◆ TENNESSEE · CARRY LAW
Tennessee.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
Nothing in Tennessee that most visitors get caught by, but read the answers below before you rely on that.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Tennessee requires
The state's permit is the Enhanced or Concealed Handgun Carry Permit, issued by the Department of Safety.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
Yes
Yes, from 21, or 18 if you are serving, a reservist who has completed basic training, or an honorably discharged or retired veteran.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes, on the same terms. The exception is written to cover carrying “whether openly or concealed”, so Tennessee does not distinguish them.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes, from 21, on the same terms as on foot.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The Department of Safety issues two kinds. A standard and an “enhanced” permit. The enhanced one is what other states are likelier to recognize.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Not confirmed
Yes, though a visitor of 21 or over needs nothing.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
18
18 if you are serving, a reservist who has completed basic training, or an honorably discharged or retired veteran. Otherwise 21.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
No statute read here requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision found in Tenn. Code § 39-17-1307Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 39-17-1307 on 2026-09-06. The carrying offense and its exceptions. No notification requirement appears in it.Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
No permit or license to buy, and no state waiting period.
No purchase-permit provision in Tenn. Code § 39-17-1307Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 39-17-1307 on 2026-09-06. Tennessee licenses CARRYING and the section creates no permit to acquire.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
Tennessee sets no cap on magazine capacity.
No magazine capacity provision in Tenn. Code § 39-17-1307Read at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 39-17-1307 on 2026-09-06 and found no capacity limit.How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Cities and counties may not regulate firearms.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
Tennessee has no extreme-risk protection order.
No extreme-risk order in Tennessee lawRead at FindLaw ↗, not the statuteChecked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Searched for a Tennessee extreme-risk or red-flag order on 2026-09-06. Tennessee’s orders of protection can reach firearms through federal prohibited-person rules, and no petition-based extreme-risk order exists alongside them. Proposals after the 2023 Covenant School shooting did not pass.◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Tennessee honors
If you are visiting Tennessee, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Tennessee permits are honored
If you live in Tennessee, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition3
Not honored19
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Department of Safety ↗
- ATF’s index
- Tennessee firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)