How Old Do You Have to Be to Own a Gun in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, how old you have to be to own a gun depends on what kind of firearm it is and what you plan to do with it. You can possess a rifle or shotgun at any age under state law and a handgun starting at 18. Buying from a licensed dealer requires 18 for long guns and 21 for handguns. Carrying a handgun in public without a permit requires 21, unless you have qualifying military service.

Buying From a Dealer

Federal law sets the floor when you buy from a licensed firearms dealer, and Tennessee has not enacted anything stricter. You must be at least 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun and at least 21 to purchase a handgun from a dealer holding a Federal Firearms License.¹

Private Sales

Private sales between individuals who aren’t licensed dealers follow looser federal rules. An unlicensed seller cannot sell a handgun to anyone under 18. There is no federal minimum age for private sales of rifles or shotguns, and Tennessee does not add a state-level age floor.¹

Possessing a Firearm

Possession is a separate question from purchase. You can possess a firearm someone else bought for you or gave you, which matters especially when a parent hands a gun to a child.

For handguns, Tennessee law is direct: anyone under 18 is prohibited from knowingly possessing a handgun. A juvenile who violates this is subject to a delinquent act adjudication in juvenile court, and the handgun is confiscated.²

For rifles and shotguns, Tennessee sets no minimum age for possession. A 12-year-old can legally possess a long gun, which is why parents can put a rifle or shotgun in a child’s hands for hunting or target shooting without running into a state age restriction.

When Someone Under 18 Can Legally Have a Handgun

Tennessee lists specific situations where a minor can lawfully possess a handgun. Each requires a defined activity or setting:²

Attending a hunter safety or firearms safety course.
Practicing or target shooting at an authorized range or any area where discharging a firearm is legal.
Participating in an organized shooting competition, or practicing for a performance by a tax-exempt organization that uses firearms as part of its program.
Hunting or trapping with a valid license issued under Tennessee’s wildlife laws.
Being accompanied by a parent or guardian who is actively teaching the juvenile how to use the handgun.
Being on property controlled by an adult, with that adult’s permission and the permission of the juvenile’s parent or guardian.
At the juvenile’s own residence, with parental or guardian permission, when the juvenile is legally justified in using force.

When traveling to or from any of these activities, the handgun must be unloaded. That last rule catches people. A teenager driving home from a range with a loaded handgun in the car is committing a delinquent act, even though everything at the range itself was lawful.

Carrying a Handgun in Public

Tennessee allows carrying a handgun openly or concealed without a permit, but the age is higher than many residents assume. You must be at least 21, lawfully possess the handgun, and be in a place where you have a right to be.³

There is one exception. If you’re 18 to 20 with qualifying military service, you can carry without a permit. Qualifying service means an active-duty member who has completed basic training, an honorably discharged or retired veteran, or an honorably discharged member of a reserve or National Guard component who completed basic training.³ Without that background, an 18-year-old who can legally have a handgun at home still cannot carry it in public without a permit.

The permit route is open earlier. The minimum age to apply for a Tennessee Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit is 18, and applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.⁴ That gives 18-to-20-year-olds without military service a way to carry legally.

Buying Ammunition

Federal ammunition rules at licensed dealers mirror the firearm ages. You must be 18 to buy rifle or shotgun ammunition and 21 to buy handgun ammunition. Some calibers work in both handguns and rifles, and dealers treat those as handgun ammunition, so you need to be 21 to buy them.¹

If You’re the Adult Handing Over the Gun

Tennessee treats the supply side seriously. Providing a handgun to someone you know or have reason to believe is under 18 is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.⁵⁶

The penalty jumps for parents and guardians. If a parent or guardian provides a handgun to a juvenile, or allows one to possess a handgun, while knowing there’s a substantial risk the juvenile will use it to commit a felony, that’s a Class D felony. A first-offense Class D felony carries two to four years in prison, with longer ranges for repeat offenders.⁵⁷

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1319 – Handgun Possession Prohibited – Exceptions
3
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1307 – Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon
4
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Eligibility Requirements for Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit
5
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1320 – Providing Handguns to Juveniles – Penalties
6
Justia. Tennessee Code 40-35-111 – Authorized Terms of Imprisonment and Fines for Misdemeanors
7
Justia. Tennessee Code 40-35-112 – Sentence Ranges