Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit Fees and Costs

Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit Fees and Costs

The Headline

Tennessee runs a two-track permit system with separate fee schedules, and constitutional carry on top with no fee at all.

• Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit (EHCP), 8 years: $100 initial, $50 renewal.
• Concealed Handgun Carry Permit (CCP), 8 years: $65 initial, $50 renewal.
• Lifetime Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit: $300 initial, or $200 if you are upgrading from an active 8-year Enhanced permit.
• Constitutional carry under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307(g): No fee. There is no permit to issue.
• Duplicate (replacement) permit card: $5.00 for any permit type.
• Retired law-enforcement Lifetime Enhanced permit: Free for qualifying retired officers under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(x)(5).
• Active-duty and honorably discharged military: Pay only the background-check portion of the fee (currently $65 for an 8-year Enhanced permit, or $265 for a Lifetime Enhanced permit) under Public Chapter No. 866 (2014).

All fees go to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which issues both the Enhanced permit under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351 and the Concealed permit under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366. The applicant may have fingerprints taken by the department at the time the application is submitted or at any sheriff's office, and a sheriff may charge a fee not to exceed $5.00 for taking the applicant's fingerprints (Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(d)(1)).

If you are choosing between permits on price alone: the CCP is $35 cheaper to start, but it limits you to concealed carry, restricts your reciprocity, and bars carry at any public or private school or university. The Enhanced is more expensive but is the full-reciprocity vehicle and is required for any open carry under a permit. See PERMIT_BASICS and RECIPROCITY for the trade-off.

What the Statutes Charge

Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit (8-year): $100

Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351 governs the Enhanced permit. The current schedule, after years of amendments through Public Chapter No. 1101 (2018), Public Chapter No. 479 (2019), and Public Chapter No. 1000 (2022), is:

• $100.00 initial application and processing fee for an 8-year Enhanced permit.
• $50.00 renewal fee for an 8-year Enhanced permit.
• $200.00 upgrade fee from an active 8-year Enhanced permit to a Lifetime Enhanced permit.

The Department of Safety's published fee table at tn.gov/safety/tnhp/handgun/permitfees.html confirms each figure. The fee is the same whether you submit online through the Tennessee Department of Safety's portal or in person at a Driver Services Center. Tennessee permits run on an 8-year cycle (the standard cycle since the 2018 reforms), measured from the date of issuance.

Of the $100 application fee, the department distributes $52.15 to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for the criminal-history records check and systems maintenance and $15.00 to the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(p)(3), with the remaining $32.85 retained by the Handgun Permit Division for administrative costs. Those distribution amounts come from the most recent Department of Safety fiscal note (FY24-25 and FY26-27), which aggregates the per-application TBI total at $52.15 ($12.00 remitted to the FBI for the national check, $13.15 to the fingerprint vendor, and the balance retained by TBI for state background-check operations and database upkeep). An earlier fiscal note from the PC 1000 (2022) era itemized the TBI portion differently: $15.00 for TBI database maintenance plus $31.15 for TBI fingerprint and FBI checks, for a $46.15 TBI total, $15.00 to the sheriff, and $38.85 retained by HPD. The applicant in either case pays a single $100 to the department, not three separate line items; only the internal allocation between TBI and HPD shifted between fiscal cycles.

Concealed Handgun Carry Permit (8-year): $65

Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366, added by 2019 Public Chapter No. 479, created the concealed-only permit. The statute sets the fees directly:

• $65.00 initial application and processing fee, per Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(b)(5).
• $50.00 renewal fee, per Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(j)(3).

The lower $65 ceiling is established in the statute itself, not in a regulation. The CCP is processed on the same online portal as the Enhanced permit and uses the same Driver Services Center fingerprinting workflow; the only difference is which training certificate you upload (an online 90-minute CCP course satisfies Sec. 39-17-1366; the Enhanced permit requires an 8-hour in-person course under Sec. 39-17-1351(a)(2) and Rule 1340-02-03).

