The following persons are exempt from licensing under this chapter:

(1)

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 55-50-304

  • ADS: means technology installed on a motor vehicle that has the capability to drive the vehicle on which the technology is installed in high or full automation mode, without any supervision by a human operator, with specific driving mode performance by the automated driving system of all aspects of the dynamic driving task that can be managed by a human driver, including the ability to automatically bring the motor vehicle into a minimal risk condition in the event of a critical vehicle or system failure or other emergency event. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • ADS-operated vehicle: means a vehicle equipped with an automated driving system. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Commerce: means :
    (A) Trade, traffic, and transportation within the jurisdiction of the United States. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of safety. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Department: means the department of safety acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Domicile: means a person's fixed, permanent and principal home for legal purposes and to which the person has the intention of returning whenever the person is absent. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Driver: means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a highway or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Driver license: means a license issued by the department to an individual that authorizes the individual to operate a motor vehicle on the highways. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Farm tractor: means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines and other implements of husbandry. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained that is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel, or the premises of any shopping center, trailer park or apartment house complex or any other premises frequented by the public at large. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Implement of husbandry: means every vehicle that is designed for agricultural purposes and exclusively used by the owner thereof in the conduct of the owner's agricultural operations. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Motor vehicle: means a vehicle, low speed vehicle or medium speed vehicle as defined in this section, machine, tractor, trailer or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power used on highways or any other vehicle required to be registered under the laws of this state, but does not include any vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer or semitrailer operated exclusively on a rail. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Nonresident: means every person who is not a resident of the state. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Person: means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association or corporation. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: means :
    (A) For the purposes of commercial driver licenses, a state of the United States and the District of Columbia. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • United States: means the fifty (50) states and the District of Columbia. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
  • Vehicle: means every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a public highway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-50-102
(A) Any member of the armed forces while operating a motor vehicle owned or leased by any branch of the armed services of the United States;
(B) Any individual who is operating a CMV for military purposes, including active duty military personnel; members of the military reserves; members of the national guard on active duty, including personnel on full-time national guard duty, personnel on part-time national guard training, and national guard military technicians (civilians who are required to wear military uniforms); and active duty United States coast guard personnel. This exception is not applicable to United States reserve technicians;
(2) Any person while driving or operating any road machine, farm tractor, or implement of husbandry temporarily operated or moved on a highway;
(3) A nonresident who is at least sixteen (16) years of age and who has in immediate possession a valid driver license issued to the person in the person’s home state or country may operate a motor vehicle in this state only as a Class D driver;
(4) A nonresident who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age and who has in immediate possession a valid license equivalent to a Tennessee class license issued to the person in the person’s home state or country may operate a motor vehicle of a comparable class in this state;
(5)

(A) A nonresident, who establishes residency in this state, may operate a motor vehicle in the state for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date of establishing the residency; provided, that the nonresident has in the nonresident’s immediate possession a valid driver license issued by another state, or country; and
(B) In order to facilitate the growth of international commerce in Tennessee, an individual who is not a citizen of the United States and who is employed in a managerial or technical position in this state may, in connection with employment, operate a motor vehicle in this state for a period up to six (6) months under a valid driver license issued by another state, country or international body;
(6) A student who is pursuing an approved driver training course in a public school or a private secondary school approved by the commissioner of education or by a recognized regional or national accrediting agency, or in a duly licensed commercial driver training school. This exemption applies only to the operation of a motor vehicle bearing school driver training identification and only while an instructor, certified and registered by the department of education or licensed by the department of safety as a driver instructor, accompanies the student;
(7)

(A) Any active member of the armed forces assigned to a military installation or base located within this state, and the member’s spouse, who have in their immediate possession a valid driver license issued to them in their home state or country; provided, that this exemption only applies if the member of the armed forces has not established Tennessee as the member’s domicile;
(B) For purposes of this exemption, domicile may be inferred if the person has registered to vote in Tennessee, or was required to pay the wheel tax when registering a motor vehicle in Tennessee, has listed Tennessee as the person’s state for tax purposes on the person’s military leave and earnings statement (LES), or has taken action that clearly indicates the person’s intent to permanently reside in Tennessee. Purchasing a home or registering a motor vehicle without being required to pay the wheel tax in Tennessee, does not alone, or in conjunction with each other, establish intent to declare Tennessee as the person’s domicile. The domicile of the spouse shall be deemed to be the same as that of the active duty service member for purposes of this subdivision (7)(B). Domicile may not be inferred if the basis for the determination, without considering other relevant factors, is that the member of the armed forces or the member’s spouse has obtained employment in this state or that the member or the member’s spouse is enrolled in the public schools of this state; and
(8) An ADS or an ADS-operated vehicle, as defined by § 55-30-102, or a person operating an ADS-operated vehicle with the ADS engaged.
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