PermitoTennessee permit test
The Tennessee knowledge test has 30 questions and you need 24 correct to pass (80%). Source: tn.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Test facts
| What | Number | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions on the test | 30 | tn.gov | |
| Pass mark | 80% (24 of 30 correct) | tn.gov |
Tennessee laws and handbook points
Points from Tennessee law and the Tennessee driver handbook, each taken from one of our Tennessee practice questions with its source. Practice material, not the state test.
Permits and graduated licensing
Who is mailed an advisory letter about the risk of losing the license?
Answer: An adult with 6 to 11 points. An adult with 6 to 11 points in a 12-month period gets an advisory letter. A driver under 18 gets one at 1 to 5 points.
Other choices: Only drivers over age 65. Age is not the trigger for the letter, so it does not match what Tennessee law sets for this license rule. A driver with no points at all. Drivers with clean records are not mailed a warning.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 8: Driver Improvement and Responsibilities.
Alcohol and drugs
What is the minimum jail time for a second DUI conviction?
Answer: 45 days. A second DUI conviction brings at least 45 days in jail, a fine of $600 to $3,500, and a two-year license revocation.
Other choices: 48 hours. Forty-eight hours is the minimum for a first conviction. 120 days. One hundred twenty days is the minimum for a third conviction.
Sources: TCA 55-10-403; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 7: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving.
Insurance
You toss a fast-food bag out the window. What can happen?
Answer: A fine of $50 to $3,000. Littering is against state law. The fine starts at $50 and goes up to $3,000, and a convicted person may do up to 40 hours of public service.
Other choices: A 30-day license suspension. The penalty is a fine and public service. A warning for the first time. The law sets fines, so it does not match what Tennessee law sets for this license rule.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Speed and following distance
How is speeding in a school zone treated when children are going to or from school?
Answer: As reckless driving, with six points. Exceeding the speed limit in a school zone is reckless driving by law, and it adds six points to the driving record.
Other choices: As a one-point violation. One point is for speeding only 1 to 5 mph over. As a warning for the first offense. It is a serious offense and not a warning, so it does not match the restraint rule Tennessee sets for this rider.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Parking
How close to a crosswalk may you park?
Answer: No closer than 20 feet. Keep your car 20 feet back from a crosswalk. A parked car closer than that can hide a walker who is about to cross.
Other choices: No closer than 30 feet. Thirty feet is the signal distance, so it does not match the distance or place that Tennessee sets for parking. No closer than 15 feet. Fifteen feet is the hydrant distance, so it does not match the distance or place that Tennessee sets for parking.
Sources: TCA 55-8-160; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Right of way
A pedestrian steps into an unmarked crosswalk in a school zone with the warning flasher on. What must you do?
Answer: Stop until they have crossed. In a marked school zone with the warning flasher on, stop and yield to a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk until the person has crossed.
Other choices: Slow down and pass behind them. You must stop until they have crossed. Honk once and drive on past. Honking does not give you the right of way.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Sharing the road
Two lanes run your way. A tow truck on the right shoulder has its lights flashing. What must you do?
Answer: Move over if safe, or else slow down. On a road with two or more lanes going your way, move to a lane not next to the stopped emergency vehicle when safe. If you cannot, slow down and pass with caution.
Other choices: Keep your lane and speed, as the truck is on the shoulder. The truck is still a hazard, so the law asks you to move over or slow down. Stop behind the truck until it drives away. Stopping in a through lane creates a hazard, and the law asks only that you move over or slow down.
Sources: TCA 55-8-132; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Emergencies
An ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on while you are in a lane at an intersection. What should you do?
Answer: Go through, then pull right and stop. If you are already in an intersection, drive through it first and then pull to the right edge and stop. Stopping inside the intersection blocks the vehicle.
Other choices: Pull to the left lane. Drivers yield by moving right. Speed up and stay ahead of it. Racing ahead is dangerous and blocks the ambulance.
Sources: TCA 55-8-132; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Turns and lanes
A car ahead has stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk on a multi-lane road. May you pass it?
Answer: No, never pass a car stopped for walkers. Never pass a car that has stopped for a walker at a crosswalk. The stopped car may hide the walker from you.
Other choices: Yes, if you use the left lane. The left lane is where walkers are hidden, so it does not match the distance or place that Tennessee sets for parking. Yes, if you slow down. Slowing does not make passing safe.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
Traffic signals
What does Tennessee law say a stop at a stop sign must be?
Answer: A full stop, with no movement. Tennessee defines stop as the complete cessation of movement. A rolling stop is illegal and can fail a road test.
Other choices: A slow roll if the road is clear. A rolling stop is not a stop under the law. A pause only if cars are visible. A stop is required even if no cars are visible, so it does not match what Tennessee law sets for this license rule.
Sources: Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
- Questions in this list were last updated .
What the Tennessee question bank covers
Questions in Permito’s Tennessee bank, by topic. The counts describe the bank, not the state test.
| Topic | Questions in the bank |
|---|---|
| Road signs | 359 |
| Right of way | 68 |
| Safe driving | 57 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 49 |
| Turns and lanes | 45 |
| Speed and following distance | 42 |
| Sharing the road | 40 |
| Permits and graduated licensing | 37 |
| Traffic signals | 33 |
| Pavement markings | 32 |
| Emergencies | 24 |
| Parking | 23 |
| Insurance | 13 |
Where these numbers come from
Each number was read on the agency page linked beside it. The count of correct answers is the agency’s percentage, rounded up.
Practice
- Try the Tennessee practice questions. Questions with the answer, the explanation and the source.
- Compare all states
Road signs
Sign questions are part of the Tennessee bank too. The road sign reference shows every sign Permito teaches, with its name and what it means. See all road signs.
Common questions
How many questions are on the Tennessee permit test?
The test has 30 questions. Source: tn.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
What score do I need to pass the Tennessee permit test?
You need 24 correct answers out of 30, which is 80%. Source: tn.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the agency page at tn.gov, which we checked on October 17, 2026. Permito is not part of any government agency.
Are the practice questions on Permito from the Tennessee test?
No. They are our own practice questions, written from the Tennessee driver handbook and vehicle code. Permito is not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
You hold an intermediate restricted license and want to drive three friends your age to a game. Is that allowed?
No, only one other passenger is allowed. An intermediate restricted license holder may have only one other passenger, with a few exceptions such as a licensed driver aged 21 or older. Sources: TCA 55-50-331; Driver handbook, Section A, Chapter 3: Intermediate Licenses For Drivers Under 18.
A first DUI with a BAC of 0.20 percent or more carries at least how many days in jail?
7 days in jail. A first DUI conviction with a BAC of 0.20 percent or more carries at least seven days in jail, not the usual 48 hours. Sources: TCA 55-10-403; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 7: Alcohol, Other Drugs and Driving.
A driver must immediately notify police of a crash with property damage over what amount?
$50. Call police right away about a crash that kills or hurts someone, or does more than $50 of damage to property. Sources: TCA 55-10-106; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 8: Driver Improvement and Responsibilities.
Which default speed limit matches a state highway with no sign posted?
55 mph. Unless a sign says otherwise, the main state and federal highways have a limit of 55 mph. Sources: TCA 55-8-152; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
You find a curb space 12 feet from a fire hydrant. May you park there?
No, stay at least 15 feet away. Parking is banned within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. A space 12 feet away is inside the banned zone. Sources: TCA 55-8-160; Driver handbook, Section B, Chapter 4: Rules of the Road.
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