Tennessee Concealed Carry Laws Explained

Concealed Carry in Tennessee

The headline answer

Tennessee gives you three separate legal pathways to carry a handgun concealed in public. You can carry without any permit at all under the permitless-carry exception at Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307(g). You can carry under an enhanced handgun carry permit issued under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351, which allows both concealed and open carry and travels well in other states. Or you can carry under a concealed handgun carry permit issued under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366, which is concealed-only, cheaper, and uses an online training course. All three pathways exist side-by-side, and each carries its own eligibility rules, training requirements, and practical trade-offs.

The bottom line for most students: permitless carry covers day-to-day concealed carry inside Tennessee for qualifying adults 21 and older, and for adults 18 and older with qualifying military service. A permit is still worth having for reciprocity, federal school-zone proximity, government-building access, and cleaner law-enforcement interactions. The concealed-only permit at Sec. 39-17-1366 is the cheapest formal-credential option; the enhanced permit at Sec. 39-17-1351 is the broader credential.

Concealed carry is not its own offense

There is no separate Tennessee statute that prohibits concealed carry by itself. The underlying offense at Sec. 39-17-1307(a) is "carrying with intent to go armed," and it applies whether the firearm is openly displayed or concealed. The statute reads "whether openly or concealed" in every place where it describes prohibited carry. That means concealment is not the trigger. The trigger is carrying with intent to go armed without a qualifying exception, permit, or other lawful authority.

A first violation of Sec. 39-17-1307(a) is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine not to exceed $500. A second or subsequent violation is a Class B misdemeanor. A violation in a public place where another person is present can be charged as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine up to $2,500. In addition, if the offender holds an enhanced or concealed handgun carry permit at the time of the violation, the Department of Safety may suspend the permit for three years.

The three pathways, side by side

Pathway 1: Permitless carry under Sec. 39-17-1307(g)

The simplest route. If you are at least 21 years old, or at least 18 with qualifying military service (an honorably discharged or retired veteran, an honorably discharged reserve or National Guard member who completed basic training, or a current active-duty or reserve or Guard member), lawfully in possession of a handgun, and lawfully present in the place where you are carrying, you may carry that handgun openly OR concealed in public without any state permit under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1307(g)(1). The exception was enacted as Public Chapter 108 of 2021 and took effect July 1, 2021.

What it covers: handguns only, carried by qualifying adults in places where they are lawfully present.

What it does not cover: long guns under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) (separate provisions govern long-gun open carry), prohibited persons, prohibited places, posted premises, schools, courthouses, federal buildings, or anything else outside the four corners of subsection (g).

See the Constitutional Carry section for the full treatment of who qualifies and where this pathway breaks down.

Pathway 2: Enhanced handgun carry permit (Sec. 39-17-1351)

The broadest credential. Issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Handgun Carry Permit Office. Lets you carry a handgun openly OR concealed, qualifies you for reciprocity in roughly 30-plus states, and triggers the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exemption at 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(q).

Headline requirements:

• Age 21 or older, or 18 or older with qualifying military service (an honorably discharged or retired veteran, an honorably discharged reserve or National Guard member, or a service member on active duty who has completed basic training) under Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-1351(c); separately, the Department of Safety issues enhanced and concealed permits to applicants 18 to 20 as a matter of practice in accordance with recent court rulings (Fiscal Memorandum 366, 114th General Assembly).
• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Tennessee resident.
• No felony conviction; no pending felony indictment.
• No domestic-violence conviction; no pending domestic-violence charge.
• Not a fugitive from justice.
• Not dishonorably discharged from the armed forces.
• Not adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
• Not an unlawful drug user.
• No active order of protection or restraining order.
• Not federally prohibited under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g) for any other reason.
• Have completed a department-approved 8-hour handgun safety course within the 12 months before applying (in-person, includes live-fire range component).
• Submit fingerprints and pass a state and federal background check.
• Pay the application fee.

Fees and term:

• 8-year initial permit fee: $100.00 paid to the Department of Safety.
• Renewal fee: $50.00.
• Lifetime enhanced permit: $200.00 if you already hold a current enhanced permit; $300.00 for an original lifetime issuance.
• Permit is valid for 8 years from the date of issuance unless lifetime.

