Tennessee Driving Records

A Tennessee driving record — known as the Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) — is the official record of license status, convictions, accidents, and administrative actions kept by TN DSHS. Insurance carriers pull them automatically. Employers running CDL or fleet operations request them annually. Drivers themselves often pull a copy to verify status before a job application or insurance shop. TN DSHS offers three primary record types through the e-Services portal, with different fees and uses.

Three types of Tennessee MVR

• 3-Year Standard MVR — license status, current address, and convictions and accidents from the past 3 years. Used for personal review, casual employer checks, and insurance shopping. Available through e-Services for $5.
• 5-Year Standard MVR — license status and 5-year history; commonly required for non-CDL employer driving positions. $7.
• Certified MVR — the standard record certified by TN DSHS, accepted by courts, employers, out-of-state DMVs, and federal agencies. Used for court matters, CDL employment verification, and out-of-state license transfers. $10, mailed in 2-3 weeks or available in person at most Driver Services Centers.

What appears on the record

A Tennessee MVR includes:

• Current license status (Active, Suspended, Revoked, Cancelled, Expired).
• License class, endorsements, and restrictions (corrective lenses, motorcycle, school-bus, hazmat, etc.).
• Issue and expiration dates.
• Conviction history — moving violations, DUI, reckless driving, leaving-the-scene, etc.
• Accident history reported through Tennessee crash reports.
• Administrative actions: suspensions, revocations, restricted licenses, IID requirements.
• Out-of-state convictions reported to TN DSHS through the Driver License Compact.
• Any open holds (FTA, child support, Atwood Law insurance verification).

The Tennessee MVR does not include parking-ticket history, civil traffic infractions cleared by the issuing court, or non-driving criminal history — those live in TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) records, which are separate from TN DSHS.

Retention periods

Tennessee retains entries on a driving record for varying lengths:

• Moving-violation convictions: 3 years for most violations on the standard record; longer on the certified record.
• DUI convictions: 10 years for sentencing-enhancement purposes; permanently visible on the certified record.
• Vehicular homicide / vehicular assault: permanently retained.
• Habitual Motor Vehicle Offender (HMVO) declarations: permanently retained.
• License-status entries: retained indefinitely for license-history purposes, regardless of age.

How to pull your own record

1. Log into e-Services with your Tennessee license number, date of birth, and last four of SSN.
2. Navigate to "Driver Services" then "Driving Record."
3. Select the type (3-year, 5-year, or certified).
4. Pay by credit card or e-check.
5. Standard records (3-year and 5-year) are emailed instantly as a PDF; certified copies are mailed in 2-3 weeks.

Pulling a record on someone else

Tennessee limits third-party access to driving records under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Permitted uses include insurance underwriting, employer verification (with a signed release), litigation discovery, and government function. Form RDA-1683 must accompany the request, naming the permissible purpose. Unauthorized retrieval is a federal offense; TN DSHS logs every record pull and the recipient's stated reason.

Disputing an error on your record

If your Tennessee MVR contains an inaccurate conviction, accident, or status notation, file a written dispute with the TN DSHS Records Section. The dispute process:

1. Identify the specific entry in error and gather supporting documentation (court disposition, dismissed-citation paperwork, expungement order).
2. Mail the documentation to the TN DSHS Records Section in Nashville with a written request to correct.
3. TN DSHS reviews and notifies you in writing within 30-45 days.
4. If the dispute is denied, you can appeal to the Driver Improvement Hearing at one of the regional administrative offices (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga). See suspended license for the hearing process.

Insurance and your record

Your record drives your auto-insurance rate in Tennessee. Insurers pull a fresh MVR at every renewal and at every new-policy quote. Conviction surcharges typically last 3 years on the rating side, with DUI surcharges lasting 5+ years. Tennessee insurers can use credit score, age, occupation, and education in addition to driving record — see Tennessee car insurance for the rating mechanics. If you're shopping a new Tennessee policy, pull your own 3-year MVR first; it's the same data the carriers see, and it lets you verify everything is accurate before they price you.

Expungement and the MVR

Tennessee allows expungement of certain non-violent traffic offenses through the criminal court that handled the case under T.C.A. § 40-32-101. Successfully expunged convictions are removed from the TN DSHS certified MVR within 30 days of court order receipt. DUI is not eligible for expungement in Tennessee — DUI convictions remain permanently on the certified MVR. Underlying related offenses (reckless driving, public intoxication) can sometimes be expunged following successful pre-trial diversion or judicial diversion.

Employer pulls and CDL drivers

Employers running an annual MVR pull on drivers (CDL operations or fleet vehicles) typically use the Certified MVR, which is accepted by every fleet-management vendor and insurance carrier. CDL drivers are subject to FMCSA's separate Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) in addition to the state MVR — PSP pulls federal-level inspection and crash data. Both records together form the standard background package for commercial driving positions.

For drivers running a TNC (Uber, Lyft) ride-share verification, Tennessee's TNC laws (T.C.A. § 55-12-118) require periodic MVR pulls by the TNC company. The standard 3-year record is sufficient for most TNC compliance. See the Tennessee DMV hub for the TN DSHS Records Section contact details.