Tennessee

Tennessee offers two different types of handgun carry permits, the Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) and the Enhanced Concealed Handgun Permit (ECHP).

The Concealed Handgun Permit is easier to obtain, requires a 90-minute online training, and has a lower application fee.
The Enhanced Handgun Permit allows for carry either open or concealed, is less restrictive in where you can carry, requires an 8-hour in-person training, and costs more to obtain.

Permit Eligibility

• Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Residency.
• Applicants must not be prohibited from purchasing or possessing a handgun in this, or any other, state.
• Must not have a felony conviction and not currently under indictment for a felony
• Must not have a charge pending for domestic violence and never been convicted of domestic violence
• Must not be a fugitive from justice
• Must not have been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions
• Must not be an illegal alien or unlawfully in the United States
• Has not renounced their United States citizenship
• Does not have an Order of Protection or a restraining order filed against them
• Not an unlawful user of or addicted to alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled substance analogue
• Not a patient in a rehabilitation program and have not been hospitalized for alcohol, controlled substance or controlled substance analogue within ten (10) years (if court ordered) or 3 years (if voluntary)
• Must not have had two (2) convictions for DUI in ten (10) years, with one of those being within the last five (5) years
• Not currently under the jurisdiction of the court for a DUI or any other Class A misdemeanor conviction
• Has not been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to/or hospitalized in a mental institution
• Has not had a court appoint a conservator for me by reason of mental defect
• Has not been judicially determined to be disabled by reason of mental illness, development disability or other mental incapacity
• Has not been found by a court to pose an immediate substantial likelihood of serious harm, because of mental illness within seven (7) years from the date of application
• Has not been convicted of stalking and have no pending charge(s) for stalking
• Not receiving social security disability benefits by reason of alcohol dependence, drug dependence, or mental disability
• Applicants are required to be a resident of the state of Tennessee
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age

Handgun Permit Fees

• Handgun carry permits are issued on an eight (8) year cycle.
• Concealed Handgun Carry- $65.00
• Enhanced Handgun Permit -$100.00
• Military 8 year Enhanced - $65.00
• Lifetime (Enhanced only) - $300.00
• Military Lifetime (Enhanced only) - $265.00
• Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime (Enhanced only) - FREE

Application Process

• Schedule an appointment at your county Driver License Center.
• At the Driver Services Center:
  • Pay application fee
  • Provide CERTIFIED PROOF of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Residency (Photocopies will not be accepted)
  • Provide proof of full SSN
  • Have photo taken
  • If you do not currently have a Tennessee driver license, you must submit two proofs of Tennessee residency with your name and resident address - NO P.O. BOXES (Documents must be current and within last 4 months.)
  • Present a photo ID to the Department at the time of filing the application
• Once transaction is complete, the examiner will provide you with the instructions for being fingerprinted.

Tennessee law:
(a)

1. A person commits an offense who carries, with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club.

(g) It is an exception to the application of subsection (a) that a person is carrying, whether openly or concealed, a handgun and:

1. -
   1. The person is at least twenty-one (21) years of age; or
   2. The person is at least eighteen (18) years of age and:
      1. Is an honorably discharged or retired veteran of the United States armed forces;
      2. Is an honorably discharged member of the army national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve, the marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air force reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has successfully completed a basic training program; or
      3. Is a member of the United States armed forces on active duty status or is a current member of the army national guard, the army reserve, the navy reserve, the marine corps reserve, the air national guard, the air force reserve, or the coast guard reserve, who has successfully completed a basic training program;
2. The person lawfully possesses the handgun; and
3. The person is in a place where the person is lawfully present.

Tenn. Code § 39-17-1307 (a) & (g)

Tennessee law:(a) Except as otherwise provided by state law or as specifically provided in subsection (b), the general assembly preempts the whole field of the regulation of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition, or combinations thereof including, but not limited to, the use, purchase, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, carrying, sale, acquisition, gift, devise, licensing, registration, storage, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government law, ordinances, resolutions, enactments or regulation. No county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government nor any local agency, department, or official shall occupy any part of the field regulation of firearms, ammunition or components of firearms or ammunition, or combinations thereof.
(b) A city, county, town, municipality or metropolitan government is expressly authorized to regulate by ordinance, resolution, policy, rule or other enactment the following:

1. The carrying of firearms by employees or independent contractors of the city, county, town municipality or metropolitan government when acting in the course and scope of their employment or contract, except as otherwise provided in § 39-17-1313;
2. The discharge of firearms within the boundaries of the applicable city, county, town, municipality or metropolitan government, except when and where the discharge of a firearm is expressly authorized or permitted by state law;
3. The location of a sport shooting range, except as otherwise provided in §§ 39-17-316 and 13-3-412. To the extent that a city, county, town, municipality, or metropolitan government has or enforces any regulation of privately owned or operated sport shooting ranges, the city, county, town, municipality, or metropolitan government shall not impose greater restrictions or requirements on privately owned or operated ranges than are applicable to any range located within the same unit of local government and owned or operated by a government entity. A party may challenge any regulation of a sport shooting range that violates this subdivision (b)(3) in the manner described in subsection (g); and

(c) The enforcement of any state or federal law pertaining to firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition, or combinations thereof, except as prohibited by § 38-3-115.
The general assembly declares that the lawful design, marketing, manufacture and sale of firearms and ammunition to the public are not unreasonably dangerous activities and do not constitute a nuisance per se.
(d)

1. The authority to bring suit and right to recover against any firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association or dealer by or on behalf of any state entity, county, municipality or metropolitan government for damages, abatement or injunctive relief resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing or sale of firearms or ammunition to the public shall be reserved exclusively to the state.
2. Nothing in this subsection (d) shall be construed to prohibit a county, municipality, or metropolitan government from bringing an action against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty as to firearms or ammunition purchased by such county, municipality, or metropolitan government.

