Carrying a Gun in Your Car in Tennessee: Vehicle Carry Laws

Carrying in Vehicles in Tennessee

The headline answer

Tennessee gives you broad authority to keep a firearm in your car. If you lawfully possess the firearm and are in lawful possession of the vehicle, you may carry, transport, or store a handgun or long gun, loaded or unloaded, in your motor vehicle. You do not need a permit. The car does not need to be locked. The firearm does not need to be locked, cased, or unloaded. This is true whether you are a permit holder, a permitless constitutional carrier, or simply an adult who is not a federal or state prohibited person.

Two separate statutes do the work:

• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307(e) creates an "exception" to the general carrying-with-intent-to-go-armed offense for any non-prohibited person who has a firearm in a motor vehicle or boat the person lawfully possesses. This is the older permitless in-vehicle carve-out; it predates constitutional carry.
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1313 authorizes a permit holder or a permitless constitutional carrier under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) to transport and store a firearm or ammunition in their motor vehicle while on or utilizing any public or private parking area, with a specific concealed-from-ordinary-observation rule when the car is parked.

The two statutes overlap. Sec. 39-17-1307(e) is the general "any non-prohibited adult, any firearm, in their vehicle" rule. Sec. 39-17-1313 is the "what you can do in a parking lot, and how the firearm must be stored when you are not in the car" rule. Together they make Tennessee one of the most permissive vehicle-carry states in the country.

Sec. 39-17-1307(e): the permitless in-vehicle exception

Sec. 39-17-1307(a) makes carrying a firearm with the intent to go armed an offense. The base offense is a Class C misdemeanor on a first violation; aggravated grading (Class A for a public place where another person is present, Class B for certain repeat/aggravated patterns) applies under § 39-17-1307(a)(2). Subsection (e) creates an exception when:

• The person is not prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm by 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g) or from purchasing a firearm under Sec. 39-17-1316; and
• The person is in lawful possession of the motor vehicle or boat.

This exception applied long before constitutional carry. It is why Tennessee was effectively a vehicle-permitless-carry state even when on-foot carry required a permit. The statute reaches "a firearm, loaded firearm, or firearm ammunition" in a motor vehicle or boat. No concealment requirement, no locked-container requirement, no unloaded requirement.

Definition of motor vehicle. Sec. 39-17-1307(e) uses the meaning at Sec. 55-1-103: a self-propelled motor vehicle designed for use on public highways. Boats are governed by the same subsection. The exception does not extend to a motor vehicle owned or leased by an employer that has adopted a written policy prohibiting firearms inside that vehicle when the entity provides the vehicle to an employee for use during employment.

Prohibited persons are not protected. A felon, a person subject to a qualifying domestic violence misdemeanor under federal law, an unlawful drug user, a fugitive, an adjudicated mentally defective person, or any other person disqualified under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g) cannot rely on Sec. 39-17-1307(e). Tennessee's vehicle-carry permission is not a workaround for the federal felon-in-possession bar.

Sec. 39-17-1313: storage in motor vehicles and parking areas

Sec. 39-17-1313 was originally drafted as a parking-lot protection for permit holders. After constitutional carry took effect in 2021, the legislature amended it to cover anyone who lawfully carries a handgun under Sec. 39-17-1307(g). The current 2024 text covers three populations:

1. Holders of a valid enhanced handgun carry permit under Sec. 39-17-1351.
2. Holders of a valid concealed handgun carry permit under Sec. 39-17-1366.
3. Persons who lawfully carry a handgun under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) (constitutional carriers).

Any of those three categories may, unless expressly prohibited by federal law, transport and store a firearm or firearm ammunition in the person's motor vehicle while on or utilizing any public or private parking area if:

• The motor vehicle is parked in a location where it is permitted to be; and
• The firearm or ammunition:
  • Is kept from ordinary observation if the person is in the motor vehicle; or
  • Is kept from ordinary observation and locked within the trunk, glove box, or interior of the motor vehicle, or in a container securely affixed to the motor vehicle, if the person is not in the motor vehicle.

Two storage rules to memorize.

• When you are in the vehicle: the firearm must be kept from ordinary observation. There is no locking requirement and no separate-from-ammunition requirement. A handgun in the center console with the lid down qualifies. A handgun in a holster on your hip is also acceptable under Sec. 39-17-1307(e); Sec. 39-17-1313 specifically addresses the "stored in the vehicle" scenario.
• When you are not in the vehicle: the firearm must be both (a) kept from ordinary observation and (b) locked within the trunk, glove box, or interior of the motor vehicle, or in a container securely affixed to the motor vehicle. A locked car with the handgun in the locked glove box satisfies the rule. A handgun on the passenger seat of a locked car does not, because it is not kept from ordinary observation.