Application steps:

1. Complete a department-approved 8-hour enhanced handgun safety course with a state-certified instructor. Hold the completion certificate.
2. Start the application online through the Tennessee Department of Safety's TNCitizen portal.
3. Schedule fingerprinting at a Tennessee Driver Services Center or other authorized location.
4. Pay the $100 fee and submit the application packet.
5. Wait for state and federal background checks (typically 60-90 days).
6. Receive the wallet-sized permit card by mail.

Pathway 3: Concealed handgun carry permit (Sec. 39-17-1366)

The cheaper, concealed-only credential. Created by the legislature in 2019 as an alternative to the enhanced permit, primarily to give Tennessee residents who only need concealed carry inside Tennessee (and some reciprocity partners) a less-burdensome option. Issued by the Department of Safety.

Headline requirements:

• Must meet the same eligibility criteria as the enhanced permit under Sec. 39-17-1351(b) and (c) (citizenship, residency, no disqualifying convictions, no orders of protection, not federally prohibited, etc.).
• Provide two sets of fingerprints in the manner required by Sec. 39-17-1351(d).
• Complete a department-approved handgun safety course that meets the standards of Sec. 39-17-1366(l): in-person OR online, at least 90 minutes in length, covers state law on handgun carry plus current safe-handling, transportation, and storage practices, includes a test or quiz confirming course-content competency, and provides a printable completion certificate. The online option is the practical distinguishing feature versus the enhanced permit's 8-hour in-person requirement.
• Submit proof the safety course was completed within the 12 months before application (this proof requirement does not apply to anyone who held a concealed handgun carry permit before October 1, 2023).
• Sign a department-provided form stating that you have read and understand current state law on carrying handguns.

Fees and term:

• 8-year initial permit fee: $65.00.
• Renewal fee: $50.00.
• The permit is valid for 8 years from the date of issuance.

What the permit does:

• Authorizes the holder to carry, in a CONCEALED manner only, any handgun the holder legally owns or possesses (Sec. 39-17-1366(d)).
• Triggers the parking-lot vehicle-storage rights at Sec. 39-17-1313 (your employer cannot generally bar you from storing a firearm in your locked, ordinarily-out-of-sight personal vehicle in a public or private lot where the car is permitted to be).
• Subjects the holder to the same posted-premises and prohibited-places rules as enhanced permit holders, under Secs. 39-17-1352 through 39-17-1359.
• Does NOT authorize open carry. If you open-carry under Sec. 39-17-1366 alone, you forfeit the protection of the permit and may be charged under Sec. 39-17-1307(a).
• Has narrower reciprocity than the enhanced permit. Many states recognize Tennessee's enhanced permit but not the concealed permit; check each destination state before traveling.

Permit-card display:

• The card is wallet-sized and bears the holder's name, address, date of birth, sex, height, weight, eye color, a full-face photo, the permit number, the issuance date, and the expiration date.
• The holder must have the permit on his or her person at all times while carrying in a location or manner that would be prohibited but for the permit (Sec. 39-17-1366(e)).
• The holder must produce the permit on demand from a law enforcement officer in those circumstances.

Choosing between the three pathways

For most Tennessee residents who carry only inside the state and only sometimes:

• Pathway 1 (permitless) is free and immediate. Good enough for in-state concealed carry by a clean-record adult.
• Pathway 3 (concealed permit, Sec. 39-17-1366) is the right second step if you want a credential for park access, federal school-zone proximity, and modest reciprocity, but you do not need open-carry authority or broad reciprocity. Note: the CHCP is NOT currently on the ATF Brady Permit Chart as a NICS-alternative for handgun purchases - the Enhanced permit is. Verify at atf.gov.
• Pathway 2 (enhanced permit, Sec. 39-17-1351) is the right credential if you travel out of state, work armed, or want the broadest reciprocity and the open-carry option.

The Tennessee Firearms Association and most CCW instructors recommend the enhanced permit for any carrier who can sit through the 8-hour course and pay the extra $35.

What "concealed" means under Tennessee law

Tennessee statutes do not define "concealed" in a single place. The practical definition that courts and law enforcement use is that a handgun is concealed when it is not visible to the casual observer in the ordinary course of life. A handgun under a jacket, inside a waistband under a shirt, in a pocket, in a purse or bag, or in an inside-waistband holster covered by clothing is concealed. A handgun in an exposed outside-waistband holster, visible to other people in the room, is openly carried.