(e) Nothing in this subsection (d) shall preclude an individual from bringing a cause of action for breach of a written contract, breach of an express warranty, or for injuries resulting from defects in the materials or workmanship in the manufacture of the firearm.
Subsections (c) and (d) shall not apply in any litigation brought by an individual against a firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association or dealer.
(f) It is the intent of the general assembly that this part is preemptive with respect to the transfer, ownership, possession or transportation of knives and no city, county, or metropolitan government shall occupy any part of the field of regulation of the transfer, ownership, possession or transportation of knives.
(g)

1. 1. Notwithstanding title 29, chapter 20; title 9, chapter 8; and § 20-13-102, a party may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction against any of the persons or entities listed in subdivisions (g)(1)(A)(i) and (ii), if the party is adversely affected by:
      1. An ordinance, resolution, policy, rule, or other enactment that is adopted or enforced by a county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government or any local agency, department, or official that violates this section; or
   2. The creation or maintenance of a record, database, registry, or collection of records, in violation of § 39-17-1305, by a state or local government entity, official, employee, or agent.
      The adversely affected party may seek:
      1. Declaratory and injunctive relief; and
      2. Damages, as provided in subsection (i).

(h) This subsection (g) shall apply to any ordinance, resolution, policy, rule, or other enactment that is adopted or enforced on or after July 1, 2017, or any record, database, registry, or collection of records that is made or maintained on or after July 1, 2021.
As used in subsection (g), a party is "adversely affected" if:

1. The party is an individual who:
   1. Lawfully resides within the United States;
   2. May legally possess a firearm under Tennessee law; and
2. Is or was subject to the ordinance, resolution, policy, rule, or other enactment or was included as an entry on a database, registry, or collection of records, that is the subject of an action filed under subsection (g). An individual is or was subject to the ordinance, resolution, policy, rule, or other enactment if the individual is or was physically present within the boundaries of the political subdivision for any reason; or
3. The party is a membership organization that:
   1. Includes two (2) or more individuals described in subdivision (h)(1); and

Is dedicated in whole or in part to protecting the rights of persons who possess, own, or use firearms for competitive, sporting, defensive, or other lawful purposes.
(i) A prevailing plaintiff in an action under subsection (g) is entitled to recover from the county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan, state, or local government entity the following:

1. The greater of:
   1. Actual damages, including consequential damages, attributable to the ordinance, resolution, policy, rule, enactment, database, registry, or collection of records; or
2. Three (3) times the plaintiff's attorney's fees;
   Court costs, including fees; and
3. Reasonable attorney's fees; provided, that attorney's fees shall not be awarded under this subdivision (i)(3) if the plaintiff recovers under subdivision (i)(1)(B).

Tenn. Code § 39-17-1314

Tennessee law:
A person commits an offense who:

1. Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly sells, loans or makes a gift of a firearm to a minor;
2. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly sells a firearm or ammunition for a firearm to a person who is intoxicated; or
3. Intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence violates § 39-17-1316.

Tenn. Code § 39-17-1303 (a)

Tennessee has no laws restricting the ammunition capacity of magazines.

Tennessee law: Firearms are prohibited in the following locations:

1. Any room in which judicial proceedings are in progress.
2. Any public or private school building or bus, on any public or private school campus, grounds, recreation area, athletic field or any other property owned, used or operated by any board of education, school, college or university board of trustees, regents or directors for the administration of any public or private educational institution. This prohibition also includes carrying onto portions of a religious institution being used for school property, while being used for school purposes. AG Opinion No. 15-67
3. Prisons or correctional facilities. §39-16-201
4. Posted Buildings: An individual, corporation, business entity or local, state or federal government entity or agent thereof is authorized to prohibit the possession of weapons by any person. They must display a sign in prominent locations, including all entrances primarily used by persons entering the building, portion of the building or buildings where weapon possession is prohibited. § 39-17-1359
5. A permitee MAY carry into a restaurant that sells alcohol, however a permitee MAY NOT drink while in possession of a firearm. §57-3-204(c)(3).
6. School-administered child-care programs. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 0520-12-1-.14(5 (a)(3)(xii); R.0520-12-1-.10(4)(f));
7. Group child-care homes (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 1240-4-1-.06(4)(k));
8. Drop-In child care centers (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 1240-4-2-.08(8)(c));
9. Child care centers (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 1240-4-3-.10(13)(d));
10. Family child care homes (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 1240-4-4-.06(4)(k));
11. Residential child caring agencies (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 1240-4-5-.04(3)(b)(1)(iii)(VII)).

