DUI jail fines and revocation — Tennessee Permit Test

DUI jail fines and revocation on the Tennessee permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

A first DUI conviction brings at least 48 hours in jail.

Even one DUI means time behind bars, not just a ticket. The law treats it as a crime that could have killed someone.

1st Conviction 48 hours (7 days if BAC is 0.20% or more)

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

On a first DUI conviction, the minimum jail time rises to 7 days if the BAC was 0.20% or more.

A driver at 0.20 is far drunker and far more dangerous, so even a first offense brings a much longer stay in jail.

48 hours (7 days if BAC is 0.20% or more)

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

A first DUI conviction revokes your license for 1 year.

A year without a license means no driving to school, work or friends. That cost is meant to stop a second time.

1st Conviction 48 hours (7 days if BAC is 0.20% or more) $350-$1500 1 year Does not apply

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

A first DUI conviction carries a fine of $350 to $1,500.

The fine is only the start. Court costs, classes and higher insurance pile on top of it.

1st Conviction 48 hours (7 days if BAC is 0.20% or more) $350-$1500

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

A second DUI conviction revokes your license for 2 years.

A driver caught twice has shown the first year off the road did not change the habit, so the loss doubles.

2nd Conviction 45 days – 11 months, 29 days $600-$3500 2 years Vehicle is subject to seizure and forfeiture

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

A 4th or later DUI conviction is a Class E felony.

A felony record follows you for life and can block jobs and housing. Repeat drunk driving is no longer a misdemeanor.

4th or subsequent Conviction (is a Class E felony)

Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82

On the test

What is the minimum jail time for a first DUI conviction in Tennessee?

48 hours. Even one DUI means time behind bars, not just a ticket. The law treats it as a crime that could have killed someone. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.82: “1st Conviction 48 hours (7 days if BAC is 0.20% or more)”

How this works

Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.

You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.

Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.

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Where these come from

Every rule here is checked against Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, published by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-10-03.