Tennessee traffic school and defensive driving rules
In Tennessee a 4 hour Driver Education Course removes up to 5 speeding points; the conviction stays. It applies once every 4 years.
Rules checked
Since July 1, 2026 a Tennessee driver convicted of speeding can take an approved 4-hour Driver Education Course within 90 days of the conviction to have up to 5 points removed. The conviction stays on the record, and this works for one speeding conviction in 4 years. Separately, a judge may let you take traffic school instead of a conviction and usually dismisses the charge when you finish, but judges are not required to offer it. Commercial license holders cannot use court traffic school.
- What a course does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- How often
- Once every 4 years
- Deadline to ask
- 90 days
- Speeding points
- 1 to 8 points
- Points count for
- A 24 month window
The Tennessee rule
Every field of the rule. The number points to its source at the foot of the page.
- The program
- Driver Education Course to remove speeding points (T.C.A. 55-10-207(f)(2), Public Chapter 993 of 2026)
- What it does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Set by each court
- YesEach court decides part of the rule.
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- Bar at double the posted limit
- Not published
- Open to CDL holders
- Not published
- Open to tickets in a commercial vehicle
- Not published
- Open to learner and provisional licenses
- Not published
- Open to drivers licensed in another state
- Not published
- How often
- Once every 4 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from
- Lifetime limit
- Not published
- Deadline to ask
- 90 daysCounted from the conviction. This is a window to enroll in or finish the course, not a date to ask the court.
- Court fee for the course
- Not published
- Course length
- 4 hours
- Course price the rule publishes
- Not published
- Crashes
- Not published
Who qualifies
- Not published for CDL holders. Ask your court.
- Not published for tickets written in a commercial vehicle.
- Not published for drivers licensed in another state.
- Speed limit for the course: not published. Your court decides.
- Only speeding tickets qualify.
- Once every 4 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
Left out of the program, in the words of the rule
- any conviction other than speeding (the course removes points for a speeding conviction only)
Deadline and how to ask
- Ticket writtenDay 0
- Deadline to ask90 days
Counted from the conviction. This is a window to enroll in or finish the course, not a date to ask the court.
Points in Tennessee
| Violation, as the state lists it | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding 1 through 5 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 1point |
| Speeding 6 through 15 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 3points |
| Speeding 16 through 25 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 4points |
| Speeding 26 through 35 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 5points |
| Speeding 36 through 45 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 6points |
| Speeding 46 and above in excess of speed zone | Speeding | 8points |
| Failure to obey traffic instructions (T.C.A. 55-8-109) | Red light or stop sign | 4points |
| Making improper turn | Lane change or turn | 3points |
| Improper lane or location, driving on roadways laned for traffic | Lane change or turn | 3points |
| Failure to signal direction or to reduce speed suddenly | Lane change or turn | 3points |
| Following improperly | Following too closely | 3points |
| Operating vehicle while using cell phone (under 18) | Phone use or texting | 6points |
| Miscellaneous traffic violation; any offense involving the unsafe operation of a Non-Commercial Motor Vehicle not herein specified | Other moving violation | 3points |
| Reckless driving | Other moving violation | 6points |
| Careless or negligent driving | Other moving violation | 4points |
| Failure to yield the right-of-way | Other moving violation | 4points |
| Passing stopped school, church or youth bus taking on or discharging passengers | Other moving violation | 8points |
| Failure to stop at railroad crossing | Other moving violation | 8points |
Your court
Courts in this state set part of the rule, and we hold no court records here. The court named on your citation decides.
What we could not confirm
- Sources that disagreeThe point schedule comes from the 2014 rule filing, the latest published version we found. Next check due by .
- A second programJudges may also offer traffic school in place of a conviction. That second program is described in the summary above and is not part of the checker, which follows the state course.
Check a Tennessee ticket
The form opens the checker with Tennessee filled in. Add the violation and the date from your ticket.
Tennessee traffic school questions
Can a defensive driving course take points off in Tennessee?
In Tennessee a 4 hour Driver Education Course removes up to 5 speeding points; the conviction stays. It applies once every 4 years. The program: Driver Education Course to remove speeding points (T.C.A. 55-10-207(f)(2), Public Chapter 993 of 2026). Each court decides part of the rule, so confirm with the court on your citation.
How often can you take traffic school in Tennessee?
Once every 4 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
When do you have to ask for traffic school in Tennessee?
90 days. Counted from the conviction. This is a window to enroll in or finish the course, not a date to ask the court.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Tennessee?
Tennessee gives 1 point for 1 to 5 mph over (Speeding 1 through 5 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone); 3 points for 6 to 15 mph over (Speeding 6 through 15 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone); 4 points for 16 to 25 mph over (Speeding 16 through 25 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone); 5 points for 26 to 35 mph over (Speeding 26 through 35 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone); 6 points for 36 to 45 mph over (Speeding 36 through 45 m.p.h. in excess of speed zone); more bands in the table.
How long do points stay on your license in Tennessee?
Tennessee counts points within a 24 month window, so a point stops counting toward a suspension once it falls outside that window.
Sources
Checked against these pages in .
- Remove Speeding Points (4-hour traffic school), Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (opens in a new tab)
- Tennessee Public Chapter No. 993 (2026), House Bill 1891, amending T.C.A. 55-10-207(f) (opens in a new tab)
- Driver Improvement Schools, MTAS reference MTAS-1587, University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (opens in a new tab)
- School Eligible Offenses, Circuit Court Clerk, Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County (opens in a new tab)
- Traffic School, Notice to CDL Holders, General Sessions Court of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County (opens in a new tab)
- Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Chapter 1340-01-04 Driver Improvement Program (August 2014 revision) (opens in a new tab)
- 49 CFR 384.226 Prohibition on masking convictions (eCFR) (opens in a new tab)
- Court Ordered Traffic Schools, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (opens in a new tab)