Tennessee Department of Safety Locations

The service you need will dictate which Tennessee Department of Safety Service Center you should visit.  For instance, you can renew or obtain a duplicate of your non-commercial motor vehicle driver’s license at most locations.  However, the testing necessary for a new license or, in the case of a Driving Under the Influence or Implied Consent Violation, a restricted Tennessee driver’s license is only available at the “full service” centers. A list of locations, listed by county and available services can be found by clicking here.  Knox County has two of these full service centers:

Tennessee Driver’s License Reinstatement

The Tennessee Department of Safety website is an excellent source for information relating to the reinstatement of your Tennessee driver’s license.  In fact, the website provides an Online Driver Services section (available by clicking here) that allows Tennessee licensees to perform many functions on the website itself.  In some instances, you may be able to have your Tennessee driver’s license reinstated through this website.  Even if you are required to visit a testing station or other location for reinstatement, by following the prompts for reinstating your driver’s license, you can obtain valuable information on the requirements and logistics of the reinstatement procedure, including the eligible date for reinstatement.

We hope the above information will help you as you navigate the waters of the Tennessee Department of Safety.  If, however, you still have questions, Sara and Steve will be happy to speak with you at (865) 249-7200.  You may also review our websites at www.tndui.com and www.duiknoxville.com.

To read more about the increased enforcement and to review a list of planned driver license and DUI roadblock dates and locations, click here.  For more information about the crime of Driving Under the Influence in Tennessee, please visit www.tndui.com.

If you are a physician, before you contact the Board of Medical Examiners, you should first contact a knowledgeable, experienced Tennessee criminal defense attorney who can advise you if it is necessary to retain an attorney who has substantial experience in representing doctors before the Board.  Doctors should not contact the Board prior to talking with a qualified attorney, as the Board may later become adversarial.

The Board requires doctors to report any conviction to their physician profile, which is accessible to the public.  However, whether or not physicians and other health care professionals are required to report arrests to the Board is less clear.  One thing is certain:  when health care providers renew their licenses, they must be truthful when answering questions on the renewal form.  If you are a physician, you should be aware that when it comes to Tennessee traffic violations and criminal offenses such as Driving Under the Influence of an intoxicant (DUI, DWI, or OWI) or even Reckless Driving, there are certain rules with which you must comply with in order to maintain your professional license.  If you are arrested for a traffic violation of any kind, consult with a Tennessee criminal defense attorney familiar with the requirements of the licensing Board.

Tennessee recently weighed in on the use of such equipment on federal interstate highways.  Public Chapter 389, signed by Governor Bredesen on June 9, 2009, permits traffic surveillance enforcement in certain situations.  This new law amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-8-198 to provide certain exceptions permitting the use of surveillance cameras on federal interstate highways.  One exception states “when employees of the department or construction workers are present, surveillance cameras [may be] used to enforce or monitor traffic violations within work zones designated by the department of transportation; provided, that such cameras shall be operated only by a state entity.”

It is important to note that the new law, which allows the issuance of citations such as speeding tickets and red-light tickets,  does limit the use of traffic enforcement cameras to only work zones when department employees or construction workers are present.