Motor Vehicles

State laws vary when it comes to motor vehicle registration, licensing and insurance requirements. The term vehicle generally includes automobile, motorcycles, vans, trailers and boats regularly parked or garaged overnight. Service members and their families will want to understand their state's laws on registration and licensing before moving to a new state. Visit the USA.gov Motor Vehicle Services page for links to state-specific websites.

Fort Campbell is located between the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Tennessee Vehicle Registration

Service members from other states aren't required to register their vehicles in Tennessee as long as they maintain current registration and insurance in their home-of-record.

If you want to register your vehicle in Tennessee or you purchase a new vehicle, you must contact the Montgomery County Clerk's Office at 931-648-5711, located at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 502, Clarksville, TN 37040. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays.

Non-Resident Military

Effective July 13, 2017, the Non-Resident Military Wheel Tax Exemption will be limited to one per active-duty service member annually. An end-of-month Leave and Earnings Statement dated within the last ninety days must be presented for exemption.

Tennessee Driver’s License

Active-duty military and their family members don't need a Tennessee driver's license if they hold a valid license from another state.

If you want to obtain a Tennessee drivers license, you must visit the Montgomery County Clarksville Driver Services Center located at 220 West Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville, TN 37040. Hours of operation are Monday through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. Their contact number is 931-648-5596. You can also go online and make an appointment.

Kentucky Vehicle Registration

Service members from other states aren't required to register their vehicles in Kentucky as long as they maintain current registration and insurance in their home-of-record.

If you're new to the state or have just purchased a vehicle, you will need to visit the Christian County Clerk's Office to register your car for the first time. The Christian County Clerk’s Office is located at 511 S. Main St. Suite 15. Hopkinsville, KY 42240. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Their phone number is 270-887-4105.

Kentucky Driver’s License

Active-duty military and their family members don't need a Kentucky driver's license if they hold a valid license from another state.

If you don't have a current driver's license and would like to apply for a Kentucky license, you must apply for a Kentucky driver's license in person at the Circuit Clerk's Office located at 100 Justice Way, Christian County Justice Center. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. Their phone number is 270-889-6540. To schedule a road test, please call 270-889-6560.

Fort Campbell Kentucky – Motor Vehicles Installation Regulations and Registration

Visitors to Fort Campbell please take note of the new procedures of obtaining a visitor's pass. For any questions on visitor passes, please contact 270-412-1631.

Escorted visitors with valid photo ID (state issued driver license or ID card) traveling in the same vehicle as a DOD ID card holder (CAC, dependent ID card, or retiree ID card) are not required to obtain a pass. All visitors 18 and older are required to have a valid identification to enter the installation.

Installation Access:

1. In order to gain access to Fort Campbell, KY non-Federal Government and non-DoD issued ID cardholders require identity proofing and vetting to determine fitness and eligibility for access. Specifically, a check of records through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Interstate Identification Index (III) is the Army's minimum background check for the entrance onto Army installations for non-Common Access Card (CAC) holders.
2. Non DoD ID cardholder may enter Fort Campbell by obtaining a one day pass or an extended pass up to 90 days depending on visiting situation. One year extended passes may be obtained for contractors who are sponsored by a Fort Campbell tenant organization. Fort Campbell applies the following non-Federal Government cardholder criteria to determine the authorized type of access control credentials:
   • Contractors, Subcontractors, Vendors, Suppliers and Service Providers (AIE): 1 Day Pass, Extended Pass or 1 Year Extended Pass
   • Visitors (case-by-case basis): 1 Day Pass or Extended Pass
   • Privatized Business Partners**: 1 Year Extended Pass
     **The following are Privatized Business Partners: IHG, Campbell Crossing, University/College faculty, Fortera Credit Union, Bank of America, and Home Health Care.
3. Contractor personnel who are ineligible for a CAC may obtain an extended pass at the request of their Contract Officer Representative (COR).
4. REAL ID Act:
   1. Background: The REAL ID Act of 2005 establishes minimum standards for the production and issuance of state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, which include requirements for a photograph and certain biographic information, such as name, DOB, gender, height, eye color & address. State-issued driver’s licenses and identification (ID) cards from states not meeting the standards cannot be used for accessing Federal facilities beginning 10 January 2016, unless the issuing state’s compliancy deadline has been extended by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
   2. Current Status: DoD, like all other Federal agencies, is prohibited from accepting non-compliant driver’s licenses. Therefore, visitor control centers will no longer accept a non-REAL ID driver’s license or ID card for physical access. Unless the individual possesses one of the authorized government-issued ID cards delineated in Directive Type Memorandum (DTM) 09-012, the individual will need to present one of the documents below from Attachment 4 of DTM 09-012) to prove identity in order to be issued a temporary installation pass:
      • United States Passport or United States Passport Card
      • Permanent Resident Card/Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
      • Foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine readable immigrant visa
      • Employment authorization document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
      • In the case of a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, a foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien’s nonimmigrant status, as long as the endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the form.
      • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Cards
      • Transportation Worker Identification Card
      • Native American Tribal Document
   3. For the most current information concerning state-by-state compliance with the REAL ID Act, please visit https://www.dhs.gov/current-status-states-territories.
5. All persons requesting unescorted access will continue to be vetted through the NCIC III, prior to being issued a locally produced pass. If a visitor requesting access does not have REAL ID Act compliant form of identification and cannot provide supplemental identity proofing documents, they must be escorted at all times while on the installation.
6. Access procedures for all personnel may change at any time due to installation security requirements.
7. Search and Seizure: All personnel and property shall be subject to search and seizure upon entering the confines of Fort Campbell, and upon leaving in accordance with applicable regulations.
8. Visitor Control Center Hours of Operation:
   • Gate 4: Open 24/7/365
   • Gate 7: Seven days per week, 5 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (Commercial vehicles only)
   • Commercial Vehicle Lane Gate 7: Seven days per week 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.
9. For more information, contact the Visitor Control Center at 270-412-1631.