Definition of parking area. Under Sec. 39-17-1313(c)(2), a parking area is any property provided by a business entity, public or private employer, or property owner for invitees, customers, clients, or employees to park privately owned motor vehicles. The grounds of an owner-occupied or tenant-occupied single-family detached residence are not a "parking area" for this section.

Brief observation during loading or unloading. Sec. 39-17-1313(d) protects you if another person or security device happens to observe the firearm during the ordinary course of you securing it from observation. You do not violate the statute by briefly handling the firearm to put it away.

Civil liability shield. Sec. 39-17-1313(b) shields business entities, employers, and property owners from civil liability for damage, injury, death, or theft arising out of a firearm transported or stored in compliance with this section. Liability returns only if the property owner commits an offense involving the use of the stored firearm or intentionally solicits or procures the conduct causing the harm.

Carrying in someone else's vehicle, rentals, and company cars

Sec. 39-17-1307(e) requires the person to be "in lawful possession of the motor vehicle." That language covers more than ownership:

• A driver of a rental car or a borrowed car who is on the rental agreement or has the owner's permission is in lawful possession.
• A passenger who is not driving is in lawful possession of any firearm they personally carry under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) (if 21 or older, or 18 or older with qualifying military service, and not prohibited). The passenger's own permit, or constitutional-carry status, controls their handgun.
• An employee given a company car is in lawful possession of the vehicle, but Sec. 39-17-1313(c)(1) excludes a motor vehicle "owned or leased by a governmental or business entity" that "is provided by such entity to an employee for use during the course of employment if the entity has adopted a written policy prohibiting firearms or ammunition not required for employment within the entity's motor vehicles." If your employer has that written policy, the parking-lot protections do not cover you in the company car. Sec. 39-17-1307(e) has a parallel carve-out at subsection (e)(2)(B).

Vehicles on school property

Sec. 39-17-1309(c) makes it a Class B misdemeanor to possess a firearm on the campus, grounds, recreation area, athletic field, or other property of any public or private school. The statute carves out two scenarios that matter for drivers:

• Sec. 39-17-1309(c)(1)(B): It is not an offense for a nonstudent adult to possess a firearm if the firearm is contained within a private vehicle operated by the adult and is not handled by the adult or by anyone acting with the adult's consent while the vehicle is on school property.
• Sec. 39-17-1313(a) overlay: The 2021 amendment to Sec. 39-17-1313 extended the parking-area storage rule to school property. The Tennessee Attorney General confirmed in Op. 22-02 (Feb. 1, 2022) that a person meeting the requirements of Sec. 39-17-1313 may store or transport a handgun in their vehicle while on or utilizing any public or private parking area of a school without violating Sec. 39-17-1309. The opinion covers students, employees, and persons who reside on school property.

Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act caveat. Op. 22-02 also warns that the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(q), is not displaced by Sec. 39-17-1313. The federal Act exempts persons licensed by the state in which the school is located to carry a firearm. A Tennessee enhanced or concealed permit holder is exempt. A permitless constitutional carrier under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) is not licensed and therefore risks federal prosecution under Sec. 922(q) when storing a handgun in a vehicle on or within 1,000 feet of school grounds, unless another federal exception applies.

Practical rule for the school parking lot. If you have a Tennessee enhanced or concealed handgun carry permit, you are protected under both state and federal law for storing a handgun in your locked, out-of-sight vehicle on K-12 school property. If you carry only under constitutional carry, Tennessee law shields you, but federal law does not, and you are exposed unless you stay 1,000 feet away from school grounds.

Employer parking lots (Sec. 39-17-1313 plus Sec. 50-1-312)

Sec. 39-17-1313 itself protects permit holders and constitutional carriers from local ordinances that would prohibit firearm storage in vehicles on private or public parking areas. Tennessee Code Sec. 50-1-312 extends that protection into employment law: an employer may not discharge or take adverse employment action against an employee who lawfully transports or stores a firearm or ammunition in the employee's privately owned vehicle in an employer parking area, when the firearm is stored in compliance with Sec. 39-17-1313.

