Tennessee Gun Laws & Concealed Carry Guide (2026)

Yes, Tennessee has permitless carry. Since July 1, 2021, most adults who can legally own a handgun may carry it openly or concealed without a permit. The statute sets the age at 21, or 18 for active military and honorably discharged veterans.

A 2023 federal court order muddies the under-21 line, as explained below. Tennessee also issues two permits, the Enhanced and the cheaper Concealed Handgun Carry Permit. This guide covers who can carry, how to get each permit, the training rules, reciprocity, open carry, vehicles, off-limits places and Tennessee’s stand your ground law.

Tennessee Concealed Carry At A Glance

Permitless carry	Yes, since July 1, 2021
Minimum age to carry	18
Permit name	Concealed or Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
Issued by	Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security
Permit fee	$65 concealed, $100 enhanced
Permit length	8 years (lifetime option for enhanced)
Training required	Yes: Concealed permit: 90-minute course, online allowed from approved providers. Enhanced permit: classroom plus live fire.
Online course counts?	Yes, if the course is state-approved
Non-resident permit	Limited (only if regularly employed in Tennessee)
Lifetime permit	Yes
Last verified	November 2, 2026

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Tennessee?

No. Under T.C.A. § 39-17-1307(g), you may carry a handgun, openly or concealed, without a permit if all three of these are true:

You are at least 21, or at least 18 and on active duty, in the Guard or Reserves after basic training, or an honorably discharged or retired veteran.
You lawfully possess the handgun.
You are in a place where you have a right to be.

What about 18 to 20-year-olds? In January 2023, Tennessee agreed to a court order in Beeler v. Long (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee). It bars the Safety Commissioner from enforcing the age-21 limit against adults 18 to 20.

Then HB 1332 (2025) lowered the minimum age for both carry permits to 18, and the Department of Safety now lists 18 as the permit age. The permitless-carry text we reviewed (2025 code) still reads 21.

If you are 18 to 20 and not military, getting a permit is the safest way to carry.

You cannot carry at all if you are barred from having a firearm. That includes felony convictions, domestic violence convictions or active orders of protection, and certain mental health commitments. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) also applies.

Why Get A Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Anyway?

Travel. Many states that require a permit will honor a Tennessee permit. Permitless carry ends at the state line.
Parks. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance permitless carry memo says permitless carry does not cover public parks, playgrounds, greenways and similar areas. A permit does, unless a school activity is under way. (See the court case note below.)
Under 21. A permit is the clearest legal path for adults 18 to 20.

A Tennessee permit does not let you skip the background check when you buy a gun. The ATF Brady permit chart lists neither Tennessee permit as a NICS alternative, because state law requires a check on every dealer sale.

How To Get A Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit

Both permits are issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DOSHS). You must be a Tennessee resident and at least 18. Pick the permit first:

Concealed Handgun Carry Permit: $65, good for 8 years. It allows concealed carry only.
Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit: $100 for 8 years ($65 with an active military ID or a DD-214 showing honorable discharge). It allows open or concealed carry and is honored in more states. A lifetime version is available.

Start the application online under the Handgun Permit tab of DOSHS e-Services. The steps are on the DOSHS How To Apply page.
Complete the required training (see the next section) within one year before you apply.
Visit a Driver Services Center to pay, show your documents and proof of training, and have your photo taken. Some Real ID holders can finish online instead.
Get fingerprinted as instructed at the end of your visit or on your online confirmation page.

Renewal: $50 online, by mail or at a Driver Services Center, every 8 years. You can renew up to one 8-year cycle after expiration without a new class, per the DOSHS FAQ, but you may not carry with a permit while it is expired.

Do You Need A Class For A Tennessee Carry Permit?

Yes. Both permits require training, but the rules differ.

Enhanced permit: A Department-approved handgun safety course with classroom and firing range time, taken within one year of applying (T.C.A. § 39-17-1351). It includes live fire, so an online-only course does not count. Some military and law enforcement training is exempt.
Concealed permit: A course of at least 90 minutes that covers safe handling, storage and Tennessee carry law, ends with a test or quiz, and gives a printable certificate (T.C.A. § 39-17-1366). No live fire is required.

The concealed permit course can be taken online, but only from a provider on the Department’s approved list. DOSHS publishes that list on its Locate A Handgun Safety School page. Before you pay any online course for permit credit, confirm the provider appears there by name.

If you are new to handguns, a short online safety course is an easy way to start. The course below covers safe handling and responsible carry, so you go into your permit class already knowing the basics. It is general safety training, not a permit, and for permit credit you still need a course from the state’s approved list.

Get Started On Your Permit Online

Watch a short instructional video on firearm safety and responsible carry, take a 10-question quiz, and download your certificate of completion.

Start The Free Online Safety Video →

The certificate is a training record, not a license or permit. In Tennessee, you apply for the Concealed or Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit through the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.

Can Non-Residents Get A Tennessee Carry Permit?

Only in one narrow case. A non-resident who holds a valid permit from their home state and works in Tennessee at least 30 hours a week for six consecutive months may apply for a Tennessee permit. The fee is $100, and the handgun safety course is required unless you are exempt.

Other visitors do not need one. Tennessee honors any facially valid handgun permit issued by another state. If you move to Tennessee, you must get a Tennessee permit within six months to keep carrying under a permit.

Which States Honor The Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit?

The Department of Safety publishes a state-by-state reciprocity chart, last updated October 5, 2026. By our reading, it shows about 33 states honoring the Enhanced permit. Fewer states honor the Concealed permit, so check the chart for every state on your route.

