How Often Can You Take Defensive Driving in Tennessee?

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched how often can you take defensive driving in Tennessee, the answer depends on the course: speeding point removal works once in a four-year period, and the TDOSHS 8-hour class counts for credit once every 5 years. Drivers under 18 have no cap on how many times TDOSHS can require the course. Court-ordered courses follow the court, since no statewide limit was found.

Key Facts

  • Speeding points: one speeding offense per course, and only once in a four-year period. See the four-year rule.
  • 8-hour class: credit counts “once every five (5) years.” See the five-year rule.
  • Under 18: there is no limit on how many times TDOSHS can require the course. See drivers under 18.
  • Court orders: no statewide limit was found, so the court decides. See court-ordered courses.
  • Insurance course: the over-55 reduction lasts 3 years from the last course. See the insurance course.

How Often Can You Take Defensive Driving in Tennessee?

Tennessee has no single repeat rule. Each course has its own limit, set by its own law or rule. Here are the limits side by side.

Course or purposeRepeat limitWhere it comes from
Speeding point removal (4-hour course)Once in a four-year period; one speeding offense per courseTCA 55-8-207
TDOSHS 8-hour class (adults)Credit once every 5 yearsTDOSHS points page
Driver Improvement course (under 18)No limit on how many times TDOSHS can require itRule 1340-01-04-.04(13)(i)
Court-ordered courseNo statewide limit found; the court decidesTCA 55-10-301
Over-55 insurance courseReduction lasts 3 years from the last courseTCA 56-7-1107(b)

Tennessee uses two main courses. The Driver Education Course runs at least 4 hours and is used for court orders and speeding point removal. The 8-hour class belongs to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) Driver Improvement Program.

The Four-Year Rule for Speeding Points

TCA 55-8-207 sets the repeat limit for point removal. It “may be applied to only one (1) speeding offense for each driving course completed and only once in a four-year period.”

The TDOSHS Remove Speeding Points page says it the same way: “This may be applied to only one (1) speeding conviction in a four-year period.” So after you use it once, it cannot remove speeding points again until that four-year period has passed.

The other limits of the rule still apply each time:

  • Speeding only. No other violation qualifies.
  • Up to 5 points come off for that one conviction.
  • Within 90 days of the conviction.
  • The conviction stays. “Only the points will be removed, the conviction will remain.”

A 2026 law added a second way in. Under Public Chapter 993, from July 1, 2026, a speeding driver who pays rather than appears can enroll in a department-approved course.

Points still come off under TCA 55-8-207, so the four-year cap still counts. For what a course can and cannot do for points, see defensive driving and points.

The Five-Year Rule for the 8-Hour Class

The 8-hour class has a longer repeat limit. The TDOSHS points page says it “can only be completed once every five (5) years to receive credit.”

This class follows a notice of proposed suspension. TDOSHS sends that notice to adults with 12 or more points in any 12-month period. At the hearing, “In most cases” the driver may attend a defensive driving class “in lieu of suspension or a reduction of suspension time.”

The rules treat first and repeat offenders in different ways:

  • First offender. Rule 1340-01-04-.04(7)(a) defines this as a driver “who has not been involved in the program within a five (5) year period.”
  • Repeat offender. For a second or later offender, the course “may be offered” only if the driver has not attended a defensive driving course in the past 5 years (Rule .04(8)(d)).
  • Recent class and suspension. A repeat offender who took the class in the last 5 years and had a program suspension gets a 12-month suspension instead (Rule .04(8)(c)).

Why Your Offender Status Matters

Your status changes the choices TDOSHS gives you. A first offender with 12 to 20 points may waive the hearing and go straight into a defensive driving course instead of a 6-month suspension (Rule .04(7)(b)-(c)). With more than 20 points, or as a repeat offender, the written hearing request must be received within 30 days of the notice date (Rule .04(7)(d), (8)(a)).

Missing the class deadline can also cost more the second time. Not finishing leads to a 6-month suspension, or 6 or 12 months for repeat offenders (Rule .04(7)(f), (8)(f)).

The class does not reset your points either. The 8-hour class does not remove points, and 12 months of probation follow it. The steps of that program are in our 8-hour course and suspension guide.

How to find your Tennessee repeat limit in five steps, from naming the course to asking the right office

Drivers Under 18

The rules for drivers under 18 work in a different way. Rule 1340-01-04-.04(13)(i) says there is no limit on how many times TDOSHS can require the course.

The program starts sooner for these drivers. A driver under 18 with 6 or more points in 12 months gets a notice and enters the Driver Improvement Program. A parent or guardian attends the hearing.

Here is what can follow for a first offense:

  • 6 to 9 points: a suspension of 3 to 6 months is possible, and/or a defensive driving course.
  • 10 or more points: a suspension of up to 6 months, plus a course.

A second or later offense brings 6 or 12 months. In each case the course must be finished within 90 days. For parents, our guide to the minor Driver Improvement Program walks through each step.

Court-Ordered Courses

For court-ordered courses, no statewide repeat limit was found. TCA 55-10-301(b)(1) leaves the choice to the court. A court may require a course “in addition to or in lieu of any portion of other penalty imposed.”

What that means for your case is up to the court. No Tennessee law says a course dismisses a ticket.

