Reckless Driving Tennessee: Penalties, Points and Courses

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you searched reckless driving tennessee, the short answer is that it is a Class B misdemeanor under TCA 55-10-205, with up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine, plus a $50 fine the court must add. A conviction also adds 6 points to the record of a car driver. A course cannot take those points off, but a court may order a driver education course, and TDOSHS may offer an 8-hour class at a points hearing.

Key Facts

The offense: driving “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” See what counts.
The penalty: Class B misdemeanor, plus a mandatory $50 fine. See penalties.
The points: 6 in a car and 7 in a commercial vehicle. See points.
No point removal: the speeding point-removal law does not cover reckless driving. See course options.
CDL risk: reckless driving is a serious traffic violation under federal rules. See commercial drivers.

What Counts as Reckless Driving

TCA 55-10-205(a) defines the offense. A person who drives any vehicle “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property” commits reckless driving.

The statute also covers two specific acts:

Motorcycles: riding with the front tire off the ground in willful and wanton disregard for safety.
Flooded roads: knowingly driving past a clearly visible flood warning sign or barricade into a road that is actually flooded.

The statute sets no mph number. The one speed rule tied to reckless driving is a school zone rule in TCA 55-8-152(d).

For the full definition, see what reckless driving is. For the school zone rule, see reckless driving and speed.

Reckless Driving Tennessee Penalties at a Glance

Each piece of the penalty comes from a statute or the TDOSHS Schedule.

Penalty piece	What Tennessee sets	Where it comes from
Offense class	Class B misdemeanor	TCA 55-10-205(d)(1)
Jail	Up to 6 months	TCA 40-35-111(e)
Class B fine	Up to $500	TCA 40-35-111(e)
Added fine	$50 the court “shall assess”	TCA 55-10-205(d)(2)
Points, car	6	TDOSHS Schedule of Points Values
Points, commercial vehicle	7	TDOSHS Schedule of Points Values

The court picks the penalty within these limits. The law allows jail, a fine, or both. On top of that, the court must add the $50 fine, and it sets its own court costs.

What TCA Reckless Driving Law Does Not Include

The statute is short, and some ideas about it are not in the text. TCA 55-10-205 has no first-offense tier. Every reckless driving conviction under it is a Class B misdemeanor.

It also has no injury tier. An injury does not turn reckless driving itself into a higher class under this section. Other crimes can apply to the same driving, as the felony section explains.

And it has no speed number. Going a set number of miles per hour over the limit is not, by itself, the test in the statute.

Points and the 12-Point Line

The TDOSHS Schedule of Points Values lists reckless driving at 6 points for a car. In a commercial vehicle, it is 7.

Six points is half of the adult line. The TDOSHS points page says drivers with 12 or more points in any 12-month period get “a notice of proposed suspension and given an opportunity to attend an administrative hearing.” That notice is not an automatic suspension.

Here is simple math with Schedule values:

Reckless driving (6) alone is in the adult advisory range of 6 to 11 points.
Reckless driving (6) plus a 16 to 25 mph speeding ticket (4) equals 10.
Add a 6 to 15 mph speeding ticket (3) in the same 12 months, and the total is 13.

For drivers under 18, the line is 6 points. One reckless driving conviction alone reaches it and starts the Driver Improvement Program, with a hearing that a parent or guardian attends.

Under Rule 1340-01-04-.04(13), a first offense with 6 to 9 points can bring a suspension of 3 to 6 months and/or a defensive driving course. A teen with an intermediate license who gets 6 or more points must also wait 90 more days to apply for an unrestricted license (TCA 55-50-311). For more, see minor driver license points.

Can a Driving Course Help?

A course can play three different roles, and only some apply to reckless driving. The answer depends on which course you mean.

A Court-Ordered Course

A court may require a driver education course “in addition to or in lieu of any portion of other penalty imposed” (TCA 55-10-301(b)(1)). What that means in your case is up to the court. No Tennessee law says a course dismisses a reckless driving charge.

If a court orders a course:

The clerk must give you a list of approved entities in the county.
The clerk reports your completion to TDOSHS.
TDOSHS says courts may order “a 4-hour or 8-hour Driver Education Course,” so your order says which.

The TDOSHS Court Ordered Traffic Schools page says, “prior to registering for an online course, please confirm that the course will be accepted by the court.” After you finish, you submit the certificate to the referring court.

The Speeding Point-Removal Law Does Not Apply

Tennessee’s point-removal law is TCA 55-8-207. It covers speeding convictions only. It does not remove the 6 points for reckless driving.

For a speeding conviction, that law removes up to 5 points when a department-approved course is finished within 90 days of the conviction, once in a four-year period. The conviction stays. If you also have a separate speeding conviction, see the speeding ticket guide.

The 8-Hour Class at a Points Hearing

If reckless driving pushes your total to 12 or more, TDOSHS sends a notice of proposed suspension. At the hearing, “In most cases” the driver may attend a defensive driving class “in lieu of suspension or a reduction of suspension time.”

