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SB0780 • 2026

Driver Licenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-354, relative to honorably discharged members of the national guard.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Lowe, Vital
Last action
2025-04-04
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 148
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the 'veteran' designation will appear on licenses, nor does it specify if there are additional costs for adding this designation.

Driver Licenses for National Guard Members

This bill allows honorably discharged members of the national guard to have 'veteran' designation on their driver licenses and specifies the documents needed.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds honorably discharged members of the national guard to the list of people who can get a 'veteran' designation on their driver license or photo ID card.
  • Requires applicants for veteran designation to provide an honorable discharge certificate, DD 256 form, or NGB Form 22 that shows they received an honorable discharge.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Honorably discharged members of the national guard
  • The Department of Safety and Homeland Security
  • The Department of Veterans Services

Terms To Know

honorably discharged
A term used to describe a service member who has completed their military service without any major misconduct.
veteran designation
An official recognition on a driver license or ID card that shows the holder is a veteran of the U.S. armed forces.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the 'veteran' designation will appear on the licenses.
  • It's unclear if there are any additional costs for veterans to add this designation to their driver license or ID card.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 148

  2. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/03/2025

  3. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 148

  4. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  10. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  11. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  13. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  14. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  15. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/24/2025

  17. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/24/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  22. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  23. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  24. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/18/2025

  25. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  27. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  28. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  30. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  31. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that when the
department
of safety
issues or renews a driver license or photo identification card to an honorably discharged veteran, the driver license or photo identification card
must
have language or a symbol designed by the depa
rtment of veterans services, in consultation with the department of safety, that appropriately reflects the driver's military service.
This bill adds honorably discharged members of the national guard to this provision.

Present law requires veterans of
this state who elect to have language or a symbol indicating their military service on their driver license at the time of renewal or reissue to pay the required license or photo identification card fee, check a box on the application stating they are a v
e
teran, and provide a copy of several documents described by present law. This bill adds to the list of required documents the applicant's
honorable discharge certificate, department of defense form 256 (DD 256), or report of separation and record of servi
ce, NGB form 22, that indicates an honorable discharge characterization
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 790
By Vital

SENATE BILL 780
By Lowe

SB0780
002019
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section
55-50-354, relative to honorably discharged
members of the national guard.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-354(a), is amended by adding
the language ", including an honorably discharged member of the national guard" immediately
after the language "to an honorably discharged veteran".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-354(b), is amended by adding
the following as a new, appropriately designated subdivision:
( ) The applicant's honorable discharge certificate, department of defense form
256 (DD 256), or report of separation and record of service, NGB form 22, that indicates
an honorable discharge characterization;
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.