Tennessee has started turning down driver’s license applications from immigrants who have federal permission to live and work in the U.S. Immigration lawyers and advocates say the change could take licenses away from thousands of people who have driven legally in the state for years.
A Sudden Change Nobody Announced
Lawyers and advocates say they found out about the new rule only when worried clients started calling in recent weeks. Without a license, these immigrants could be arrested, held and possibly deported if they get stopped while driving to work, school or the grocery store, even though they’re allowed to work in the U.S.
Who Is Affected?
About 6,000 “Dreamers” in Tennessee are expected to be hit by this change. Dreamers are people who were brought to the U.S. as children without legal status. Under a federal program called DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), they’re protected from deportation and allowed to work.
DACA is only one of several immigrant groups that get federal work permits. Advocates say the new rule affects many of these groups, not just Dreamers.
What Is a Work Permit?
A work permit isn’t the same as a Green Card, and it doesn’t give someone permanent status. For many immigrants, though, it’s the only official government document that shows they’re allowed to be in the country.
The card is about the size of a credit card. It shows the person’s:
- Date of birth and address
- Country of birth
- Immigration category code
- Immigration ID number
- Expiration date
Until recently, Tennessee accepted this card as enough proof to get a driver’s license.
Why the State Says It Changed the Rules
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security said work permits are no longer accepted as proof of legal status for a license. He pointed to a 2025 state law that took effect on January 1 this year. State officials apparently didn’t start reading the law this way until recently.
The 2025 law was one of several immigration bills Tennessee Republicans passed that year. Among other things, it:
- Created a new state immigration enforcement division
- Required local police to work with federal immigration agents
- Required people applying for temporary licenses to show the federal government allowed them to stay for a specific purpose and a specific length of time
Spokesperson Jason Pack said work permits don’t give enough information to confirm a person’s legal status and how long they’re allowed to stay.
The law itself doesn’t list which documents are required, and it doesn’t say work permits should be rejected. The department also hasn’t said when it started rejecting them.
One Dreamer’s Story
Advocates say hundreds of people have been denied license renewals so far. One of them is a 33-year-old woman named Zavala, who asked that only her last name be used because she fears government retaliation.
Zavala came to Tennessee from Mexico when she was 4 and has held a Tennessee license since she was 18. Earlier this month, two different license offices refused to renew her two-year temporary license. She brought the same papers she had always used: her work permit, Social Security card and proof of address. State workers told her these were no longer accepted and asked her for other immigration documents. None of those other documents are given to DACA recipients.
Without a license, Zavala can’t drive to her full-time job. She also can’t take her daughter, who has a chronic illness, to her frequent doctor and therapy appointments. Zavala has been on DACA since 2012 and says she never had a problem before. She said her biggest worry is her daughter. Her partner, who also has DACA, helps take care of their daughter.
Experts Say the State Has the Law Wrong
Peter McGraw of the National Immigration Law Center disagrees with how Tennessee is reading the law. He said the law itself says the federal government, not the state, decides who is allowed to be in the country, and the federal government has authorized DACA recipients to live and work here. He said he doesn’t know of any other state that denies licenses to DACA recipients when its own laws don’t call for it.
The Rule Quietly Disappeared From the State Website
According to an online archive, the state website still listed work permits as an acceptable document in August. By September, they had been taken off the list.
Memphis immigration lawyer Ari Sauer said clients started calling him about two months ago because they couldn’t finish routine license renewals. He said none of the documents the state now accepts are given to DACA recipients or to several other groups of immigrants who are legally allowed to work. In his words, “It’s a much bigger group than DACA.”
Fear and Frustration in Immigrant Communities
The Tennessee Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has asked the state to explain the change. Advocacy director Jazmin Ramirez said calls from people denied renewals rose sharply in early October. Most were DACA recipients, but others included some people seeking asylum.
At a recent community meeting, Ramirez said many people felt they no longer belonged in the state they had called home for decades. She said the practical effects are serious: people can’t get to jobs they’ve held for years, and parents can’t safely drop off or pick up their kids.
She also warned that people who drive anyway risk being pulled over, ticketed and arrested, which in the worst case could lead to deportation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What changed in Tennessee’s driver’s license rules?
Tennessee no longer accepts federal work permits as proof of legal status when people apply for or renew a driver’s license.
2. Who is affected?
About 6,000 DACA recipients (“Dreamers”) in Tennessee, plus other immigrants with work permits, such as some people seeking asylum.
3. What is DACA?
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a federal program that protects people brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and lets them work. It’s temporary, must be renewed regularly, and doesn’t lead to a Green Card or citizenship.
4. Why did Tennessee make this change?
The state points to a 2025 law that requires proof the federal government has allowed a person to stay for a specific purpose and time. State officials say work permits don’t provide enough detail to show this.
5. Does the 2025 law specifically ban work permits?
No. The law doesn’t list required documents or say work permits should be rejected. Legal experts say the state’s reading of the law is wrong.
6. When did the change start?
Work permits were still on the state’s list of accepted documents in August 2026 but had been removed by September. Many people were turned away in early October.
7. Can DACA recipients use other documents instead?
Not really. None of the other immigration documents Tennessee now accepts are issued to DACA recipients.
8. What happens if someone drives without a license?
They could be pulled over, ticketed or arrested. Advocates warn that this could lead to deportation proceedings in the worst cases.
9. Are other states doing the same thing?
According to the National Immigration Law Center, no other state is known to deny licenses to DACA recipients when its own laws don’t require it.
10. What are advocates doing about it?
The Tennessee Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has asked the state to explain the change and is holding community meetings to hear from people who have been affected.