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Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Tennessee Driver Services accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Any translator; sworn form SF-1162
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 21, 2026
Tennessee Driver Services asks that a foreign passport presented by a new resident have an English translation, and publishes its own Certificate of Accurate Translation, a sworn statement in which the translator certifies the English translation is true, accurate and complete before a notary.
Tennessee Driver Services accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary; neither page limits who may translate.
New residents from other countries take the vision, knowledge and road tests whatever their license says, so the translation is for identity documents, not for exchanging the license.
Tennessee Driver Services at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
Driver Services says the passport "must have an English translation" (new residents page) and its Certificate of Accurate Translation is signed by the translator, with no list or credential required (form SF-1162), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 21, 2026.
- Translation
- English translation of the passport
- Who may translate
- Any translator; sworn form SF-1162
- Foreign license
- New residents take all tests
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 21, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Tennessee Driver Services's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Tennessee Driver Services
Sworn certificate
Form SF-1162: translator swears before a notary.
All tests for foreigners
Vision, knowledge and road tests for new residents from abroad.
Keep your foreign license
Only foreign licenses may be kept alongside a Tennessee one.
Tennessee Driver Services requirements in detail
Translation
A foreign passport presented as proof of temporary legal presence, with a visa and I-94, must have an English translation (New residents).
Who may translate
Not restricted. The department's Certificate of Accurate Translation is signed by any translator who swears to be fluent in the language and in English.
The certificate
Form SF-1162: the translator certifies the attached English translation is true, accurate and complete, signs before a Notary Public, State of Tennessee, and gives an address, daytime phone and driver license number (Certificate of Accurate Translation, form SF-1162).
Original or copy
Originals only; no photocopies. All documents may be verified with the issuing agency (Proof of U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent residency).
Name change documents
Every marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order linking your current name to the name on your proof of citizenship or lawful status (Proof of U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent residency).
Foreign license
New residents from other countries take the vision screening, knowledge test and road skills test, and may keep the license issued by that country (New residents).
Visitors
Non-residents with a valid license from their home state or country are not required to hold a Tennessee license (New residents).
The Certificate of Accurate Translation
Tennessee is one of the few states with its own translation form.
The Certificate of Accurate Translation (SF-1162), listed on the Driver Services forms page, is a one-page affidavit: the translator names the language, states fluency in it and in English, identifies the person the document belongs to, and certifies the attached translation is true, accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge.
It is signed before a Tennessee notary, and the translator adds an address, phone number and driver license number.
The department does not say on its pages when the form is required.
Every eVerbary translation includes a signed certificate of translation accuracy; if the Driver Services Center asks for SF-1162 itself, tell us in the order notes and ask the center whether a notarized certificate from a translator outside Tennessee is acceptable before you go.
New residents from abroad
New residents must get a Tennessee license within 30 days of establishing residency.
People who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents do not qualify for a regular license; under the page's documents for temporary legal presence, they show a valid foreign passport with a valid visa and I-94 (or I-94W), plus the SEVIS I-20 for F and M students or the DS-2019 for J visitors, and the passport must have an English translation (New residents).
Unlike many states, Tennessee lists no foreign license exchange: new residents from other countries take the vision screening, the Tennessee knowledge test and the road skills test, and they may keep their foreign license, the only kind Tennessee lets a resident hold alongside its own (New residents).
Need a certified translation for Tennessee Driver Services?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign passports with no English text on the data page
- Foreign marriage certificates, for each marriage
- Foreign divorce decrees and court name-change orders
- Foreign driver's licenses presented as supporting identity
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Tennessee Driver Services
Bring the original document and its English translation to a Driver Services Center; photocopies are not accepted and documents may be verified with the issuing agency (Proof of U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent residency, New residents).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For Tennessee Driver Services that means we translate your documents; tests, legal presence checks and the license are handled by Driver Services.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does my foreign passport need a translation in Tennessee?
Yes, if it has no English. Driver Services says the passport must have an English translation (New residents).
What is the Tennessee Certificate of Accurate Translation?
Form SF-1162, a sworn statement in which the translator certifies the English translation is true, accurate and complete, signed before a notary (Certificate of Accurate Translation, form SF-1162).
Can I exchange my foreign license for a Tennessee license without tests?
Driver Services' page says new residents from other countries take the vision screening, knowledge test and road skills test (New residents).
Can I keep my foreign license?
Yes. Tennessee lets residents keep only foreign country licenses or IDs alongside a Tennessee one (New residents).
Do I need translated name change documents?
If they are in another language. Driver Services asks for every marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order that links your names (Proof of U.S. citizenship and lawful permanent residency).
Sources
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services Division's own pages, read on October 21, 2026.
Translating documents for Tennessee Driver Services?
Upload a scan of your license or certificate and see the price and delivery time before you pay.