Driver point system in tennessee

In Tennessee any and all points remain on your license for two years. Adults with 6 to 11 points are issued warnings that another violation will result in the revocation of their license. The amount of points a person receives on their license depends entirely on the severity of the violation. The system is as follows:.

If a driver continuously acquires points, they may face serious legal repercussions. These punishments vary depending on if the repeat violator is a minor or of legal age. Drivers who are 18 or older usually receive a warning letter after accumulating 6 points in a year.

Drivers who are at least 18 years old will receive a warning letter after receiving six points in a year. Getting 12 points in a single year will result in a notice of proposed suspension. The notice will indicate the possible length of suspension and an administrative hearing date to contest the suspension. The driver then has three options after receiving a proposed suspension notice:.

Drivers under 18 years old are subject to tighter point limits as well as additional licensing penalties for accumulating points. Drivers holding a learner's permit or intermediate license who accumulate points can be prohibited from obtaining the next level of driver's license for 90 to days.

As with adults, minors should receive a warning letter prior to actual suspension, but after reaching six points, a notice of proposed suspension will be issued. After receiving such a notice, the minor driver has two options:. Juvenile Probation. A minor facing suspension can request Driver Services to grant probation in lieu of suspension. The applicant must show that the extreme circumstances exist, such as serious illness or military deployment.

For good cause, Driver Services can grant probation for juvenile first offenders for 12 months or until age The minor must still complete any defensive driving course that may have been ordered. Restricted license. Drivers over 18 years old are permitted to apply for a restricted work license through Driver Services.

The license will have certain restrictions regarding travel but can typically be used to get to and from work or school. After the suspension period, drivers must also pay a reinstatement fee and provide and maintain proof of insurance for three years. A driver can reduce the points for a violation by paying the fine prior to its due date. A prompt fine payment will reduce the points for violations that are at least three points by two points and two-point violation by one point.

The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. Learn more about the state demerit point system and the TN traffic violation penalties issued to drivers who violate state motor vehicle laws by reading the sections below:. The department records moving violation points in TN when it receives reports of traffic violation convictions and vehicle crashes.

The goal of the Tennessee Driver Improvement Program and its demerit point system is to improve the driving habits of motorists who commit multiple offenses within a specific time period. For that purpose, drivers who accumulate 12 or more infraction points within a one-year period will be penalized with a license suspension for the duration of six to 12 months. Review the number of TN driving record points you can accrue for several types of offenses in the following list:.

When assigning demerit points for speeding-related violations, the department takes into consideration the velocity of the driver at the moment he or she violated the state speeding laws.

For example, you will be penalized with three speeding ticket points if you were traveling between six and 16 mph over the posted limit. On the other hand, eight penalty points are assigned to drivers apprehended for driving more than 45 mph over the limit. In addition to the Tennessee traffic ticket penalty issued by the state Department of Safety, drivers who violate motor vehicle laws will also be sentenced by the court that was processing their case. The severity and type of the traffic violation penalties administered after a traffic violation conviction vary based on the seriousness of the offense.