Tennessee
Tennessee Truckers Have Until April to Prove Citizenship—Or Lose Their Jobs
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has begun notifying roughly 8,800 commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders that they must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence — or face an automatic downgrade to a standard driver’s license that strips away their commercial driving privileges.
The letters reportedly began landing in mailboxes this January as part of a records modernization and compliance effort tied directly to a federal directive and tightened transportation regulations.
The deadline to produce appropriate documentation, such as a passport, certified birth certificate, or naturalization certificate, is April 6, 2026. Drivers who miss the cutoff will see their CDLs downgraded to non-commercial status, effectively grounding them from operating the heavy trucks they’ve been driving for years.
For thousands of Tennessee truckers, many of whom have held their CDLs for well over a decade without issue, the announcement has landed like an unexpected regulatory earthquake.
Beyond Bureaucratic Paperwork
On the surface, the state’s action looks like a data cleanup: bring old records into alignment with rules that weren’t fully enforced when those licenses were originally issued. Federal rules from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) now require that all CDL records include proof of citizenship or lawful presence. Tennessee officials say their review identified older files lacking that paperwork and are now remedying the gap.
But a deeper look reveals something larger: this is part of a nationwide enforcement campaign. Under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the USDOT has been pushing states to tighten CDL issuance and documentation practices. States that fall short risk losing critical federal transportation funds.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles faced such federal pressure last year, leading to a freeze on processing non-domiciled CDLs and subsequent lawsuits from advocacy groups challenging the federal and state actions. Tennessee, by contrast, is not freezing issuances but is instead reaching back through its legacy files to ensure compliance.
In other words, Tennessee isn’t alone, and the driver community shouldn’t assume this is an isolated administrative glitch.
The Human and Industry Impact
For the average trucker, a CDL is a livelihood. Lose it, even temporarily, and you lose your job, benefits, and ability to support your family. The roughly 8,800 drivers affected represent nearly 6 % of Tennessee’s total CDL population, and that’s a sizable swath of the state’s freight workforce.
Industry leaders have publicly backed such compliance moves in general terms. They say strong, accurate licensing supports safety and integrity on the roads. But they also warn that operational burdens, like taking time off work to gather paperwork and appear in person at a Driver Services Center, can be heavy, especially for drivers already stretched thin by long hours and tight schedules.
And while Tennessee’s effort is framed as forward-looking, the broader context makes it clear this is part of a politically charged national debate about immigration, labor, and federal authority. That debate often plays out far from the truck stops and distribution yards where drivers live and work.
Critics, especially immigrant advocacy groups, argue that some drivers are being unfairly targeted, caught in an enforcement sweep that treats record-keeping gaps as evidence of non-compliance or questionable status. In some states, litigation has already begun over how these rules are applied, particularly where federal policy intersects with state licensing practices.
There’s also a practical quirk: many of these Tennessee drivers obtained their CDLs before the current documentation standards were in place. From their perspective, nothing about their driving history has changed, only the regulatory landscape has. Whether that constitutes fair notice is likely to be debated in legal arenas and trucking forums in the months ahead.
What Now?
For now, Tennessee CDL holders have their heads down, scrambling to round up birth certificates and passports before April’s deadline. Other states, watching Tennessee’s approach, may be preparing their own audits and notifications.
It’s become clear that enforcement around CDL documentation isn’t going away. It’s morphing into a broader federal-state compliance regime that will shape the commercial driving landscape for years to come, and that could redefine what it means to hold a CDL in the United States.
Sources: FreightWaves, https://www.wsmv.com, CDLlife
The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Cash 3 numbers from March 8 drawing
Evening: 1-8-7, Wild: 8
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from March 8 drawing
Evening: 1-0-9-7, Wild: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from March 8 drawing
10-19-30-33-35
Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing
01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:
Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.
When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash4Life: 9:15 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
- Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Tennessee
Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell Among Top Projected Fantasy Football Options in 2026 NFL Draft | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee football is set to send a handful of players from its 2025 roster to the NFL during this upcoming draft. However, one stands out as a potential breakout star for fantasy football players.
Wide receiver Chris Brazzell proved to be one of the top pass catchers in the SEC this past season, leading the conference in yards per game. Now, he’s widely projected as a second-round pick with the potential to even climb into the first round after a strong combine showing.
With the combine in the books and the draft coming up next month, ESPN ranked incoming rookies on their projected fantasy football output. He clocked in at No. 13 and the seventh-highest ranked receiver.
“Brazzell is a tall, perimeter receiver with a big wingspan who will do most of his damage down field (career 14.2 aDOT at Tennessee) and doesn’t offer much after the catch (class-worst 3.6 RAC),” ESPN’s Mike Clay wrote. “He has good speed (4.37 40-yard dash) and may settle in as a boom/bust low-volume, splash-play fantasy option.”
More From RTI: Three Tennessee Football Players Mocked in the First Two Rounds of NFL Draft by ESPN
Brazzell wrapped up his second season with Tennessee in 2025. In 12 games, he produced 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns on 62 receptions. He proved to be an elite deep-ball threat with Joey Aguilar at quarterback and Josh Heupel retooling the offensive scheme.
His best game came against Georgia at home. Brazzell recorded six receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the game. He went over the 100-yard mark four times and over 90 yards five times.
Prior to that, Brazzell played two seasons at Tulane before transferring to join the Vols for their 2024 College Football Playoff campaign.
The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If Brazzell does fall outside the first round, he’d likely go the following day when rounds two and three are held. The remaining four rounds are the next day.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Antoine Lorick III scored 18 points, and top-seeded Tennessee State beat No. 2 seed Morehead State 93-67 on Saturday night for the Tigers’ first win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game since 1994.
Travis Harper II made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Tennessee State (23-9), which shot 16 of 26 from long range. Dante Harris and Carlous Williams added 16 points apiece. Aaron Nkrumah chipped in with 14 points and six assists. Harris grabbed 11 of the Tigers’ 44 rebounds.
George Marshall scored 17 points and shot 4 of 9 from beyond the arc to lead Morehead State (20-13). Anouar Mellouk and Davion Cunningham added 12 points each.
The Tigers scored a Division-I program-record 55 points in the first half for a 21-point lead. Harris scored 16 points and shot 4 of 7 from deep. Harper added 15 points on five 3s. Marshall scored 12 first-half points for Morehead State.
TSU entered having won a program-best 15 conference games. The Tigers won back-to-back tournament titles in 1993 and 1994.
The teams split the regular-season series, each winning at home. Tennessee State won the first meeting 105-100 in overtime. Morehead State won the second 94-86.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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