State service guide

Tennessee DUI laws: 0.08 adult threshold, separate implied-consent revocations, and a 365-day interlock minimum

Tennessee's DUI system is not just one penalty box. The state separates DUI conviction penalties, implied-consent refusal revocations, the underage driving-while-impaired offense, and the interlock and restricted-license rules. The practical Tennessee details are the one-to-eight-year revocation ladder, the separate license revocation for refusing chemical testing, and the fact that DUI convictions tied to violations after July 1, 2016 generally require ignition interlock for at least 365 days when the driving privilege is reinstated.

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Adult BAC marker Tennessee's DUI offense page uses 0.08 BAC for the standard adult DUI offense, and 0.20 or more on a first offense raises the minimum jail time to 7 consecutive days
Refusal revocation Refusing chemical testing brings a 1-year revocation for a first implied-consent offense and 2 years for a second
DUI revocation ladder Tennessee lists 1 year for DUI 1st, 2 years for DUI 2nd, 6 years for DUI 3rd, and 8 years for DUI 4th or subsequent
Interlock baseline The reinstatement FAQ says any DUI after 07/01/2016 requires an ignition interlock device on the vehicle, generally for at least 365 days

Overview

What this page helps you verify

A useful Tennessee DUI page should separate three issues that generic summaries often blur together: the criminal DUI offense ladder, the separate implied-consent refusal consequences, and the licensing steps needed to drive again. Tennessee's public safety pages also make clear that underage driving while impaired is its own category, and that ignition interlock is central to modern Tennessee DUI reinstatement. The most useful statewide explanation keeps the revocation periods, restricted-license limits, and interlock requirements visible together instead of reducing the subject to a single first-offense paragraph.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-18. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • The citation, charging documents, and any implied-consent or refusal paperwork served after the stop
  • Court records showing the DUI level, conviction date, and any certified order authorizing a restricted license
  • SR-22 proof if Tennessee requires financial responsibility filing for reinstatement or a restricted license
  • Ignition interlock installation paperwork, plus any later compliance or removal notice if the license is interlock-restricted
  • A drug or alcohol education certificate if the DUI conviction is more than a first offense and Tennessee requires proof before reinstatement

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. Separate the DUI charge, any implied-consent refusal issue, and the reinstatement or interlock requirements from the start because Tennessee treats them as different problems.
  2. Identify the offense level, BAC, and whether the case involved a child passenger, bodily injury, or death, because those facts change the penalty and restricted-license analysis.
  3. If you need a restricted license, gather the certified court order, SR-22, and interlock installation papers if required, then take them to a Driver Services Center within 10 days of the court order.
  4. For reinstatement, serve the revocation period, satisfy the court and Department requirements, complete any required education or treatment, and maintain the ignition interlock for the full period Tennessee applies.

Separate categories

Tennessee does not treat DUI, implied-consent refusal, and underage impaired driving as one interchangeable offense

This is the first correction a useful statewide page should make.

  • The Tennessee DUI offense page separately lists DUI penalties under 55-10-401, implied-consent refusal penalties under 55-10-406, and underage driving while impaired penalties under 55-10-415.
  • The reinstatement FAQ says a DUI conviction revokes driving privileges for 1 to 8 years depending on the level of DUI convicted.
  • For drivers age 16 to 20, Tennessee's DUI page lists a 1-year revocation and no provision for a restricted license under the underage impaired-driving category.

Penalty ladder

The Tennessee punishment table escalates quickly from a first offense to a repeat offense

Generic DUI pages often flatten this into a single first-offense summary, but Tennessee's own table is more specific.

  • A first DUI offense carries 48 hours to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a $350 to $1,500 fine, and a 1-year revocation; Tennessee raises the minimum jail time to 7 consecutive days when BAC is 0.20 or greater.
  • A second DUI offense carries 45 days to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a $600 to $3,500 fine, and a 2-year revocation.
  • A third DUI offense carries 120 days to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a $1,100 to $10,000 fine, and a 6-year revocation.
  • A fourth or subsequent DUI is a Class E felony with a 150-consecutive-day minimum inside a 1-year sentence, a $3,000 to $15,000 fine, and an 8-year revocation.

Interlock and reinstatement

Ignition interlock is now a core Tennessee DUI rule, not a narrow edge case

This is one of the main practical differences between Tennessee and older generic DUI writeups.

  • The reinstatement FAQ says any DUI after July 1, 2016 requires the driver to install an ignition interlock device on the vehicle.
  • Tennessee's interlock support article says the device is required for the full DUI revocation period if the person wants to continue driving, with 365 days for DUI 1st, 730 days for DUI 2nd, 2,190 days for DUI 3rd, and 2,920 days for DUI 4th or subsequent.
  • The reinstatement FAQ also describes narrow waiver situations for some implied-consent and DUI cases, so Tennessee DUI content should not imply that every case follows exactly the same interlock path.

Restricted-license limits

Restricted driving is possible in some Tennessee DUI cases, but the state draws real eligibility lines

The restrictions matter as much as the application checklist.

  • Tennessee says a restricted DUI license applicant generally needs a certified court order, SR-22, and a Driver Services Center visit within 10 days of the court order, plus interlock installation papers if the case requires interlock.
  • The restricted-license page says a person is not eligible after a DUI conviction if the person has a prior vehicular homicide as the proximate result of intoxication, aggravated vehicular homicide, or vehicular assault.
  • Tennessee also says no restricted license is available when the DUI case involved an accident in which a person was killed or suffered serious bodily injury as the proximate result of the violation.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • Tennessee DUI content should separate the DUI conviction penalties, the implied-consent refusal revocation, and the underage impaired-driving offense instead of merging them into one generic chart.
  • Keep the July 1, 2016 interlock rule visible. Tennessee's current reinstatement materials say any DUI after that date requires an ignition interlock device.
  • Do not overpromise restricted-license eligibility. Tennessee's public restricted-license page lists hard exclusions tied to death, serious bodily injury, and certain prior offenses.
  • The current Tennessee reinstatement FAQ describes waiver situations for some interlock cases, so pages should not state that every DUI or implied-consent case follows one identical interlock rule.

FAQ

Common questions

  • What BAC is a DUI in Tennessee?

    Tennessee's DUI offense page uses 0.08 BAC for the standard adult DUI offense. For a first offense, Tennessee says a BAC of 0.20 or greater raises the minimum jail time to 7 consecutive days.

  • How long is a Tennessee license revoked for DUI?

    Tennessee lists 1 year for DUI 1st, 2 years for DUI 2nd, 6 years for DUI 3rd, and 8 years for DUI 4th or subsequent.

  • What happens if I refuse a breath or blood test in Tennessee?

    Tennessee's implied-consent page says refusal brings a 1-year revocation for a first offense and 2 years for a second offense. The state also lists longer refusal revocations when the crash involved bodily injury or death.

  • Is ignition interlock required after a Tennessee DUI?

    Usually yes for modern cases. Tennessee's reinstatement FAQ says any DUI after July 1, 2016 requires ignition interlock, and the interlock support page says the device must remain for at least 365 days and, in many cases, for the full revocation period.

  • Can I get a restricted license after a Tennessee DUI?

    Sometimes. Tennessee says restricted authority is available in some DUI cases, but not if the case involved death or serious bodily injury as the proximate result of the DUI, and not for certain prior intoxication-related homicide or vehicular-assault convictions.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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