Lifetime Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit: $300 (or $200 upgrade)

Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(x) authorizes a Lifetime Enhanced permit. As of the current Department of Safety fee schedule:

• $300.00 initial application fee for a Lifetime Enhanced permit when applied for as a new applicant.
• $200.00 if you already hold an active 8-year Enhanced permit and are upgrading to Lifetime. This is the "upgrade" price the Tennessee General Assembly set when it lowered Lifetime upgrade fees through 2018 legislation.
• $300.00 if you hold a CCP and are moving to a Lifetime Enhanced permit. The $200 upgrade price is statutorily and by rule (1340-02-04-.03) limited to "an existing enhanced handgun carry permit holder," so a CCP holder moving up to Lifetime Enhanced pays the new-applicant $300 fee and must also meet every Enhanced eligibility and training requirement.

A Lifetime Enhanced permit does not expire. The department conducts a name-based criminal-history records check every five years and revokes the permit if a disqualifying conviction surfaces. There is no recurring fee to the holder for those background checks.

Retired Law Enforcement Lifetime Enhanced Permit: free

Public Chapter No. 396 (2019), codified at Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(x)(5), waives the application fee entirely for a Lifetime Enhanced permit if the applicant:

• Is a former federal, state, or local law-enforcement officer as defined in Tenn. Code Sec. 39-11-106;
• Served at least 10 years before leaving the agency and was POST-certified (or had equivalent training) on the date of departure;
• Was in good standing on the date of departure, as certified by the chief law-enforcement officer of the employing agency; and
• Is a Tennessee resident on the date of the application.

The applicant must submit form SF-1551 (Verification of Retired Police Officer for Lifetime Handgun Carry Permit), or a letter from the agency on letterhead certifying years of service and retirement in good standing.

Military Discount: $65 EHCP, $265 Lifetime Enhanced

Public Chapter No. 866 (May 18, 2014) directs the Department of Safety to charge a qualifying military applicant for an Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit "only that portion of the initial enhanced handgun carry permit application fee that is necessary to conduct the required criminal history record check." The department implements this at:

• $65.00 for an 8-year Enhanced permit (initial).
• $265.00 for a Lifetime Enhanced permit (initial).

To claim the discount, the applicant must provide one of:

• Current valid active-duty military ID;
• DD-214 showing honorable discharge from any branch of the U.S. armed forces;
• Current credentials of a member of the National Guard or armed forces reserve;
• NGB-55 form showing honorable discharge from the National Guard, in lieu of a DD-214.

The military discount does not waive the training requirement. Active and discharged service members must still complete the 8-hour course or qualify for the statutory military training exemption under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(b)(1) and (c)(15).

Duplicate Card: $5

A replacement (duplicate) permit card is $5.00 for any permit type, paid to the Department of Safety. The duplicate fee covers loss, damage, or change of name or address. Checks are accepted for duplicates, unlike for original applications.

Constitutional Carry: $0

Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307(g), enacted by Public Chapter No. 108 (2021), authorizes any person at least 21 years of age (or 18 to 20 for honorably discharged or active-duty military) who is lawfully in possession of a handgun to carry it openly or concealed in public without a permit, subject to the same place restrictions that apply to permit holders. That age structure is unchanged, and Section 39-17-1351(c) sets the same structure for permits; separately, the Department of Safety issues enhanced and concealed permits to applicants 18 to 20 as a matter of practice (Fiscal Memorandum 366, 114th General Assembly). See CONSTITUTIONAL_CARRY for the full statutory and litigation history.

There is no application, no fingerprinting, no training requirement, and no fee for constitutional carry under Sec. 39-17-1307(g). Constitutional carry status does not exempt the carrier from felon-in-possession bars, age requirements, or place restrictions at Sec. 39-17-1306 (judicial proceedings), Sec. 39-17-1309 (schools), Sec. 39-17-1311 (city/county/state property), Sec. 39-17-1321(b) (possessing a firearm while consuming alcohol in an establishment that serves it), or posted properties under Sec. 39-17-1359. See PROHIBITED_PLACES.

The trade-off for paying for a permit anyway is the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exemption under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 922(q), reciprocity in other states (see RECIPROCITY), NICS-alternative status for the Enhanced permit at a Tennessee FFL counter (the Concealed-only permit is not currently on the ATF Brady chart - verify at atf.gov), and access to vehicle-carry and posted-property carve-outs that do not extend to constitutional carriers.

