate Restricted license holders may not drive between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or by a licensed driver 21 or older designated in writing by the parent or guardian.
Source: Tennessee handbook, PDF p.33, Restrictions for an Intermediate Restricted License
What Tennessee tests that other states don't
The Tennessee-specific questions above cover the rules you will not find in a generic practice test:
- The Hands-Free Law - drivers may not hold or support a phone with any part of the body while driving.
- Interstate speed limits - Tennessee's maximum interstate speed is 70 mph.
- Under-21 BAC - 0.02, not the adult 0.08.
- Intermediate Restricted License limits - the passenger rule and the late-night driving hours that apply once you graduate from the learner permit.
From permit to license in Tennessee
- You can apply for a learner permit at 15.
- You must hold it for 180 days before the Intermediate Restricted License (minimum age 16).
- You need 50 hours of supervised practice, including 10 at night, certified by a parent, legal guardian or driving instructor.
Using the PDF well
The two-attempt limit on the online test is the best reason to study on paper first. Work through the PDF without the answer key, mark it, and re-read the manual section behind every miss. Then use the Tennessee online practice tests until you pass the 30-question simulator with 27 or more correct several times running. Only then use one of your online attempts.