Get a Tennessee Identification-Only License

Choose identification without a driving privilege

The Tennessee identification-license page describes credentials used for identification only. An ID-only license does not authorize driving, and obtaining one does not require the driving examinations used for a passenger license. Applicants still must establish the required identity, qualifying citizenship or immigration circumstances, and Tennessee residence. The absence of a road test does not remove the document review that makes the card an official state credential.

Tennessee identifies expiring and permanent identification categories, with temporary identification governed separately. Its ordinary expiring-ID instructions apply to someone who does not currently hold a valid driver license. If you plan to stop driving, ask Driver Services how your existing driving credential will be handled as part of the ID transaction. The license-type descriptions help distinguish these categories before you choose an application. Requirements discussed here were read October 21, 2026.

Back to the topics

Understand age and disability provisions

The Department allows children, including infants, to obtain identification credentials when the documentation requirements are met. For an applicant under 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete the applicable portion of the minor affidavit. A child's application should therefore be planned as a documented identity transaction, with both the child's records and the adult's required participation. The fact that an infant has never driven is not a barrier to an ID-only credential.

The ordinary identification page states that expiring identification licenses do not expire for Tennessee residents age 65 or older. It also provides a permanent ID for a resident with an intellectual or physical disability who submits the required certified statement from a licensed doctor that the person cannot operate a vehicle. Qualifying permanent IDs are available without charge and do not expire. Ask the examiner to identify the category and any REAL ID validity conditions applicable to the credential actually issued.

A REAL ID identification credential involves a distinct federal identification feature and its verification requirements. Do not infer that every nonexpiring state identification card automatically has that feature or serves every federal purpose. Temporary XID credentials also remain subject to their statutory validity limit even when an applicant is older or has a disability. Establish the category and expiration from the reviewed application rather than relying only on age.

Back to the topics

Apply the 2026 temporary-ID rules

The enacted January 1, 2026 changes require citizenship evidence for the specified regular initial issuances and provide temporary identification for lawful permanent residents and qualifying people admitted for an authorized stay. Permanent residents renewing or reinstating an existing identification credential must establish citizenship to retain the regular category; otherwise, the temporary category applies. This current rule should be considered even when an older card or webpage grouped citizens and permanent residents together.

The statutory temporary-ID term follows the period of authorized stay or the valid period of the permanent resident card, with an eight-year maximum. A person who becomes a U.S. citizen may present that proof to request the regular category. The legislative record identifies the enacted bill and effective dates. A temporary ID remains identification rather than permission to drive, and its expiration should be reviewed independently of ordinary nonexpiring-ID provisions.

Back to the topics

Prepare identity evidence and all name connections

Consult the accepted citizenship and federal-document list for the records appropriate to your circumstances. Common citizen documents include a qualifying government birth certificate, unexpired U.S. passport, or naturalization or citizenship certificate. Original or certified records are needed; a photocopy taken for a school or employer may not meet the state's licensing requirements. The examiner can seek verification from the issuer, which may prevent completion during the first visit.

Use the legal name-change instructions when the requested name differs from the identity source. A recorded marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order may establish the connection. Successive changes can require more than one record. For a child's ID, review the child's legal name and any custody or guardianship circumstances before arranging the visit, so the participating adult can provide the relevant records rather than trying to explain an undocumented relationship at the counter.

Back to the topics

Address Social Security requirements accurately

For an ordinary non-REAL ID application, Tennessee permits the applicant to provide a Social Security number verbally for electronic verification. If the match fails, the Department may need additional documentation. For REAL ID, bring an approved record displaying the full number, such as a Social Security card, W-2, 1099, or payroll check stub. An ID applicant who has never worked may need a different accepted document from an applicant who routinely receives wage records.

The no-SSN affidavit addresses an applicant who has never received a Social Security number. It must be signed before a driver license examiner or notary. The ID page also identifies the qualifying birth or federal evidence required with that circumstance. Do not sign a declaration of never having received a number merely because the card is missing or the applicant cannot recall the number. Resolve that distinction before submitting the form.

