The amount of points accumulated on your Tennessee driver's record that will cause your driving privileges to be suspended varies depending upon if you are an adult or teen driver.
As an adult driver you may face suspension of your license once you have reached 12 points within a 12 month period. The TN Department of Safety states that they have set up the Driver Improvement Section of their agency to monitor the driving records of Tennessee drivers and they send out notices when you have accumulated too many points according to state laws.
Drivers that accumulate twelve (12) or more points on their TN driving record within any 12-month period are sent a notice of proposed suspension and given an opportunity to attend an administrative hearing. If they fail to request a hearing, their driving privileges are suspended for a period of six (6) to twelve (12) months. In most cases, when a driver requests a hearing, they are given the opportunity to attend a defensive driving class in lieu of suspension or a reduction of suspension time.
[Let CarInsurance.com help you find affordable auto insurance now.] Teenage drivers are looked at closer since they are inexperienced drivers and thus drivers less than eighteen (18) years of age that accumulate six (6) or more points on their driving record within any twelve (12) month period are sent a notice of proposed suspension from the Department of Safety and are placed in the Driver Improvement Program. The driver will be required to attend an administrative hearing, with their parent or guardian present, to discuss the points assigned to their driving record. Certain actions could be imposed based on the outcome of the hearing and the number of points accumulated on the driver's record.
When a teen driver has accumulated between 6 to 9 points:
- Driving privileges may be suspended for 3 to 6 months.
- Driver must attend and complete a Defensive Driving Course within 90 days.
- Failure to attend hearing by the driver and parent/guardian present will result in a mandatory 6 month suspension of the juvenile's driving privileges.
- If a driver's license is suspended, all legal and departmental requirements for reinstatement, including proof of liability insurance, completion of a Defensive Driving Course and payment of reinstatement fees, must be met before driving privileges can be reinstated.
If they have been assessed 10 or more points than:
- Driving privileges will be suspended for 6 months.
- Failure to attend hearing by the driver and parent/guardian will result in a mandatory 6 month suspension of the juvenile's driving privileges and attendance at a Defensive Driving Course.
- All legal and departmental requirements for reinstatement, including proof of liability insurance, completion of a Defensive Driving Course and payment of reinstatement fees, must be met before driving privileges can be reinstated.
If a driver under the age of 18 accumulates 6 or more points on their driving record in a 12-month period following the first offense (so this now counts as a second or subsequent offense of receiving too many points on your motor vehicle record), the driver is sent a notice of proposed suspension from the Department of Safety and is placed in the Driver Improvement Program, with a copy sent to the driver's parent/guardian.
Then their driving privileges will be suspended for 6 or 12 months depending on their driving record. All legal and departmental requirements for reinstatement, including proof of liability insurance, completion of a Defensive Driving Course and payment of reinstatement fees, must be met before driving privileges can be reinstated for the teenage motorist.
Per chapter 1340-1-4 of the Rules of Tennessee Department of Safety Control Division an adult driver shall receive only one (1) advisory letter of caution within a five (5) year period. Also any driver not suspended entering the Driver Improvement Program who has not been involved in the program within a five (5) year period shall be treated as a first offender. So if you accumulate 12 or more points twice within a 5 month period you will be given harsher penalties since the TN Department of Safety will look at it as a second offense.
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In Tennessee points are typically kept on your record for 5 years. While too many points may affect your driving privileges, too many traffic violations on your motor vehicle record (MVR) and cause your insurance rates to be affected. Whether you have a clean driving record or a few traffic offenses on your MVR, you can click here to get instant car insurance quotes for the state of Tennessee. | 