Neighbors such as Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia are listed as honoring the Enhanced permit. California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington are not. Reciprocity changes often, and the rules of the state you are in apply once you cross the line.

Tennessee honors all other states’ valid permits under § 39-17-1351(r).

Going next door? See our guides for Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri, or browse concealed carry laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Tennessee?

Yes. Permitless carry under § 39-17-1307(g) covers carrying “openly or concealed.” Enhanced permit holders may also carry openly.

The Concealed Handgun Carry Permit is different. It only authorizes carrying “in a concealed manner” (§ 39-17-1366(d)). If you rely on that permit, for example in a park, keep the handgun covered.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Tennessee?

Yes. Anyone who is not barred from having a firearm may keep a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle or boat they lawfully possess (§ 39-17-1307(e)). The exception is a work vehicle provided by an employer that has a written no-firearms policy.

Employer and business parking lots: Permit holders and lawful permitless carriers may keep a firearm in their vehicle in a parking area where they are allowed to park. Keep it out of view when you are in the car. When you leave the car, it must also be locked in the trunk, glove box or interior, or in a locked container fixed to the vehicle (T.C.A. § 39-17-1313).
School parking lots: A non-student adult may have a firearm inside a private vehicle on school property, as long as no one handles it (§ 39-17-1309(c)(1)(B)). Do not take it out of the car.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Tennessee

Schools: School buildings, buses, grounds and athletic fields, except a firearm left untouched in a private vehicle (§ 39-17-1309). Private schools may adopt a written policy allowing permit holders to carry.
Courtrooms in session: Any building where judicial proceedings are in progress is a felony offense for most people (§ 39-17-1306).
Posted property: Businesses, owners and government entities may ban firearms with signs that meet state rules. Violating a proper sign carries a $500 fine (§ 39-17-1359). Local governments must provide metal detectors and screening to ban permit holders from most of their buildings.
While drinking: You may not carry while under the influence, or possess a firearm in a bar or restaurant while you are drinking there. Permit holders also lose their permit for three years (§ 39-17-1321).
Public parks without a permit: The 2021 state memo says permitless carriers may not carry in public parks, playgrounds and greenways. Permit holders may, except near school-related activities.

Court case to watch: In 2025 a Tennessee chancery court panel declared the general “going armed” offense in § 39-17-1307(a) and the parks restriction in § 39-17-1311(a) unconstitutional. The state appealed.

The Court of Appeals heard argument on June 23, 2026, according to AmmoLand (not an official source). We have not confirmed whether the ruling is in effect during the appeal. Follow the parks rules above until the case is resolved.

Duty to inform: Tennessee has no law requiring you to tell an officer you are carrying, according to handgunlaw.us. Enhanced permit holders must show their permit if an officer asks. Telling the officer calmly is still good practice.

Tennessee Lifetime Handgun Carry Permit

Tennessee offers a lifetime permit for the Enhanced permit only. It never expires, but the state runs a criminal history check every five years.

New applicants: $300 total ($265 with an active military ID or qualifying DD-214).
Current Enhanced holders: Upgrade for $200 online, by mail or at a Driver Services Center.
Concealed permit holders: The lifetime option is not available for the Concealed permit, so you would need to move to the Enhanced permit first.

Tennessee Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Tennessee has both, under T.C.A. § 39-11-611.

Stand your ground: If you are not committing a felony or Class A misdemeanor and you are where you have a right to be, you have no duty to retreat before using force you reasonably believe is immediately necessary.
Castle doctrine: If someone unlawfully and forcibly enters your residence, business, dwelling or vehicle, the law presumes you reasonably feared death or serious injury. The presumption does not apply against a lawful occupant, a parent retrieving their own child, or an identified police officer.
Civil immunity: If your force was justified, you are immune from civil suits over it. A court that dismisses such a suit must award your attorney’s fees and lost income (§ 39-11-622). This does not cover injuries to innocent bystanders.
Protecting property (new in 2026): Public Chapter 1100 (SB 1847), effective July 1, 2026, amended § 39-11-614 to allow deadly force against arson, burglary, robbery and some other crimes in narrow cases, according to WSMV. Ordinary theft is not covered.

None of this stops police from investigating, arresting or charging you. The immunity is something you have to prove, and a criminal defense after a shooting can be expensive even when you did nothing wrong. Self-defense legal protection can help cover that cost.

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Tennessee Gun Laws FAQ

Is Tennessee A Constitutional Carry State?

Yes. Since July 1, 2021, adults 21 and older, and military members and veterans 18 and older, can carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit if they can legally possess it.

How Do You Get A Concealed Weapons Permit In TN?

Apply online with DOSHS, complete an approved class, then visit a Driver Services Center to pay and submit your documents. The Concealed permit costs $65 and the Enhanced permit costs $100. Both last 8 years.

Is It Legal To Open Carry In Tennessee?

Yes, without a permit if you meet the permitless rules, or with an Enhanced permit. The Concealed permit covers concealed carry only.

What Are The Gun Laws In Tennessee In A Car?

If you can legally have a firearm, you can keep it loaded in a vehicle you lawfully possess. In parking lots, keep it out of sight and locked up when you leave the car.

What States Do Not Recognize A Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit?

The state’s October 2026 chart lists states such as California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington as not honoring either permit. Many other states honor the Enhanced permit but not the Concealed permit.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Tennessee?

Generally yes. Tennessee has no statute that bans guns in places of worship. A church can ban them by posting signs that meet § 39-17-1359.

School rules apply if the church runs a school on site. Churches that want armed volunteers should look into legal protection for church security teams.

Tennessee Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide