Tennessee is a Shall Issue State and issues Tennessee Handgun Carry Permits to residents and non-residents with exceptions. Tennesse became a May Issue state in 1989 and a Shall Issue state in 1994.

Tennessee will issue non-residents a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit if they are a resident and a handgun permit holder of another state and employed in Tennessee on a regular basis.

39-17-1351. Handgun Carry Permits (r) (C) (i) If a person who is a resident of and handgun permit holder in another state is employed in this state on a regular basis and desires to carry a handgun in this state, the person shall have six (6) months from the last day of the sixth month of regular employment in this state to obtain a Tennessee handgun carry permit. The permit may be issued based on the person having a permit from another state provided the other state has substantially similar permit eligibility requirements as this state. However, if during the six-month period the person applies for a handgun permit in this state and the application is denied, the person shall not be allowed to carry a handgun in this state based upon the other state’s permit.

(ii) This subdivision (r)(3)(C) shall not apply if the state of residence of the person employed in Tennessee has entered into a handgun permit reciprocity agreement with this state pursuant to this subsection (r).

(iii) As used in this subdivision (r)(3)(C), “employed in this state on a regular basis” means a person has been gainfully employed in this state for at least thirty (30) hours a week for six (6) consecutive months not counting any absence from employment caused by the employee’s use of sick leave, annual leave, administrative leave or compensatory time.

The Tennesse Highway Patrol which is under the Tennessee Department of Safety issues Tennessee Handgun Carry Permits. Prior to October 1996, they were issued by local sheriff’s offices. There is a Handgun Carry Permits page set up with information and relevant links here.

The first step to obtaining a Tennessee Handgun Carry permit is to complete a department approved Handgun Safety Course successfully. Upon completion of this course, you will have twelve months to apply for a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit. For more information on classes available and locations, call 615-251-8590. Or you view a list of Handgun Safety Schools but visiting the website here, click on Handgun Permits and then click on View Handgun Safety Schools.

Then you will need to fill out the online application here. Click on the Handgun Permits tab. From there you can log in if you already have an account or click on the New Resident Handgun Carry Permit link. The application should take approximately five to ten minutes.

Once you have completed the online application, you will need to go to a Driver Service Center with the following documents:

1. Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident Status
2. Proof of SSN.
3. Proof of completion of handgun safety class or exemption (Note: Copy of certificate will not be necessary if submitted electronically by handgun school.)
4. Proof of name change, if required.
5. Valid government-issued photo.

You will also pay the permit fee with cash, money order or a certified check.

Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Fees:

• 8 Year: $100
• Military 8 Year: $100
• Lifetime: $300
• Military Lifetime: $268
• Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime: $100

* All fees are non-refundable.

You will then be given instructions on being fingerprinted for the background check.

The department has 90 days to issue the permit to anyone non-prohibited applicants.

Requirements for Obtaining a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit

• Applicant shall submit proof of the successful completion of a department approved Handgun Safety Course within the past twelve (12) months. Call (615) 251-8590 to find out more information on handgun schools, locations and contact information.
• Provide CERTIFIED PROOF of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Residency (no photocopies).
• Submit application at any full service Driver License Service Center location.
• Applicant is required to present a photo ID to the department at the time of filing the application.
• Pay non-refundable application fee payable by cash, certified check, or money order.
• When the application is processed at the driver services center, the applicant will be given instructions on being fingerprinted.
• Incomplete applications cannot be processed.
• FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Qualifications That Must Be Met Before Applying for a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit

• Effective July 1, 2005, all handgun permit applicants seeking a new permit must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Residency.
• Effective July 1, 2005, Tennessee handgun carry permit law will now allow certain applicants already exempt from complying with firing range provisions of the current statute to also be exempt from any classroom requirements. Those current exceptions are applicants who prove to the department that within five (5) years from the date of application for handgun permit, the applicant has:

