HB1708 SB1889 / Requires restricted driver license, English retest, and residency proof for non-English speakers.

This proposal tackles two separate but related issues in Tennessee’s motor vehicle laws. First, it would require anyone who cannot read and speak English well enough to pass the written driver-license test in English to receive only a one-year, nonrenewable “restricted” license. During that year, the holder may drive only to school (if enrolled), work, or medical appointments. When the year ends, the driver must retake the written exam in English—without translation help of any kind—to earn a full, unrestricted license. A narrow medical exception covers those who can read and write English but cannot speak it due to a certified hearing impairment.

Second, the bill would bar county clerks and the Department of Revenue from issuing or renewing any motor-vehicle registration until the applicant proves U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or a valid temporary federal status. Tennessee driver or photo IDs satisfy those tests, as do the state’s temporary licenses. Registrations must also carry a warning label that the vehicle owner/operators must be legally present in the United States.

In practice, the measure seeks to tighten residency verification at the DMV, ensure all drivers demonstrate English competence, and press foreign-born residents toward assimilation. According to the fiscal note, roughly 70,000 unauthorized or out-of-status individuals could lose registration privileges, costing state and local governments several million dollars in lost fees—offset in part by new driver-testing revenues when restricted-license holders eventually pass the English exam.