How Much Does a Defensive Driving Course Cost in Tennessee?

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you are asking how much does a defensive driving course cost in tennessee, the answer is that no single statewide price is set for every course. For a court-required course, Tennessee law allows a fee between $50 and $175, and no one may be refused for inability to pay. Your ticket fine, court costs and any license fees are separate costs.

Key Facts

  • No set price: Tennessee law does not set one price for every course. See the course fee.
  • Court-required range: a fee between $50 and $175 may be assessed, and no one is refused for inability to pay. See the fee range.
  • Who you pay: an approved provider, because TDOSHS does not offer the course. See who you pay.
  • The ticket is separate: a traffic violation with no other penalty set is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $50, plus court costs. See the ticket cost.
  • What a course can save: up to 5 points off one speeding conviction under TCA 55-8-207. See what a course can save.

How Much Does a Defensive Driving Course Cost in Tennessee?

There is no single price. Tennessee law sets a fee range for one kind of course and no price for the rest.

The cost you see depends on three things:

  • Why you need the course. A court-required course falls under a fee range in the law.
  • Which provider you choose. No law sets one price for every provider.
  • What else your case involves. Fines, court costs and license fees are billed apart from the course.

Ask the provider for its full price before you pay. Ask the court clerk for any amounts the court charges.

The Fee Range for a Court-Required Course

TCA 55-10-301(b)(2) sets the only course fee range in Tennessee law. It says “a reasonable fee between fifty dollars ($50.00) and one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175) may be assessed for the driver education or driver improvement course.”

The same part of the law adds a key protection. It says “no one shall be refused admittance for inability to pay.” If cost is a problem, tell the court clerk or the provider before the course starts.

The range applies to courses “that may be required pursuant to this section,” meaning courses a court requires. For a court order, the court may require a course “in addition to or in lieu of any portion of other penalty imposed” (TCA 55-10-301(b)(1)). What that means for your total bill is up to the court.

Who You Pay

You pay an approved provider, not the state. The TDOSHS Court Ordered Traffic Schools page says the department “DOES NOT offer a Driver Education Course.”

That page sends drivers to its list of approved courses and tells them to contact the providers directly. For a court order, the court clerk must also give a list of approved entities in the county (TCA 55-10-301(b)(4)). Find your clerk on the Tennessee Courts Clerks List.

The Ticket Is a Separate Cost

The course fee does not pay your ticket. The fine and court costs are their own charges.

  • Default fine. A traffic violation with no other penalty set is a Class C misdemeanor (TCA 55-10-301(a)). A Class C misdemeanor carries up to 30 days and/or a fine of up to $50 (TCA 40-35-111(e)).
  • Court costs. Each court sets its own court costs. Ask the clerk on your ticket for the amount.
  • Special zones. Speeding in a work zone with workers present is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of $250 to $500. Speeding in a special municipal residential zone carries a $200 fine (TCA 55-8-152).

For more on what drives the fine, see our guide to speeding ticket fines.

Adding up the costs tied to a Tennessee ticket: course fee, fine, court costs, driving record and restoration fee

Other Costs Worth Knowing

A few state fees can come up around a ticket or a course. These are set by TDOSHS or by law:

  • Driving record. The TDOSHS MVR page lists a $5 fee online, in person or by mail. You may want a copy to see your points.
  • Restoration fee. If a license is suspended, TCA 55-12-129 sets a $65 restoration fee for each offense that led to it.
  • Proof of financial responsibility fee. The same law sets a $50 reinstatement fee when proof of financial responsibility is required.

The TDOSHS Reinstatements page explains how to pay those fees. Not every driver will face them.

Cost Items at a Glance

Cost itemAmount in law or TDOSHS pageWho you ask
Court-required course feeBetween $50 and $175The provider and the court clerk
Fine for a default traffic violationUp to $50 (Class C misdemeanor)The court on your ticket
Court costsNot set statewideThe court clerk
Driving record (MVR)$5TDOSHS
Restoration fee after a suspension$65 per offenseTDOSHS

What a Course Can Save

The one saving fixed by state law is points. TCA 55-8-207 removes the points for one speeding conviction when a department-approved course is finished within 90 days of the conviction.

The limits are set by law:

  • No more than 5 points come off.
  • A single speeding offense is covered by each course.
  • Once in a four-year period is the limit.
  • Speeding only qualifies.
  • The conviction stays. The Remove Speeding Points page says, “Only the points will be removed, the conviction will remain.”

Points matter because of TDOSHS action levels. An adult with 6 to 11 points in a year gets an advisory letter, and 12 or more in any 12 months brings a notice of proposed suspension. See our guide to removing points.

Paying a Speeding Ticket and Registering

Public Chapter 993 took effect July 1, 2026. Under it, a driver who pays a speeding ticket’s fine and costs, rather than appearing, may also enroll in a department-approved course (TCA 55-10-207(f)(2)).