Tennessee Driver’s License

Active-duty military and their family members don't need a Tennessee driver's license if they hold a valid license from another state.

If you want to obtain a Tennessee drivers license, you must visit the Montgomery County Clarksville Driver Services Center located at 220 West Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville, TN 37040. Hours of operation are Monday through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. Their contact number is 931-648-5596. You can also go online and make an appointment.

Kentucky Driver’s License

Active-duty military and their family members don't need a Kentucky driver's license if they hold a valid license from another state.

If you want to obtain a Kentucky driver's license, you must visit the Driver Licensing Regional Office located at 901A S Main St., Hopkinsville, KY 42240. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays. Their phone number is 270-962-4068.

State and local laws regulate the operation of motor vehicles, and these laws can vary by location. Many states regulate the following:

• Seatbelt use
• Child safety seats
• Motorcycle operation
• The use of cellphones and other digital devices while driving

Learn more about motor vehicle laws in your state at the Distraction.gov State Laws page. This site doesn't provide links to individual state websites. The main site provides safety information.

You and your passengers must always wear seat belts while driving. You'll be ticketed and issued heavy fines if seat belts aren't secured. State law requires that all children under eight years of age be properly restrained in child seats. Some states also require younger, smaller children to sit in the back seat.

Motorcycles and their operators are subject to special laws. If you own and operate a motorcycle, you must comply with those laws. Visit the State Department of Motor Vehicles website for more information. Many states and local jurisdictions have strict laws about the use of cell phones and other digital devices while driving. Research these laws on the State Department of Motor Vehicles website. Tickets will be issued and fines assessed for violating these laws. Play it safe and always use a “hands free” device if you must use a cell phone or other PDA while driving. Hands-free devices must be used while operating a motor vehicle on all military installations worldwide.

Fort Campbell Motor Vehicle Laws on the Installation

Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on Fort Campbell is 25 miles per hour. All passengers must always wear seat belts while driving. You'll be ticketed and issued heavy fines if seat belts aren't secured. Kentucky law requires that all children under eight years of age be properly restrained in child seats. Kentucky Booster Law states that "Any driver of a motor vehicle, when transporting a child under the age of eight (8) years who is between forty (40) inches and fifty-seven (57) inches in height in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of this state, shall have the child properly secured in a child booster seat. A child of any age who is greater than fifty-seven (57) inches in height shall not be required to be secured in a child booster seat under this section. If a child is older than 8 years old or over 57 inches tall, they are not required by law to ride in a booster seat.".

Fort Campbell regulations prohibits the use of cell phone while operating a motor vehicle on the installation. This also applies to DVD players. The driver can’t watch them while driving. A passenger in a motor vehicle may still use these devices without restrictions.

Off Post in Tennessee and Kentucky

Visit the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety website and the Tennessee Highway Safety Office website for current motor vehicle safety rules and regulations for the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.

New Tennessee Hands-Free Driving Law

Effective July 1, 2019, via Public Chapter 412, it's illegal for a driver to:

• Hold a cellphone or mobile device with any part of their body
• Write, send or read any text-based communication
• Reach for a cell phone or mobile device in a manner that requires the driver to no longer be completely seated in a driver position or properly restrained by a seat belt
• Watch a video or movie on a cell phone or mobile device
• Record or broadcast a video on a cell phone or mobile device

Violation of this law is a Class C misdemeanor. A traffic citation based on this violation is considered a moving traffic violation. Fines for violations of the law include:

• $50 - First-time offense
• $100 - Third-time offense or higher; violation results in a car crash
• $200 - Violation occurs in a work zone while workers are present or violation occurs in a marked school zone while flashers are in operation

Exceptions are Tennessee’s texting ban doesn’t apply to law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel who send or receive text communications in the discharge of their duties. There’s also an exception for anyone who uses text communication to communicate with emergency personnel during an actual emergency.

Kentucky Cell Phone-Use and Texting-While-Driving Laws

Text Messaging

For all Kentucky drivers, it’s illegal to use a personal communication device to read, write or send a text message while operating a vehicle that’s in motion. The prohibition includes regular text messages, instant messages and email.

The texting-while-driving law contains a number of exceptions. The law doesn’t apply to:

• Using the GPS feature of a personal communication device
• Using a GPS or navigation system that's physically or electronically integrated into the vehicle
• Reading, selecting or entering a telephone number or name of a person to make a phone call
• An operator of an emergency or public safety vehicle when necessary to perform official duties
• Reporting illegal activity
• Summoning medical help
• Summoning law enforcement
• Communications necessary to prevent injury to a person or property

A texting ticket will cost the driver a $25 fine for a first violation and a $50 fine for second or subsequent violations. The conviction will also add three points to the motorist's driving record.

Depending on the circumstances, a texting or cell phone violation could also lead to a reckless driving conviction. If one of these violations results in the death of another person, vehicular homicide charges are also a possibility.