Tennessee generally prohibits any person from possessing a firearm in, on, or while traversing any refuge, public hunting area or wildlife management area frequented or inhabited by big game, except during specified or lawful open hunting seasons in these areas. Handgun carry permit holders are generally exempt from this possession restriction, regardless of whether such area is frequented or inhabited by big game.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-4-117(a) and Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 70-4-117(d), 70-5-101.

An individual, corporation, business entity or local, state or federal government entity is authorized to prohibit the possession of firearms by any person attending a meeting conducted by, or on property owned, operated, or managed by or under the control of such individual, corporation, business entity or government entity.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1359(a)(1).

Tennessee has no statutes prohibiting firearms in the following places:

Hospitals;
Places of worship;
Sports arenas;
Gambling facilities; or
Polling places.
State administrative regulations may govern the possession of firearms in these or other locations.

It is legal to open carry a handgun in Tennessee

Tennessee law:Tennessee gives individuals, corporations, business entities, and local, state, and federal government entities or agents thereof the authority to prohibit firearm possession on their premises. The sign shall include the phrase "NO FIREARMS ALLOWED", and the phrase shall measure at least one inch (1") high and eight inches (8") wide. The sign shall also include the phrase "As authorized by T.C.A. Section 39-17-1359"

T.C.A. Section 39-17-1359

Tennessee law:Tennessee law prohibits people from carrying a handgun while consuming drugs or alcohol.

(a) Notwithstanding whether a person has a permit issued pursuant to § 39-17-1315 or § 39-17-1351 or § 39-17-1366, it is an offense for a person to possess a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled substance analogue.
(b) It is an offense for a person to possess a firearm if the person is both:

1.  Within the confines of an establishment open to the public where liquor, wine or other alcoholic beverages, as defined in § 57-3-101(a), or beer, as defined in § 57-6-102, are served for consumption on the premises; and
2. Consuming any alcoholic beverage listed in subdivision (b)(1).

(c)

1. A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
2. In addition to the punishment authorized by subdivision (c)(1), if the violation is of subsection (a), occurs in an establishment described in subdivision (b)(1), and the person has a handgun permit issued pursuant to § 39-17-1351 or § 39-17-1366, such permit shall be suspended in accordance with § 39-17-1352 for a period of three (3) years.

T.C.A. § 39-17-1321

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OR

Tennessee law does not address the issue of transporting a firearm in a vehicle.

Tennessee does not have any laws specifically related to how firearms must be stored.

There is no duty to inform a police officer that you are carrying a concealed firearm in Tennessee.

Tennessee does not have Emergency Risk Orders ("Red Flag Laws).

Tennessee law:
(a) A person shall not be charged with or convicted of a violation under this part if the person possessed, displayed or employed a handgun in justifiable self-defense or in justifiable defense of another during the commission of a crime in which that person or the other person defended was a victim.
(b) A person who discharges a firearm within the geographical limits of a municipality shall not be deemed to have violated any ordinance in effect or be subject to any citation or fine the municipality may impose for discharging a firearm within the limits of the municipality if it is determined that when the firearm was discharged the person was acting in justifiable self-defense, defense of property, defense of another, or to prevent a criminal offense from occurring.

TN Code § 39-17-1322 (2023)

Tennessee law:A person is justified in threatening or using force against another to protect a third person, if:

1. Under the circumstances as the person reasonably believes them to be, the person would be justified under § 39-11-611 in threatening or using force to protect against the use or attempted use of unlawful force reasonably believed to be threatening the third person sought to be protected; and
2. The person reasonably believes that the intervention is immediately necessary to protect the third person.

TN Code § 39-11-612 (2023)

Tennessee law:
Any person using force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury within a residence, business, dwelling or vehicle is presumed to have held a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury to self, family, a member of the household or a person visiting as an invited guest, when that force is used against another person, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and forcibly entered the residence, business, dwelling or vehicle, and the person using defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred.

TN Code § 39-11-611 (2023)

Tennessee law:A person in lawful possession of real or personal property is justified in threatening or using force against another, when and to the degree it is reasonably believed the force is immediately necessary to prevent or terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property.

TN Code § 39-11-614 (a)

Tennessee law:A person who uses force as permitted in §§ 39-11-611 — 39-11-614, § 29-34-201, or § 49-6-4107, is justified in using such force and is immune from civil liability for the use of such force

TN Code § 39-11-611 (a)

Tennessee law:Notwithstanding § 39-17-1322, a person who is not engaged in conduct that would constitute a felony or Class A misdemeanor and is in a place where the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat before threatening or using force against another person when and to the degree the person reasonably believes the force is immediately necessary to protect against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force.

TN Code § 39-11-611

Tennessee law:A person is justified in killing the animal of another if the person acted under a reasonable belief that the animal was creating an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to that person or another or an imminent danger of death to an animal owned by or in the control of that person. A person is not justified in killing the animal of another if, at the time of the killing, the person is trespassing upon the property of the owner of the animal.

TN Code § 39-14-219 (c)