1. Been certified by the police officer’s standards and training commission, or
2. Successfully completed training at the law enforcement training academy; or
3. Successfully completed the firearms training course required for armed security guards; or
4. Successfully completed all handgun training of not less than four (4) hours as required by any branch of the military. (Effective 7/1/16 four hours of handgun training with any branch of the military could have occurred at any time and does not have to have been within five (5) years from the date of application for a handgun permit.
5. Successfully completed Tennessee department of correction firearms qualification.  (Form CR-2938)

• Applicants are required to be a resident of the State of Tennessee;
• Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age or is at least eighteen (18) years of age and is an honorably discharged or retired veteran of the United States Armed Forces or is a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty status and includes with the application a certified copy of the applicant’s certificate of release or discharge from active duty, DD214 or includes with the application a military identification card as proof that the applicant is an active duty member of the military.
• Applicants shall not have been convicted of any felony offense punishable for a term exceeding one (1) year;
• Applicants shall not currently be under indictment or information for any criminal offense punishable by a term exceeding one (1) year;
• Shall not be currently the subject of any order of protection;
• Shall not be a fugitive from justice;
• Shall not be an unlawful user of or addicted to alcohol or any controlled substance and the applicant has not been a patient in a rehabilitation program or hospitalized for alcohol or controlled substance abuse or addiction within ten (10) years from the date of application;
• The applicant has not been convicted of the offense of driving under the influence of an intoxicant in this or any other State two (2) or more times within ten (10) years from the date of application and that none of such convictions has occurred within five (5) years from the date of application or renewal.
• Shall not have been adjudicated as mental defective; has not been committed to or hospitalized in a mental institution; has not had a court appoint a conservator for the applicant by reason of a mental defect; has not been judicially determined to be disabled by reason of a mental illness, development disability or other mental incapacity; and has not, within seven (7) years from the date of application, been found by a court to pose an immediate substantial likelihood of serious harm, as defined in Title 33, Chapter 6, Part 5, because of mental illness;
• Shall not be an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States;
• Shall not have been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions (dishonorable discharge, bad conduct discharge or a dismissal; Chapter 1340-2-4-.02 (5);
• Having been a citizen of the United States, applicants shall not have renounced their citizenship;
• Shall not have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence as defined in 18 U.S.C.A. 921 (33);
• Shall not be receiving social security disability benefits by reason of alcohol dependence, drug dependence or mental disability;
• Shall not have been convicted of the offense of stalking;

You must complete a department approved Handgun Safety Course successfully. Upon completion of this course, you will have twelve months to apply for a Tennesse Handgun Carry Permit. For more information on classes available and locations, call 615-251-8590. Or you view a list of Handgun Safety Schools but visiting the website here, click on Handgun Permits and then click on View Handgun Safety Schools.

Tennessee will accept military handgun training of no less than four hours in lieu of the department approved Handgun Safety Course using the following forms:

• DD-2586
• CG-3029
• DA-88-R
• DA-5704-R
• AF Form 522

Tennessee will accept military handgun training of no less than four hours in lieu of the department approved Handgun Safety Course using the following forms:

• DD-2586
• CG-3029
• DA-88-R
• DA-5704-R
• AF Form 522

Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit New Applicant Fees:

• 8 Year: $100
• Military 8 Year: $100
• Lifetime: $300
• Military Lifetime: $268
• Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime: $100

Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Renewal Fees:

• 8 Year: $50
• Military 8 Year: $50
• Upgrade to Lifetime: $200
• Upgrade to Military Lifetime: $200
• Upgrade to Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime: $100

* All fees are non-refundable.
** All duplicate permits are $5.00 each.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol has 90 days to issue the permit to anyone non-prohibited applicants.

There is a background check completed when applying for a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit. But this background check is not completed annually to re-check the permit holder’s criminal history. It also does not require a NICS background check.

No. Tennessee Handgun Carry Permits do not exempt you from having to complete a background check when purchasing a gun in Tennessee.

This is because there are no background checks completed annually to re-check the permit holder’s criminal history and also because it does not require a NICS background check.

