Tennessee CDL Classes, Eligibility, and Exemptions

Class A covers a combination rated 26,001 pounds or more when the towed unit exceeds 10,000 pounds. Class B covers a single vehicle rated 26,001 pounds or more and such a vehicle towing 10,000 pounds or less. Class C applies below those thresholds when the vehicle is designed for 16 or more people including the driver or carries placarded hazardous materials.

Tennessee generally requires age 21 for a CDL. An applicant age 18 through 20 may qualify only for a Class A or B CDL without a special endorsement, and the CMV must remain wholly within Tennessee. Interstate operation and endorsements such as H, P, or S remain unavailable until every age and federal condition is met.

The applicant must prove U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status, Tennessee domicile, Social Security number, and an eligible driving record. Tennessee does not issue a non-domiciled CDL. Beginning January 1, 2026, an otherwise eligible lawful permanent resident receives a Temporary CDL tied to immigration-document validity.

The current Tennessee page lists narrow exemptions for recreational vehicles, qualifying military vehicles, firefighting equipment, emergency snowplows, and qualifying farm vehicles operated by a farm employee within Tennessee and within 150 miles of the farm. The exact operator, vehicle, purpose, distance, and intrastate conditions must all be satisfied.

A qualifying farm-related service employee may receive a Tennessee Code 24 restricted Class B or C CDL without the ordinary knowledge and skills tests. Operation is intrastate and within 150 miles, the credential is limited to no more than 180 consecutive days in a 12-month period, and hazardous-material carriage is narrowly limited by product and quantity.

Apply the rule to the exact Tennessee vehicle, credential, date, trip, test stage, and operating facts in the question. Current TDOSHS pages and Tennessee law control when an older manual sentence conflicts with a newer official requirement.