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On Tuesday, April 1, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), divisions of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, partnered with Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), local law enforcement, and other traffic safety partners for “Operation Hands Free” to crack down on violators of Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. To kick off the campaign, the THSO hosted press events in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville followed by distracted-driving enforcement bus tours.

With the federal REAL ID travel requirement taking effect on May 7, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will open 19 Driver Services Centers across the state on Saturday, April 5, for REAL ID appointments only. 

Two missing boys in Hancock County were found safe early Wednesday morning after an overnight search by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and multiple local agencies.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is proud to announce the promotion of Major Tim Spicer to Lieutenant Colonel. A dedicated law enforcement officer with 25 years of service, Spicer has steadily risen through the ranks, earning a reputation as a strong leader committed to public safety. In his new role, he will help oversee THP’s statewide operations, ensuring the agency continues its mission of protecting Tennessee’s roadways and communities.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) helped hundreds of drivers as a winter storm impacted Tennessee on February 18 and 19. Troopers worked tirelessly to assist stranded motorists, clear roadways, and investigate incidents amid hazardous conditions. Statewide, THP responded to 195 crashes, assisted 289 stranded motorists, and addressed 45 abandoned vehicles and 14 roadway obstructions. State Troopers also investigated two fatal crashes occurred during the time period.

On February 13, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Matt Perry welcomed the newest graduating classes of Tennessee State Troopers. The department instructed a regular 18-week trooper cadet class that exceeded the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission requirements. The graduation ceremony which took place at the Hermitage Hills Baptist Church on Lebanon Pike in Nashville.

With the REAL ID Act of 2005 taking effect in three months, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, TDOSHS, is expanding access by adding 1,432 additional REAL ID-specific appointment slots per day at Driver Services Centers across the state.

The Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Memphis/Summer Avenue Driver Services and Reinstatement Center, 5266 Summer Ave., Suite 75, which closed for a planned remodel on Oct. 16, will reopen to the public on Monday, Feb. 10.

The Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Dyersburg Driver Services Center, 180 Highway 51 Bypass North, will close for a planned remodel on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. It will reopen in March.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) worked overtime during this past weekend’s statewide snowstorm, responding to an extraordinary volume of incidents caused by dangerous road conditions. Troopers assisted motorists, investigated crashes, and ensured public safety in the face of severe weather challenges.

Beginning Jan. 10, 2025, new or returning Tennessee residents who currently have a driver license from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, Vermont or West Virginia must present a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) from their former state when applying for a Tennessee license.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security marked a year of significant achievements in 2024, reinforcing its commitment to protecting and serving Tennesseans. From hiring and training over 150 State Troopers to advancing school safety initiatives and enhancing first responder communication systems, the department’s efforts directly contributed to making Tennessee a safer place to live, work, and thrive.

Today, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) announced results from its annual roadside observational survey to determine the state’s average seat belt usage rate. This survey returned a statewide usage rate of 92.2 percent. The 2024 usage rate represents an increase of approximately 0.2 percent compared to Tennessee’s 2023 survey result of 92.0 percent. The 2024 survey result is Tennessee’s highest annual seat belt usage rate to date.

The Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Lebanon Driver Services Center, 204 Maddux Simpson Parkway, which closed for a planned remodel on July 15, and the Lebanon Driver Services Center, 1701 Hampshire Pike, which closed for flooring replacement on Dec. 5, will both reopen to the public on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

On December 12, Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Colonel Matt Perry welcomed the newest graduating classes of Tennessee State Troopers. Lateral Trooper Cadet Class 1224 completed a rigorous 11-week training. Commissioner Jeff Long served as the keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony and delivered the oath of office as the graduating class was sworn in.