There are two types of Tennessee Handgun Carry Permits. One is valid for eight years and there is also a lifetime permit.

You can renew your Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit through their online application here. You can renew your permit up to six months before the expiration date and up to six months after the permit has expired. You may not carry a weapon if the permit has expired. You can also renew your permit in person at full service Driver Service Center or by mail to:

Tennessee Department of Safety
Handgun Permit Office
P.O. Box 23710
Nashville, TN 37202

If your permit has been expired more than eight months, you will have to complete the process of obtaining a permit as a new applicant.

Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Renewal Fees:

• 8 Year: $50
• Military 8 Year: $50
• Upgrade to Lifetime: $200
• Upgrade to Military Lifetime: $200
• Upgrade to Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime: $100

* All fees are non-refundable.
** All duplicate permits are $5.00 each.

You are required by law to notify the Department of Safety of your address change within sixty days through their online application or in writing:

Handgun Permit Office
P.O. Box 23710
Nashville TN 37202

You can also request a permit with your new address by applying for a duplicate which will cost $5.00.

We have not found anything specific to name changes but can assume the process would be the same as a change of address. To be sure, contact the Handgun Permit Office.

If your Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit is lost, stolen or damaged, you must complete the form through the online application here for a duplicate. The cost of the duplicate license will be $5.00

The Tennessee Department of Safety states that anyone with a handgun permit from another state has six months to obtain a permit but the process is the same as applying for a new permit. We do not consider this to be a way to transfer your permit.

Yes, there are other states that accept Tennessee Handgun Carry Permits. To view the complete list, visit our Concealed Carry Maps.

Yes, Tennessee honors all other state’s resident and non-resident permits and licenses. To view the complete list, visit our Concealed Carry Maps.

Yes, by law, you must have the Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit in your immediate possession at all times when carrying a handgun.

No. As the law states, you are only required to display your Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit to a law enforcement officer when demands.

Yes, Tennessee issues Handgun Carry Permits to citizens of the United States and permanent legal residents. All applicants must submit certified proof of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Residency.

Persons with or without a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit can carry a loaded handgun anywhere in the vehicle.

Below are some Tennessee Code Annotated sections relative to where handguns cannot be carried. Disclaimer: This list is not intended to be legal advice and is not necessarily all inclusive.

Click here to access a free online version of The Tennessee Code. To find a particular statute, enter the statute number (i.e. 39-17-1351) into the search box at the top left of the page and click the ‘search’ button. That will give you a direct link to the statute you want to read.

• TCA 39-17-1306 – Carrying weapons during judicial proceedings.
• TCA 39-17-1309 – Carrying weapons on school property. Also see Attorney General Opinions 09-129 and 09-160.
• TCA 39-17-1321 – Possession of handgun while under influence.
• TCA 39-17-1359 – Prohibition at certain meetings — Posting notice.
• Attorney General Opinion 09-170 – Firearms on Leased Property.
• Note that handguns are also prohibited at airports, military institutions, and any other building/area prohibited by federal law.

Properties that display a No Gun sign do have the force of law in Tennessee.

If you are asked to leave a property, then you must leave. Refusing is breaking the law, and you can be charged.

There is no duty to retreat before using your gun in self-defense in Tennessee. Also, due to an enhanced Castle Doctrine law passed on July 1, 2014, a person may keep a loaded handgun or long gun in their private vehicle without a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit.

You may carry a concealed weapon into an establishment that serves alcohol with a Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit as long as you are not consuming any alcohol. A violation of this law is a Class A misdemeanor and your permit will be suspended for a period of three years.

USA Carry always recommends not to carry a firearm while drinking alcohol.

State Parks: Yes unless posted [Rules]
State Forests: Yes unless posted [Rules]
National Forests: Yes unless posted [Rules]
State WMA’s: Yes unless posted [Rules]
Road Side Rest Areas: Yes unless posted

Please visit our Tennessee Open Carry page for more information.