Back to the topics

Establish the Tennessee residence

The state residence checklist requires two acceptable proofs from different sources. Most documents called current must be dated within four months unless the particular item has another stated period. For someone living with a parent, guardian, or spouse, the list includes ways to use that person's qualifying evidence with documentation of the relationship. This can be especially useful for children or other applicants without a lease or household account in their own name.

A rental lease must contain the necessary tenant, address, terms, effective dates, and signatures. Tennessee requires a supporting landlord letter dated within 30 days that confirms the lease remains current and effective. The letter cannot be handwritten and must have official landlord letterhead or a notarized signature. The lease and letter together count as one residence proof. Another independent source remains necessary even when both documents are complete.

For an applicant experiencing homelessness or residing in a shelter, the special residence affidavit can serve as the secondary proof when completed under its instructions. A signed agency or shelter letter dated within 30 days must accompany it and contain the required organization and contact information. Arrange the authorized signature with the shelter or agency before the application visit. The affidavit is a documented residence route, not a general waiver of all address requirements.

Back to the topics

Select the visit and the applicable fee

Use the Driver Services office directory to identify an appropriate place to apply. A first REAL ID identification credential requires an in-person review; a first Tennessee applicant must use a full-service center. Existing Tennessee holders may have a participating county clerk option for eligible services. The official online-service links provide preparation and later transaction tools, but do not eliminate the original-document requirements for first issuance.

The published ID fee table lists $5 for an ordinary ID under age 18 and $12 for an ordinary ID at age 18 or older. Temporary XID issuance is listed separately at $9.50. The permanent disability ID has its own qualifying no-fee provision on the ID page. County clerk partner transactions add the stated $4 administrative charge. These amounts were read October 21, 2026; let the actual credential category determine the fee and printed term.

Back to the topics

Keep the issued identification current

Read the name, residence, identification category, REAL ID marking if requested, and expiration before leaving with the interim document. The state REAL ID instructions describe mailing the plastic credential in approximately 10-20 days. For later maintenance, the renewal page directs temporary-ID holders to an in-person visit with updated federal evidence and two residence proofs. The replacement procedure provides the route for a missing or damaged credential and explains the DD number required for online duplicate verification.

Report an address change within 10 days using the address-update process. Updating the record does not automatically order another physical card. Tennessee currently does not provide a mobile driver license or ID representation through its license-types program, so keep the issued physical credential available for the uses that require it. An ID card, photograph of a card, and valid driving privilege remain different things when deciding whether you may operate a vehicle.

Back to the topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a baby receive a Tennessee identification credential?
The Department allows identification-only credentials for children, including infants. The documentation requirements and the parent's or guardian's required participation still apply.

Must I pass a driving test to obtain an ID-only license?
Tennessee does not require driving examinations for an identification-only credential. The application instead centers on the required identity, status, residence, and other supporting evidence.

Who qualifies for the permanent disability identification credential?
The ID page describes Tennessee residents with an intellectual or physical disability who provide a licensed doctor's certified statement that they cannot operate a vehicle. Qualifying permanent IDs are free and do not expire.

Does turning 65 make a temporary XID permanent?
Temporary identification remains governed by its authorized-stay or permanent-resident-card validity and the statutory maximum. Do not apply the ordinary nonexpiring-ID age provision to a temporary credential automatically.

May I use an ID-only credential as my learner permit?
An identification credential contains no driving permission. Learning to drive requires the appropriate permit or other driving credential and compliance with its supervision rules.

What if I do not have household bills in my own name?
Tennessee's residence list includes qualifying evidence connected to a parent, guardian, or spouse, with relationship documentation. Review that route or the applicable shelter-affidavit process before the visit.

Back to the topics

More Tennessee DMV guides

The other Tennessee DMV guides, 52 of them:

Where this subject meets the courts and the county records: Tennessee birth certificates and birth, death and marriage records in Tennessee.