DOT SAP Evaluation in Tennessee — 8 Providers Listed
Tennessee sits within a day's drive of most of the country, which is why Memphis is home to FedEx's superhub and a major rail gateway, and why Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville have grown as distribution centers. I-40 crosses the state end to end; I-65, I-24, I-75 and I-81 feed it. This page lists 8 providers in Tennessee, 2 of which say on their own website they perform DOT SAP evaluations, with offices in Goodlettsville and Memphis. The other 6 listings are for treatment or testing, which you may need later in the process, not for the evaluation itself.
The SAP process itself is federal — 49 CFR Part 40, Subpart O — so nothing about it changes at the Tennessee line. The state's part is the CDL itself. Since November 18, 2024 (FMCSA), the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security must downgrade the license of a driver in prohibited status within 60 days, and it is the office that restores the commercial privilege after a negative return-to-duty test.
Video evaluations count in Tennessee. The rule that allows them (49 CFR §40.291) is federal, and the only state question is whether the SAP's license reaches a driver sitting in Tennessee; ask before you book. A SAP across the line in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri is also an option, in person or by video, under the same licensing question. What cannot be done by video is the return-to-duty test itself, which is an observed collection at a collection site.
Drivers who move fast are often back in 2–3 weeks, and the one step you control is when you start.
⚡ Call (256) 900-1864 — Find a SAP TodayHow to get your CDL back in Tennessee
Losing the license and getting it back are two different processes run by two different bodies. The prohibition is federal — it lives in the FMCSA Clearinghouse and only moves when your return-to-duty steps are reported there. The license itself is Tennessee’s, and Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security acts on what the Clearinghouse tells it. Neither one can be talked into moving early, which is why the only thing that actually shortens this is starting the evaluation sooner.
What Tennessee says, in its own words
- “The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will be required to downgrade a person’s CLP or CDL if notified by FMCSA of a DACH violation (“Prohibited Status”).” source
- “After you complete the RTD process and your Clearinghouse status is updated to “not prohibited,” your State Driver Licensing Agency will allow you to reinstate your commercial driving privileges.” source
Tennessee runs the downgrade off the FMCSA notification, not off anything you file with the state. Nothing you send to Driver Services speeds it up and nothing you send stops it — the only lever you have is finishing the return-to-duty steps so the Clearinghouse tells Tennessee to put the privilege back.
The order it has to happen in
- Get evaluated by a DOT-qualified SAP. This is the only step you can start today, and every other date on this page counts from it. The SAP must meet the credential rules in 49 CFR 40.281 — a regular counselor or your family doctor cannot do it.
- Finish the education or treatment the SAP prescribes. The SAP decides what and how much; nobody else can shorten it, and a second opinion from a different SAP is not permitted (§40.293).
- Pass the return-to-duty test, observed, arranged through an employer or C/TPA rather than booked by you (§40.305).
- The negative result is reported to the Clearinghouse and your status changes to “not prohibited.” This is the moment Tennessee is waiting for — nothing you file with the state before this point moves anything.
- Reinstate the commercial privilege with Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse). Ask what it costs and what you must bring before you drive to an office; fees and transaction types vary and are set by the state, not by us.
Full federal detail: the DOT SAP program, step by step · what the evaluation costs and why
DOT SAP providers in Tennessee
C.L.E.A.N., Inc (Choosing Life Ending Addiction Now)✓ SAP services confirmed★ 5 (148 reviews)
What a SAP evaluation costs in Tennessee
As published on each provider's own site. Confirm when you call.
- April Tyson DOT SAP Tennessee: Two SAP evaluations cost a total of $500, per the site source
Languages and hours
- April Tyson DOT SAP Tennessee: Site states clients are seen within 24 hours source
Other substance-use services in Tennessee
Their sites do not say they perform SAP evaluations — useful for treatment or the return-to-duty test.
- Fortier Substance Abuse Testing — Hermitage
- National Addiction Specialists, LLC — Brentwood
- Southeast Addiction Center - Nashville Drug & Alcohol Rehab Center — Nashville
- TRUE Addiction & Behavioral Health — Murfreesboro
- Speak Life Recovery Services, LLC — Murfreesboro
- Recovery Consulting Service, Tom Diffenderfer LADAC ll, QCS — Murfreesboro
SAP offices across the state line
Confirmed SAP offices in neighboring states:
- Dave Harmon & Associate's, Inc — Louisville, KY
- Silver Lining Counseling & Mediation, LLC — Georgetown, KY
- Selah Solutions, LLC — Alexandria, VA
- Tidewater SAP — Chesapeake, VA
- Drug & Alcohol Assessment Services — Wilmington, NC
- Jenny Kirwin, LCSW, LCAS,CCS SAP Evaluator — Concord, NC
- Alcohol and Drug Evaluations The Diversion Center — Marietta, GA
- Marietta SAP Evaluations — Marietta, GA
- Alabama Wellness and Recovery Services, LLC — Bessemer, AL
- Christopher Gerhart, LLC DOT SAP Evaluations — Huntsville, AL
- SAP Evaluations of Mississippi — Ridgeland, MS
- Tru Path Addiction Services dba Dynamic Consulting & Workshop Services LLC — Jackson, MS
- Arkansas Counseling and Wellness Services — North Little Rock, AR
- Martin Counseling Services, LLC — Little Rock, AR
- Alternatives /Heartland Center for Behavioral Change — Springfield, MO
- Hargrove SAP Evals — Springfield, MO
After the evaluation: the DOT SAP program, step by step · carriers that hire SAP graduates
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