Fees Are Nonrefundable

Tennessee Department of Safety policy treats application fees as nonrefundable. If your application is denied, the fee is not returned. The Department of Safety's fee structure recovers the cost of running the TBI background check, the FBI fingerprint check through III, the local-sheriff verification, and permit issuance, all of which are performed regardless of approval or denial.

If your application is denied, you have appeal rights under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(o), but the original fee is not refunded.

Costs Not Set by the State

Several real-world costs apply to permit applicants but are not part of the statutory fee structure. They vary by vendor.

Training

The state requires Enhanced applicants to complete an 8-hour handgun safety school certified under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351 and Rule 1340-02-03. CCP applicants must complete a Department of Safety-approved CCP course (online options exist) under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(b)(4). Training fees are paid to the instructor, not the state.

The cost varies by instructor and is set at the instructor's discretion. Public guidance from the Department of Safety does not cap training fees. See TRAINING_REQUIREMENTS for the training rule structure. Voluntary additional training is on the applicant.

Fingerprinting

Tennessee uses electronic fingerprint capture at TN Driver Services Centers and at IdentoGO sites. The vendor (IdentoGO/IDEMIA) charges its own service fee, paid directly to the vendor, not to the Department of Safety. This is not the same as the $100 or $65 application fee; the application fee covers the TBI/FBI background search, not the act of capturing prints.

The vendor fee is typically a separate line item on the day of fingerprinting. Confirm the current amount at the time of scheduling at identogo.com.

Photograph

Photographs for the permit card are captured at the Driver Services Center as part of the in-person step and are not charged separately.

Real ID Compliance

If your Tennessee driver license is Real ID compliant, the Department of Safety offers an online "Finish Your Application" workflow at dl.safety.tn.gov that allows you to upload documents and pay the application fee without an in-person Driver Services Center visit. There is no separate convenience fee for online submission; you still pay the standard $100, $65, $300, or other applicable fee.

Renewal Timing and Cost

Enhanced Permit Renewal Window (Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(q))

• Renewal applications may be filed beginning six months before the expiration date.
• If you renew on or after the expiration date but within eight years of expiration, you still qualify for the renewal track and pay the $50 renewal fee under Sec. 39-17-1351(q)(1)(B), not the new-applicant $100.
• If your Enhanced permit has been expired for more than eight years, you must apply as a new applicant and pay the full $100 application fee, complete the training requirement again, and pass a full background check under Sec. 39-17-1351(q)(1)(C).

You may not lawfully carry under your expired permit during the gap between expiration and renewal in any setting that requires permit status (such as schools or other places where only permit holders are exempt). Constitutional carry still applies to qualifying carriers outside posted or place-restricted areas.

Concealed Permit Renewal (Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(j))

• Renewal applications may be filed beginning six months before the expiration date.
• The renewal fee is $50.00.
• The CCP runs on an 8-year cycle. Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(j)(1) authorizes the department to conduct a name-based criminal-history records check between renewals for CCP holders and to revoke the permit if a disqualifying conviction is discovered (codified by Public Chapter No. 1000, 2022). After the initial issuance of a concealed handgun carry permit, the department must conduct a name-based criminal history record check every four years or upon receipt of an application (Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366(o)(1)).

Lifetime Enhanced Permit

A Lifetime Enhanced permit has no expiration date and no renewal fee. The department runs a name-based criminal-history records check every five years and revokes the permit on discovery of a disqualifying conviction. The holder pays nothing for those checks.

Forms of Payment

The Department of Safety accepts the following payment methods.

• Original application: Cash, money order, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover credit cards. Checks are not accepted for original applications.
• Renewal applications: Cash, money order, credit cards, and personal checks are accepted.
• Duplicate applications: Cash, money order, credit cards, and personal checks are accepted.

Credit-card processor fees, if any, are charged by the third-party processor, not by the Department of Safety, and may be added to the transaction at checkout on the online portal.

Fee Summary Table

Costs Outside the Permit Fee

These are real-world costs paid to vendors, not to the state.

