When you complete the Tennessee Driver Education Course and the court grants ticket dismissal, the violation is not entered as a conviction on your Tennessee driving record, no points are assessed, and your insurance company does not see a moving violation.
If you are eligible for ticket dismissal in Tennessee, understanding how the process works can help you avoid unnecessary points and insurance rate increases. The court’s handling of your citation after you complete the Tennessee Driver Education Course is important. This article explains what ticket dismissal means for your driving record and what steps you may need to take.
How Ticket Dismissal Works with the Tennessee Driver Education Course
When you complete the Tennessee Driver Education Course and submit your certificate to the court, the court clerk records the outcome as “traffic school” instead of “guilty.” This means the violation does not appear as a conviction on your Tennessee driving record, and you do not receive points for the citation. Your insurance company typically does not see a moving violation conviction, which helps prevent a related rate increase.
What Ticket Dismissal Does and Does Not Do
Ticket dismissal does:
- Prevent a conviction from being entered on your Tennessee driving record
- Prevent points from being added for that violation
- Prevent your insurance company from seeing a moving violation conviction
Ticket dismissal does not:
- Remove the fact that you were cited
- Automatically waive all court fees or fines (confirm with your court)
- Apply to past convictions (point reduction is a separate process)
- Guarantee your insurance rates stay the same in every case
How the Court Processes Ticket Dismissal
Under T.C.A. § 55-10-301(b)(5), the court clerk must submit “traffic school” as the disposition on the Court Action Report for ticket dismissal. If both “guilty” and “traffic school” are submitted, a conviction is entered by mistake. It is important to check your Tennessee driving record a few weeks after submitting your certificate to confirm the disposition was recorded correctly. For more details on court processing and traffic school requirements, visit the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s driver services page: the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conviction entered | No — disposition is “traffic school” not “guilty” |
| Points assessed | No |
| Insurance sees violation | No conviction reported — typically prevents rate increase |
| Court fines | Confirm with your court — may still apply |
| Vs. point reduction | Point reduction removes points from an existing conviction; dismissal prevents the conviction entirely |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the ticket still show up if someone does a background check on my driving record?
The ticket will not appear as a conviction. A traffic school completion may be visible, but it is not a conviction. Ask your court if you have specific concerns about what will appear.
Does ticket dismissal mean I do not have to pay my fine?
Not always. Some courts waive the fine when granting traffic school, but others may still require payment of court costs or fees. Confirm with your court after submitting your certificate.
Do I have to tell my insurance company if I took the Tennessee Driver Education Course?
Answer your insurer’s questions honestly. Traffic school is not a conviction, and most insurance applications ask about convictions, not traffic school completions. If your insurer asks specifically about traffic school, answer truthfully.
How do I confirm the court recorded my ticket dismissal correctly?
Request a copy of your Tennessee driving record from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security a few weeks after submitting your certificate. The record should show “traffic school” as the disposition, not “guilty.” If you see a conviction, contact your court immediately.