The protection is for the employee's privately owned vehicle. It does not cover company cars. It does not let an employee bring the firearm out of the vehicle and into the workplace. It is a narrow rule that says your employer cannot fire you for keeping a firearm locked in your own car on the employer's lot.

The Attorney General's 2022 opinion (Op. 22-02) also addresses adverse action by schools: Sec. 49-7-163, Sec. 50-1-312, and Sec. 39-17-1314(g) prohibit schools from disciplining students, residents, or employees who store handguns in vehicles on school parking areas in compliance with Sec. 39-17-1313.

Handguns and alcohol or intoxicants in the vehicle

Sec. 39-17-1321 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to possess a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance, including in or about a motor vehicle. The Tennessee Department of Safety, in its public-safety guidance, treats this as an absolute bar: do not carry or transport a handgun if you are intoxicated. Tennessee's DUI statute (Tenn. Code Sec. 55-10-401 and Sec. 55-10-403) establishes intoxication for driving at a 0.08% BAC.

Common-sense translation: if you have been drinking and intend to drive, the safe approach is to unload the handgun and lock it out of sight in the trunk, glove box, or a locked container. A handgun on the seat or center console of a vehicle driven by an intoxicated person is a separate criminal exposure on top of the DUI charge.

The Sec. 39-17-1321(a) bar is broader than the Sec. 39-17-1321(b) rule, which reaches possessing a firearm while consuming alcohol in an establishment that serves it for on-premises consumption.

Interstate transport: 18 U.S.C. Sec. 926A (FOPA)

The federal Firearm Owners Protection Act, codified at 18 U.S.C. Sec. 926A, lets you transport an unloaded firearm through any state, regardless of that state's licensing rules, between two places where possession is lawful, if:

• The firearm is unloaded; and
• Neither the firearm nor any ammunition is readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the transporting vehicle; and
• In a vehicle without a separate trunk, the firearm and ammunition are contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

Sec. 926A is a defense in the destination or transit state, not an affirmative authorization to break Tennessee's storage rules in Tennessee. Inside Tennessee, Sec. 39-17-1307(e) and Sec. 39-17-1313 already permit loaded, accessible carry in your vehicle. Sec. 926A matters when you cross into a more restrictive state like New York, New Jersey, Illinois, or Maryland.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives proposed a rulemaking (RIN 1140-AA73) in May 2026 to clarify that incidental stops for fuel, food, lodging, vehicle maintenance, an emergency, or medical treatment are still "transport" within Sec. 926A. The comment period closes August 4, 2026. The proposal codifies what ATF has long advised informally and addresses gaps when a person is between modes of transportation.

Sec. 39-17-1313 covers ammunition and accessories

The statute applies to "a firearm or firearm ammunition." Loaded magazines, loose rounds, and a firearm in a container are all covered by the same storage rule. A locked ammunition can in the trunk satisfies Sec. 39-17-1313 when you are not in the vehicle. The civil liability shield in subsection (b) also runs to ammunition.

Tennessee's definition of "firearm" in Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 is broad. It includes suppressors and destructive devices in addition to ordinary handguns and long guns. NFA items still must comply with federal law: a suppressor must remain registered, a short-barreled rifle or machine gun must have the required federal tax stamp, and federal interstate-transport rules under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(a)(4) and 27 CFR 478.28 govern transport of NFA items across state lines.

Quick reference

Practical guidance for instructors and students

Tennessee's vehicle-carry rules are easy in the common case and trip people up only at the edges. Three rules cover almost every scenario:

1. In your vehicle, on the road: carry the firearm any way you want, as long as you are not prohibited from possessing it and the vehicle is lawfully yours to drive. The handgun can be on your hip, in the console, in the glove box, or in a holster under the seat.
2. Parked and away from the vehicle: out of sight, locked. Locked vehicle plus firearm in a closed glove box, closed center console, trunk, or a securely affixed container is the cleanest compliance.
3. Three places where the rules tighten: K-12 schools (federal Gun-Free School Zones Act for permitless carriers), company cars (employer's written policy controls), and when intoxicated (Sec. 39-17-1321 bars handgun possession under the influence).

The most common mistake is leaving the handgun visible on the passenger seat or dashboard of a parked car. That is a Sec. 39-17-1313 violation in any parking lot, even if the car is locked. Take five seconds, drop it in the glove box, and lock the vehicle. The civil-liability shield and the criminal-exemption rules both depend on that storage compliance.