Important consequence: if you are carrying under the concealed-only permit at Sec. 39-17-1366 and your cover garment rides up, the wind blows your jacket open, or someone clearly sees the firearm, you have not necessarily violated the statute. Tennessee tracks the "casual observer" test, not a strict-liability test for any momentary exposure. But repeated, deliberate, or prolonged exposure can convert your concealed carry into open carry and forfeit the permit's protection.

If you carry under permitless carry or the enhanced permit, this analysis is academic. Both pathways authorize open or concealed carry.

Prohibited persons

The eligibility rules for both permits double as the categorical bar on permitless carry. You may NOT carry a concealed handgun in Tennessee under any pathway if any of the following apply:

• Felony conviction (state or federal), per Sec. 39-17-1307(b) and 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g)(1).
• Pending felony indictment.
• Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence conviction (federal Lautenberg disqualifier; pending domestic-violence charge also bars permit issuance).
• Active order of protection or restraining order.
• Adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
• Unlawful drug user.
• Dishonorably discharged from the armed forces.
• Unlawfully present in the United States or having renounced U.S. citizenship.
• Two or more DUI or alcohol-related offenses within the preceding 10 years (separately bars permit issuance under Sec. 39-17-1351 and the regulatory framework at TDOS Rule 1340-02-03; does NOT independently bar permitless carry, but does bar permits).
• Fugitive from justice.
• Subject to any other federal prohibited-person category under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g).

Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person is a separate offense at Sec. 39-17-1307(b) and is punishable as a Class E or Class C felony depending on the underlying disqualifier. Federal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g) is also routine.

Prohibited places

Constitutional carriers and permit holders are subject to the same place restrictions, with limited exceptions for permit holders only. The full catalog is in the Prohibited Places section of this guide. For concealed-carry purposes, the highest-risk locations to know are:

• Schools and school property, K-12 and higher education (Sec. 39-17-1309). Class E felony for armed carry into a school building; Class B misdemeanor for carry on school grounds without intent to go armed.
• Courthouses and any building where judicial proceedings are in progress (Sec. 39-17-1306).
• Public parks, playgrounds, civic centers, and any building or area owned by a municipal, county, or state government for recreational purposes (Sec. 39-17-1311). Permit holders have a statutory carve-out for some public parks; permitless carriers do not.
• Premises where alcohol is served by the drink. Possessing a firearm there while consuming alcohol is an offense under Sec. 39-17-1321(b). Permit holders may carry into restaurants that serve alcohol unless the establishment is properly posted under Sec. 39-17-1359. Permitless carriers are subject to the same posted-notice regime.
• Premises posted under Sec. 39-17-1359 with the statutory "no weapons" sign or the "concealed firearms by permit only" sign. The signs have specific size and pictogram requirements; signage that does not meet the statute is not legally enforceable.
• Federal buildings, federal courthouses, post offices, military installations, airports past the TSA checkpoint, national park facilities subject to federal weapons rules.

Local governments may not impose additional firearms restrictions beyond what state law authorizes; the preemption statute at Sec. 39-17-1314 strips political subdivisions of authority to regulate firearm possession, transport, or storage except in narrow statutory carve-outs.

In-vehicle carry

A handgun in your personal vehicle in Tennessee is allowed broadly:

• For permitless carriers, enhanced permit holders, and concealed permit holders alike, Sec. 39-17-1313 authorizes transporting and storing a firearm or ammunition in your motor vehicle while on or using any public or private parking area, provided the vehicle is parked where it is permitted to be and the firearm is kept from ordinary observation.
• If you are in the vehicle, the firearm must be kept from ordinary observation. A handgun in the center console, under the seat, or in a holster covered by your clothing satisfies the rule.
• If you are not in the vehicle, the firearm must be kept from ordinary observation AND locked within the trunk, glove box, or vehicle interior, or in a container securely affixed to the vehicle.
• Employers, public or private, generally cannot prohibit you from storing a firearm in your locked personal vehicle on a parking lot. Narrow exceptions exist for owner-occupied or tenant-occupied single-family residences and a few other parking-area categories.

Sec. 39-17-1313 was significantly broadened in 2014 and again in 2021 (to extend the parking-lot protection to permitless carriers). The current text applies the same protection to all three concealed-carry pathways.