If a court has ordered a course, these steps come from Tennessee law and TDOSHS:

  • Get the list. The court clerk must give a list of approved entities in the county (TCA 55-10-301(b)(4)).
  • Check online first. TDOSHS says “prior to registering for an online course, please confirm that the course will be accepted by the court.”
  • Send your proof. “Once you have completed the course submit your certificate of completion to the referring court.”

Courts can order a 4-hour or 8-hour course. Holders of Class A, B and C licenses fall outside the court option, as do drivers of commercial motor vehicles (TCA 55-10-301(c)-(d)). The Tennessee Courts Clerks List can help you reach the clerk to ask about your court’s practice.

The Insurance Course

One more course has a time limit tied to it. TCA 56-7-1107 requires insurers to give a reduction to regular operators over 55 who finish a commissioner-approved accident prevention course. The insurer sets the amount.

That reduction lasts “a period of three (3) years.” If you take the course again, the period is based “only upon the last course the operator has successfully completed.” For the full rule, see our guide to the insurance discount.

Key Tennessee course numbers: 90 days, up to 5 points, 12 months of probation, 6 points under 18 and 3 years for insurance

How the Limits Fit Together

Each limit is written for its own course. The words of each rule show what it counts:

  • Point removal counts uses of TCA 55-8-207: “only once in a four-year period.”
  • The 5-year rule counts the TDOSHS 8-hour class “to receive credit.”
  • The under-18 rule says there is no limit on how many times TDOSHS can require the course.
  • The insurance rule looks at “the last course the operator has successfully completed.”

The pages we read do not say how one limit affects another. If two rules could touch your case, ask TDOSHS or the court clerk which one applies.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the TDOSHS pages we checked on October 27, 2026, two repeat limits were stated in plain words. The Remove Speeding Points page said point removal applies to “only one (1) speeding conviction in a four-year period.” The points page said the 8-hour class counts “once every five (5) years.”

We found no statewide repeat limit for court-ordered courses on these pages. The TDOSHS Driver Improvement page uses the same 12-point notice wording as the points page.

Common Mistakes

Each item below is based on Tennessee law or a TDOSHS page:

  • Using point removal twice in four years. It works only once in a four-year period.
  • Expecting credit for a second 8-hour class too soon. Credit counts once every 5 years.
  • Removing points for more than one ticket. Each course covers one speeding offense.
  • Mixing up adult and teen rules. Under 18, TDOSHS can require the course with no set limit.
  • Assuming a court follows a state count. No statewide limit for court orders was found.
  • Expecting points to come off after the 8-hour class. The 8-hour class does not remove points, and probation follows.

How Requirements Can Vary

Tennessee point values, the Driver Improvement Program and the speeding point-removal rule come from state law and TDOSHS rules (TCA 55-50-505, TCA 55-8-207 and Rule 1340-01-04) and apply statewide. Whether a court orders a course for your ticket, which course it orders, and how your case is handled are up to the court on your ticket or the TDOSHS letter you received. Fines and court costs depend on the court and the charge.

Laws, rules and court practice can change. Check your ticket, any court order or TDOSHS letter, the TDOSHS website and the Tennessee Code before you enroll or pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often can I use a course to remove speeding points?

Once in any four-year period, and each course covers one speeding offense (TCA 55-8-207). The course must be done within 90 days of the conviction. The most that comes off is 5 points, and the conviction is not erased.

How often can I take the 8-hour class for credit?

The TDOSHS 8-hour class “can only be completed once every five (5) years to receive credit.” A repeat offender who took the class in the last 5 years and had a program suspension gets a 12-month suspension instead.

Is there a limit for drivers under 18?

No. Rule 1340-01-04-.04(13)(i) says there is no limit on how many times TDOSHS can require the course. The course must be finished within 90 days each time.

How often can a court order a course?

No statewide limit was found. The court decides under TCA 55-10-301. Ask the court clerk about your own case.

Can I take a course for points in the same year as a court-ordered course?

The point removal rule counts only its own uses: once in a four-year period. Whether a court-ordered course also counts for point removal is not spelled out on the pages we read. Ask TDOSHS or the court clerk before you rely on it.

How long does the over-55 insurance reduction last?

It lasts 3 years under TCA 56-7-1107(b). If you take the course again, the period is based on the last course you finished. The insurer sets the amount.

Does the 8-hour class reset my points?

No. Violations from before the class still count, and the driver is on probation for 12 months afterward. A new violation can count as a probation violation (Rule 1340-01-04-.04(6)).

Conclusion

How often you can take a course in Tennessee depends on the course: speeding point removal works once in a four-year period, the 8-hour class counts once every 5 years, drivers under 18 have no cap, and court-ordered courses follow the court.

If a court ordered a 4-hour course, read the order and confirm with the court clerk that the court takes online courses. If you can still use point removal, check the TDOSHS 4-hour list first. Once that is settled, you can take the Tennessee Driver Education Course online.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, an online driver education course provider serving Tennessee and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Tennessee course rules, point values, fines and penalties depend on your ticket, court, TDOSHS notice and case facts, and they can change. Use official TDOSHS, Tennessee Code and court sources, and consult a qualified Tennessee attorney for advice about your own case.