In brief
- On November 2, Davidson County Chancellor Russell T. Perkins granted a temporary restraining order sought by the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and six immigrants. It bars Tennessee from treating a translated foreign passport with a visa and an approved Form I-94 or I-94W as the only proof of a federally authorized stay for a temporary driver's license.
- The order also directs the state to accept a valid Form I-766 employment authorization document, or other federal documents, for verification through the SAVE system and issuance of a temporary driver's license. It does not waive the other license requirements.
- The restraints depend on a $1,000 bond, and a court-stamped copy shows the Clerk and Master issued the order on November 3. It names temporary driver's licenses, not learner permits, and does not change the knowledge or road tests. A hearing on whether to replace it with a temporary injunction is set for November 16.
What changed
| Topic | Before | After | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents used to show an authorized stay | The department's challenged practice treated a translated foreign passport with a valid visa and approved Form I-94 or I-94W as the only acceptable way to show a specified authorized stay for a temporary driver's license. | The signed order restrains the department from making that combination the only acceptable proof. The restraints depend on the plaintiffs executing a $1,000 injunction bond. | Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, page 2, E-filed November 2, 2026; the order makes its restraints conditional on a $1,000 injunction bond. (checked ) |
| Handling a valid work permit | The department was refusing a valid Form I-766 employment authorization document as proof of an authorized period of stay for a temporary driver's license. | The order directs the department to accept a valid Form I-766 and other federal documents for SAVE verification and temporary license issuance, subject to the bond condition and the applicant meeting other requirements. | Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, page 2, The order addresses acceptance for SAVE verification; it does not promise every applicant a license. (checked ) |
On your test: Tennessee
Your Tennessee knowledge and road tests have not changed because of this order. If you seek a temporary driver's license with a valid Form I-766, the order issued November 3 addresses what the counter may accept for SAVE verification while the court considers a temporary injunction at a November 16 hearing. It does not name temporary learner permits, and it does not excuse the usual identity, residency, vision or testing requirements. Check current Driver Services instructions before your visit. The Tennessee practice test and written test pages cover the existing exam format, not this document dispute.
A Signed Order With a Bond Condition
A Davidson County Chancery Court order was e-filed at 11:21 a.m. on November 2. Chancellor Russell T. Perkins granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit that the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and six immigrants filed on October 30 against the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Commissioner Jeff Long. The case challenges how the department handles proof of an authorized stay when a noncitizen applies for a temporary driver's license. This is a court order about the department's document practice, not a final ruling that rewrites the state's licensing statute.
The operative paragraph begins with a condition: the plaintiffs must execute a $1,000 injunction bond before the restraints apply. A court-stamped copy posted by the coalition shows the Clerk and Master issued the order on November 3, and the coalition said on November 4 that it had posted the bond, according to WVLT. We have not seen the bond filing itself. An issued order still does not guarantee that every Driver Services Center is applying it the same way today.
A temporary restraining order can be changed at the next stage of the case. The department may file papers opposing a temporary injunction by 4:30 p.m. on November 12, the plaintiffs may reply by 2:00 p.m. on November 14, and Chancellor Perkins set a hearing for 9:30 a.m. on November 16 at which no live testimony will be taken. Read the order's current status before making a trip based on it, particularly if your license is close to expiring. The court document names the Tennessee department and its officials; it does not issue a license to anyone or decide an individual applicant's eligibility.
SourcesDavidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, E-file stamp and bond condition appear in the signed order. (checked 2026-11-05); Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order as issued by the Clerk and Master, Copy posted by the lead plaintiff; page 3 carries a Clerk and Master stamp reading Date Issued 11/3/2026. (checked 2026-11-06); Plaintiffs' complaint, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition v. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, E-filed October 30, 2026; its account of the department's late August and September 2026 announcements is the plaintiffs' allegation. (checked 2026-11-06); WVLT, Judge issues temporary restraining order in lawsuit challenging new driver's license restrictions, Reports the coalition said on November 4 that it had posted the bond; news report, not a court filing. (checked 2026-11-06)
The Work Permit Goes Through SAVE
The first restraint targets a specific document combination. The department may not demand a translated foreign passport with a valid visa and approved Form I-94 or I-94W as the only acceptable proof that the federal government authorized a person's stay for a specified purpose and period. The court does not say those documents are invalid. It stops the department from treating them as the exclusive route for a temporary driver's license application.
The second restraint addresses Form I-766, the federal employment authorization document often called a work permit. The department may not refuse a valid I-766 or other federal documents as proof for the purpose of checking them through SAVE and issuing a temporary driver's license. SAVE remains part of the process. A valid work permit must still be verified; the order does not waive federal verification or Tennessee's other identity and residency requirements.
The law cited in the order is Tennessee Code Annotated 55-50-331(g)(1). Section 14 of Public Chapter 1, the 2025 immigration law, rewrote that subsection, and Section 17 of the act makes Sections 10 through 15 take effect January 1, 2026. The rewritten subsection covers temporary driver licenses, temporary intermediate licenses, temporary photo ID licenses and temporary learner permits. The November 2 order concerns document rules that the lawsuit says the department announced in late August and September 2026, so it should not be described as a new law taking effect in November.
SourcesDavidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, Page 2 lists the prohibited exclusive document demand and the SAVE verification step. (checked 2026-11-05); Tennessee General Assembly, HB 6001 bill history, The companion bill became Public Chapter 1; the history lists January 1, 2026 among its effective dates. (checked 2026-11-05); Tennessee Secretary of State, Public Chapter 1, 2025 First Extraordinary Session, Section 14 rewrites Tennessee Code Annotated 55-50-331(g); Section 17(4) makes Sections 10 through 15 effective January 1, 2026. (checked 2026-11-06); Plaintiffs' complaint, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition v. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, E-filed October 30, 2026; its account of the department's late August and September 2026 announcements is the plaintiffs' allegation. (checked 2026-11-06)
At the Driver Services Counter
If you are applying for a Tennessee temporary driver's license and your federal document is a valid I-766, keep the distinction between accepting a document and approving a license clear. Under the signed order, accepting the document means taking it for SAVE verification rather than rejecting it solely because you do not have the passport, visa and I-94 combination. You still have to satisfy the other requirements for the credential you seek.
Before your visit, check the department's current instructions and ask the center whether it is processing I-766 applications under the court order. The order was issued on November 3, but we have not found department instructions telling centers how to apply it. If a clerk says the center cannot take the document, ask which requirement applies and how you can have the decision reviewed. A dated record of your appointment and the explanation you received will help you follow up if the court or department changes its position.
The order specifically says temporary driver's licenses. It does not expressly direct the department to change its handling of a temporary learner permit, a temporary intermediate license or an identification card, even though the statute it cites covers all of them. The department's own Driver Services notice applies its work permit position to temporary licenses, permits and IDs alike. Do not assume that a permit or ID application is covered by the same restraint. This article explains what the signed order says; it is general information, not legal advice about an individual application.
SourcesDavidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, Scope is temporary driver's licenses and document acceptance for SAVE review. (checked 2026-11-05); Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order as issued by the Clerk and Master, Copy posted by the lead plaintiff; page 3 carries a Clerk and Master stamp reading Date Issued 11/3/2026. (checked 2026-11-06); Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services announcements, Says a work permit does not establish the authorized stay required for a temporary driver license, permit, or ID. (checked 2026-11-05)
This Order Does Not Change the Knowledge Test
Nothing in the order changes Tennessee's permit exam topics, passing score, testing location rules or road skills test. The dispute is about which federal documents can be offered at the counter for a temporary driver's license. Preparing for the written exam remains a separate task. Our Tennessee practice test lets you review the existing rules, and the Tennessee written test page explains the current exam format.
The distinction matters if you are a first-time driver. Passing a knowledge test does not settle a document question, and winning a document review does not waive a test you otherwise need to take. The November 2 order does not mention learner permits at all. If you need a permit, ask Driver Services which documents it currently accepts for that particular credential before you book or travel.
For state-by-state testing differences, use the permit test format guide. It describes the exam itself and does not resolve immigration document eligibility. Keep watching the court case and the department's current instructions because a later order could change the document answer while leaving the test alone.
SourcesDavidson County Chancery Court, restraining order, The order concerns temporary driver's license documents and contains no test changes. (checked 2026-11-05)
What to do now
- Before any appointment, check Tennessee Driver Services for current document instructions. The court's order was issued November 3, but when we checked on November 5 the department's Driver Services announcements did not mention it, and the court will hear the case again on November 16.
- If you hold a valid Form I-766 and are applying for a temporary driver's license, bring it and the other identity and residency documents the department requires. Ask whether your federal document will be checked through SAVE under the court order.
- If the counter refuses your application, ask for the specific document requirement and how to request review. Keep your appointment records and check for a later court or department update before trying again. Do not drive on an expired or unissued license.
Frequently asked
Can I use my work permit for a Tennessee temporary driver's license?
The judge's November 2 order directs Tennessee to accept a valid Form I-766 for SAVE verification and temporary driver's license issuance. It depends on a $1,000 bond, and the Clerk and Master issued it on November 3. It is temporary, with a hearing set for November 16. Check current Driver Services instructions before your visit; the work permit does not waive other license requirements.
Does the order cover Tennessee learner permits?
The order names temporary driver's licenses and does not expressly name learner permits. Ask Tennessee Driver Services what documents it currently accepts for the credential you seek.
Did Tennessee change its written driving test?
No test change appears in the November 2 order. It addresses which federal documents the department must accept for SAVE verification in temporary driver's license applications, subject to its bond condition.
Sources
- Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order and order setting a temporary injunction hearing (Primary source), Davidson County Chancery Court, published , accessed . Original e-filed court order hosted by Tennessee Lookout; page 2 conditions the restraints on a $1,000 injunction bond and sets a November 16 temporary injunction hearing.
- Tennessee General Assembly, HB 6001 bill history (Primary source), Tennessee General Assembly, published , accessed . Companion SB 6002 became Public Chapter 1 on February 25, 2025; the history lists January 1, 2026 among its effective dates.
- Davidson County Chancery Court, restraining order as issued by the Clerk and Master (Primary source), Davidson County Chancery Court, published , accessed . Copy posted by the lead plaintiff; page 3 carries a Clerk and Master stamp reading Date Issued 11/3/2026.
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Public Chapter 1, 2025 First Extraordinary Session (Primary source), Tennessee Secretary of State, published , accessed . Section 14 rewrites Tennessee Code Annotated 55-50-331(g); Section 17(4) makes Sections 10 through 15 effective January 1, 2026.
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services announcements (Primary source), Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, published , accessed . Says a work permit does not establish the authorized stay required for a temporary driver license, permit, or ID.
- Plaintiffs' complaint, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition v. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (Additional source), National Immigration Law Center, published , accessed . E-filed October 30, 2026; its account of the department's late August and September 2026 announcements is the plaintiffs' allegation.
- WVLT, Judge issues temporary restraining order in lawsuit challenging new driver's license restrictions (Additional source), WVLT, published , accessed . Reports the coalition said on November 4 that it had posted the bond; news report, not a court filing.