NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Starting Jan. 10, 2025, new or returning Tennessee residents with an out-of-state driver's license must present a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) when applying for a Tennessee license.
According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, those states include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, Vermont and West Virginia.
All other states, including Tennessee, are part of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators State-to-State (S2S) Verification Service. This gives participating states electronic access to the comprehensive driver history record of anyone applying for a license.
Anyone moving from one of the 41 other participating states does not have to acquire an MVR to be eligible for a Tennessee driver's license.
After the implementation date, everyone from the nine non-participating states must obtain an MVR from their former state before applying for a Tennessee license or ID.
The MVR must have been issued within the past 30 days of when it was presented at a driver services center. It is needed in addition to the other required documents to apply for a Tennessee credential.
For more information about the documents required to obtain a license in Tennessee, visit tn.gov/safety/driver-services.html.