That 8-hour TDOSHS Driver Improvement class has firm rules:

It must be finished within 90 days of the letter or hearing.
It “can only be completed once every five (5) years to receive credit.”
A 12-month probation follows it.
The 8-hour class does not remove points.

For how to request the hearing, see the notice of proposed suspension guide.

The TDOSHS Defensive Driving Schools page says, “Live-stream classes are now approved for the 8-hour defensive driving course.” For extensions and what happens if the class is not finished, see the 8-hour class and suspension guide.

Six stages of a Tennessee reckless driving case, from the charge to the 12-point notice

Aggravated Reckless Driving and Felonies

A separate statute covers a more serious charge. Under TCA 55-10-209, aggravated reckless driving is reckless driving plus intentionally or knowingly impeding traffic on a public street, highway, alley, parking lot or driveway. It is a Class A misdemeanor, and the court may assess a $2,500 fine.

Reckless driving under TCA 55-10-205 is not a felony. But other crimes can be:

Reckless endangerment is a Class A misdemeanor, and a Class E felony with a deadly weapon (TCA 39-13-103).
Vehicular homicide by reckless conduct is a Class C felony (TCA 39-13-213).

On the Schedule, reckless endangerment by vehicle carries 8 points. For more, see is reckless driving a felony in Tennessee.

Commercial License Holders

Commercial drivers face added rules. The court course option “shall not apply to any person who holds a Class A, B, or C license” charged with any violation except parking, in any vehicle (TCA 55-10-301(c)-(d)).

Under 49 CFR 383.51, reckless driving is a serious traffic violation. Two in 3 years means a 60-day disqualification, and three mean 120 days. For an offense in a personal vehicle, this counts only if the conviction leads to a license suspension, revocation or cancellation.

Federal law also bars masking a CDL holder’s conviction (49 CFR 384.226).

How It Differs From Speeding

A regular speeding ticket is a Class C misdemeanor with a $50 fine cap. Reckless driving is a step up, as a Class B misdemeanor with its own added fine. For a side-by-side look, see reckless driving vs speeding.

Insurance After a Reckless Driving Conviction

Each insurer decides how a conviction affects a rate. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance auto page gives no data on rate changes after a ticket.

The one Tennessee course discount law, TCA 56-7-1107, covers regular operators over 55 who finish an approved accident prevention course. It does not apply to an operator convicted of a motor vehicle law violation until 3 years free of at-fault accidents or violations. For more, see how a ticket can affect insurance.

What each course option can and cannot do after a Tennessee reckless driving conviction

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the TDOSHS pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the Schedule of Points Values, last updated in August 2025, listed reckless driving at 6 points for a car and 7 for a commercial vehicle. The points page, last updated on July 20, 2026, still used the words “In most cases” for the 8-hour class offer.

No TDOSHS page we read listed a course that removes reckless driving points.

Common Mistakes About Reckless Driving

Each item below comes from Tennessee law or a TDOSHS page:

Expecting a first-offense break in the statute. Every conviction under TCA 55-10-205 is Class B.
Forgetting the added fine. The court must assess $50 on top of the penalty.
Using the speeding course for these points. TCA 55-8-207 covers speeding only.
Treating a court-ordered course as a dismissal. The court decides what it does.
Expecting points to come off after the 8-hour class. It does not remove points.
Mixing up aggravated reckless driving. It means impeding traffic, under a separate statute.

For your own case, you can talk with a Tennessee attorney.

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

Is reckless driving a misdemeanor in Tennessee?

Yes. Under TCA 55-10-205, reckless driving is a Class B misdemeanor. The limits are up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine, plus a $50 fine the court must add.

How many points is reckless driving in Tennessee?

It is 6 points in a car and 7 in a commercial vehicle, per the TDOSHS Schedule. For an adult, that is half of the 12-point line.

Is there a first-offense penalty for reckless driving?

The statute has no first-offense tier. Every conviction under TCA 55-10-205 is a Class B misdemeanor. The court sets the penalty within the class limits.

Can a course remove reckless driving points?

No. The point-removal law, TCA 55-8-207, covers speeding only. The 8-hour TDOSHS class does not remove points either.

Can a court order a driving course for reckless driving?

A court may require a driver education course in addition to or in lieu of any portion of other penalty. What that means for your case is up to the court. This option does not apply to Class A, B or C license holders.

Is reckless driving a felony in Tennessee?

Reckless driving under TCA 55-10-205 is a Class B misdemeanor, not a felony. Aggravated reckless driving is a Class A misdemeanor. Separate crimes, such as vehicular homicide, can be felonies.

Does reckless driving affect a CDL?

Yes. Under 49 CFR 383.51, it is a serious traffic violation, and two in 3 years mean a 60-day disqualification. In a personal vehicle, it counts only if the conviction leads to a license suspension, revocation or cancellation.

Conclusion

Reckless driving in Tennessee is a Class B misdemeanor with up to 6 months in jail and/or a $500 fine, a mandatory $50 fine and 6 points in a car. The speeding point-removal law does not cover it, and the 8-hour TDOSHS class does not remove points.

If your court orders a driver education course, or you also have a speeding conviction, confirm the court accepts an online course or check the TDOSHS 4-hour list. Then 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.