Duty to inform law enforcement

Tennessee imposes NO statutory duty on a permit holder or permitless carrier to volunteer to law enforcement that they are armed during a stop. This is sometimes a surprise; Tennessee is in a minority among Southern states on this point.

• If an officer asks you whether you are armed, answer truthfully. False statements to law enforcement can be charged separately under Sec. 39-16-503 or related obstruction statutes.
• If you hold a concealed handgun carry permit and you are carrying when stopped, you must produce the permit on demand under Sec. 39-17-1366(e). The same rule applies to enhanced permit holders under Sec. 39-17-1351.
• If you are carrying under permitless carry, there is no permit to produce. You must still identify yourself if the encounter is a lawful Terry stop or traffic stop.
• An officer may disarm you during the encounter if the officer reasonably believes disarmament is necessary for safety; the officer must return the handgun before the end of the encounter unless the carrier is arrested for an offense unrelated to the handgun (Sec. 39-17-1366(m) and the parallel provision at Sec. 39-17-1351).

Best practice taught by most Tennessee instructors: keep both hands visible, announce calmly that you are carrying, identify which side and method, and follow officer instructions exactly. The law does not require it, but it shortens the encounter.

Renewal, replacement, and out-of-state moves

Concealed handgun carry permits and enhanced handgun carry permits both follow similar renewal mechanics under Secs. 39-17-1366(j) and 39-17-1351(o). Headline points:

• Begin renewal up to 6 months before the expiration date on the card.
• Renewal fee is $50.00 for either permit type.
• The renewal application requires sworn certification that you still satisfy all eligibility requirements.
• If you submit the renewal application before expiration and the Department has not issued an approval or denial when the current permit expires, you may continue using the expired permit until the Department acts.
• You may renew up to one full renewal cycle (8 years) past the expiration date by completing the application and paying the renewal fee. You may NOT lawfully carry on an expired permit in places that require permit status during this gap.
• No new fingerprints are required for renewal, duplicate issuance, upgrades from 8-year to lifetime, or upgrades from concealed (Sec. 39-17-1366) to enhanced (Sec. 39-17-1351).

If you move out of state with a Tennessee permit, the permit will be cancelled, because you must be a Tennessee resident to be eligible for a Tennessee handgun carry permit (T.C.A. 39-17-1351).

Reciprocity

The Tennessee Department of Safety publishes the current reciprocity list. Critical distinction for concealed-permit holders:

• The Sec. 39-17-1351 enhanced handgun carry permit is honored in more states than the Sec. 39-17-1366 concealed handgun carry permit. Some reciprocity partners recognize only the enhanced permit; some recognize both; a few recognize neither.
• Reciprocity is a state-by-state determination, not a federal one. Check the destination state's recognition list and any honor-conditions before crossing the line.
• Permitless carry status under Sec. 39-17-1307(g) does NOT travel. If you cross into a state that does not recognize permitless carriers from other states, you must either hold a permit recognized by that state or stop carrying.

The reciprocity table in the Reciprocity section of this guide carries the latest published list.

Key statutory citations

• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307 (carrying with intent to go armed; subsection (g) permitless carry exception).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351 (enhanced handgun carry permit).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366 (concealed handgun carry permit).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1321(b) (possessing a firearm while consuming alcohol in an establishment that serves it).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1306 (judicial proceedings).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1309 (school property).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1311 (parks, playgrounds, civic centers, government property).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1313 (motor-vehicle transport and storage).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1314 (state preemption).
• Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1352 through 39-17-1359 (permit restrictions, suspension, revocation, posted-notice signage).
• TDOS Rule 1340-02-03 (Department of Safety enhanced handgun safety program rules).
• 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(g) (federal prohibited persons).
• 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(q) (federal Gun-Free School Zones Act and state-permit exemption).
• 2021 Tenn. Pub. Acts, ch. 108 (permitless carry, SB 765 / HB 786).
• SB 1503 / HB 1005 (113th General Assembly), which would have lowered the age to 18, was taken off notice in a House subcommittee on April 18, 2023 and did not pass.
• Beeler v. Long (2023 settlement in which the Attorney General agreed the state would no longer enforce its bar on handgun purchases by 18-20 year olds).
• New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022).

Quick reference: concealed-carry pathways at a glance

Use this table as a quick triage. Confirm the current statutory text, fee, and reciprocity status before counseling a student about any specific case.