Recent Legislation Affecting Fees

• Public Chapter No. 108 (2021), effective July 1, 2021 - Constitutional carry. No fee for permitless carry under Sec. 39-17-1307(g).
• Public Chapter No. 1000 (2022), effective July 1, 2022 - Required the Department of Safety to conduct a periodic name-based criminal history records check for CCP holders (the PC 1000 bill summary set the interval at four years; the department's current permit-types page publishes the operating interval as five years) and implemented a $50 renewal fee for the CCP at Sec. 39-17-1366(j)(3).
• Department of Safety practice for applicants 18 to 20 - Since the 2023 Beeler v. Long settlement the Department issues enhanced and concealed permits to applicants 18 to 20 in accordance with recent court rulings, and a 2025 bill proposed to codify that practice (Fiscal Memorandum 366, 114th General Assembly). Fee structure unchanged. See CONSTITUTIONAL_CARRY for the statutory and litigation context.
• Public Chapter No. 479 (2019) - Created the Concealed Handgun Carry Permit at Sec. 39-17-1366 with a $65 initial fee and $50 renewal fee.
• Public Chapter No. 396 (2019) - Waived the fee for the Retired LEO Lifetime Enhanced permit at Sec. 39-17-1351(x)(5).
• Public Chapter No. 1101 (2018) - Lowered the Lifetime upgrade fee to $200 and extended the standard permit cycle to 8 years.
• Public Chapter No. 866 (2014), effective May 18, 2014 - Reduced the initial Enhanced fee for qualifying military applicants to the background-check cost, currently $65.

Ambiguities and Practical Notes

• Vendor fingerprinting cost. Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351 and Sec. 39-17-1366 require fingerprinting but do not set the vendor service fee. The IdentoGO charge varies; confirm at identogo.com before applying.
• Card-processor surcharges. Credit-card processor fees on online payments are imposed by the third-party processor, not by the Department of Safety, and are not part of the statutory fee structure.
• Training cost. Tennessee does not cap or regulate training fees. The 8-hour Enhanced course and the CCP course are paid to the instructor at the rate the instructor sets. Compare instructors locally.
• Lifetime fee history. The Tennessee General Assembly lowered the Lifetime renewal/upgrade fee from $500 to $200 in 2018. Older guidance citing higher Lifetime numbers is outdated; the current figures above are from the Department of Safety's published fee schedule.
• Out-of-state applicants. Tennessee permits are issued only to residents. Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(a)(1) and Sec. 39-17-1366(b)(1) require Tennessee residency at the time of application. Non-residents can apply and pay a Tennessee fee: statute allows 8-year Enhanced Handgun Carry Permits for an out-of-state resident gun permit holder who presents proof of employment in Tennessee for at least 30 hours per week for at least six consecutive months, and non-resident applicants must also have a current valid handgun permit in their home state (tn.gov Handgun Permit FAQ). See RECIPROCITY.
• Temporary permit (Order of Protection). Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1365 authorizes a temporary handgun carry permit for a person granted an Order of Protection under Sec. 36-3-606. The temporary permit is free, valid for 60 days, and issued as a letter without a photograph.

The Operative Rule

The Tennessee handgun carry permit fee framework is short, statutory, and tiered.

• Enhanced 8-year: $100 initial, $50 renewal, set by Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351.
• Concealed 8-year: $65 initial, $50 renewal, set by Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1366.
• Lifetime Enhanced: $300 new, $200 upgrade from 8-year Enhanced, set by Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1351(x).
• Military discount (Enhanced only): $65 EHCP, $265 Lifetime Enhanced, under Public Chapter No. 866 (2014).
• Retired LEO Lifetime Enhanced: free under Public Chapter No. 396 (2019).
• Duplicate card: $5 for any permit.
• Constitutional carry under Tenn. Code Sec. 39-17-1307(g): $0, because there is no permit to issue.

Fees are nonrefundable, paid to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security at application or renewal, and are confirmed against the department's published fee schedule at tn.gov/safety/tnhp/handgun/permitfees.html. Training, fingerprinting (IdentoGO), and ammunition are real costs but are paid to vendors, not the state.