In that case you pay two separate bills: the court amounts and the provider’s course fee. Paying a fine or court cost counts as a conviction (TCA 55-50-102(16)).

The 8-Hour Class and Cost

The 8-hour class is a different course. It is the TDOSHS Driver Improvement class that follows a notice of proposed suspension.

No law sets one price for a school on the TDOSHS 8-hour list. Ask the school for its full price before you enroll.

Missing that class also has a cost. Not finishing within 90 days leads to a 6-month suspension, or 6 or 12 months for repeat offenders (Rule 1340-01-04-.04). The 8-hour class does not remove points.

Commercial License Holders

The fee range sits in the court course law, and that law has a carve-out. Holders of a Class A, B or C license, ticketed for anything other than parking, fall outside it (TCA 55-10-301(c)). So does any driver operating a commercial motor vehicle, under subsection (d).

A commercial driver should ask the court or a Tennessee attorney about the costs in the case.

Insurance and Cost

Only one Tennessee law ties a course to car insurance. TCA 56-7-1107 covers regular operators over 55 who finish a commissioner-approved accident prevention course. The insurer decides the “appropriate reductions.”

That law does not apply when a court required the operator to take a defensive driver training course. For any other question about rates, ask your insurer. See the insurance rule.

Course cost facts from Tennessee law: fee range, inability to pay, default fine, MVR fee and restoration fee

Costs of Not Paying or Not Appearing

Leaving a ticket alone can add costs. If a person neither pays nor appears, the court may issue an arrest warrant or declare a judgment of forfeiture no larger than the fine and costs (TCA 55-10-207(g)).

TDOSHS may also suspend a license for failing to appear or satisfy a citation, or for not paying fines and costs after a conviction (TCA 55-50-502). TCA 55-12-129 sets $65 for each failure-to-satisfy-a-citation suspension, with no more than $400 at one time for those. See our guide to failure to appear.

Payment Plans

Two kinds of plans exist, and they are separate. The TDOSHS payment plan page covers reinstatement fees:

  • You must owe more than $75 in reinstatement fees.
  • The down payment is $25.
  • After that, you pay $75 every 3 months, over up to 60 months.

Unpaid court fines use a different plan with the court or court clerk (TCA 55-50-502(d)). The TDOSHS plan covers reinstatement fees only.

Questions to Ask Before You Pay

A few questions help you see the full cost before you commit:

  • Ask the provider: What is the full price, and is the course on the TDOSHS list for my reason?
  • Ask the court clerk: What do I owe in fines and court costs, and will the court accept an online course?
  • Ask about hardship: For a court-required course, the law says no one shall be refused admittance for inability to pay.
  • Ask your insurer: Does any course change my rate? Only TCA 56-7-1107 sets a rule, for operators over 55.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the TDOSHS pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the court course pages did not list one price for the course. They sent drivers to the approved providers. The only fee range we found in Tennessee law was the $50 to $175 range in TCA 55-10-301(b)(2).

The MVR page listed the $5 driving record fee for each way to order. Court costs were not on any TDOSHS page we read, since each court sets them.

Common Mistakes

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

  • Thinking the course fee pays the ticket. The fine and court costs are separate.
  • Trying to pay TDOSHS for the course. The department does not offer it.
  • Not asking about inability to pay. The law says no one shall be refused admittance for that reason.
  • Assuming the course lowers the fine. No Tennessee law says a course dismisses a ticket, and the court decides its own terms.
  • Expecting a law-set insurance discount for any driver. TCA 56-7-1107 covers operators over 55 and an accident prevention course.

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 there a set price for the Tennessee course?

No single price is set for every course. For a court-required course, the law allows a fee between $50 and $175. Ask the provider for its full price.

Can I be turned away if I cannot pay?

For a court-required course, the law says “no one shall be refused admittance for inability to pay.” Tell the court clerk or provider about the problem before the course.

Does the course fee include my ticket?

No. The course fee goes to the provider. The fine and court costs go to the court, and each court sets its own costs.

Do I pay TDOSHS for the course?

No. TDOSHS does not offer a Driver Education Course. You pay an approved provider directly.

Can a course lower my insurance?

Only one Tennessee law covers this. TCA 56-7-1107 applies to operators over 55 who finish a commissioner-approved accident prevention course, and the insurer sets the reduction.

Does the 8-hour class cost the same as the 4-hour course?

No Tennessee law sets a single price for either course. Ask the school on the TDOSHS 8-hour list for its full price before you enroll.

What other fees could I face?

A driving record costs $5 from TDOSHS. If a license is suspended, TCA 55-12-129 sets a $65 restoration fee for each offense that led to it.

Conclusion

No single price applies to every Tennessee course, but the law sets a $50 to $175 range for a court-required course and protects people who cannot pay. If a court ordered a 4-hour Driver Education Course, confirm the court will accept an online course before you register.

For speeding point removal, check the TDOSHS 4-hour list first. 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.