Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit: Types, Training, and Reciprocity

A Tennessee concealed carry permit is issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to residents who meet age and background requirements, complete an approved firearms course, pass a fingerprint-based background check, and pay the $65 fee. You do not actually need the permit to carry in Tennessee itself: since July 1, 2021, most adults 21 and older who are legally allowed to possess a firearm may carry openly or concealed in most public places without one. The permit still matters because it travels, and permitless carry does not.

Why Get a Permit if Tennessee Allows Permitless Carry

Three reasons tend to decide it. A Tennessee permit is recognized in roughly 36 other states through reciprocity, so you can carry when you travel without researching each destination from scratch. The enhanced version of the permit opens doors the permitless-carry statute does not. And producing a permit during a law enforcement encounter settles your legal status quickly.

There is also a trap worth knowing about. If you hold a permit and let it lapse, carrying concealed on the expired permit is unlawful even though you could have carried without any permit at all. The two authorizations work independently under state law.

Who Qualifies

As of 2025, Tennessee lowered the minimum age for all handgun carry permits to 18. Previously the 18-year-old floor applied only to active-duty military members and honorably discharged veterans; now any eligible Tennessee resident at least 18 years old can apply.¹ Military applicants between 18 and 20 still submit a DD-214, DD-256, or NGB Form 22, or a current military ID, depending on branch and status.²

You must be a Tennessee resident and prove U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency. Acceptable documents include a birth certificate, unexpired U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or an unexpired Permanent Resident Card (I-551). If you do not hold a Tennessee driver’s license, you need two proofs of Tennessee residency showing your name and physical address, no P.O. boxes, dated within the last four months.³ A limited exception exists for non-residents who work in Tennessee at least 30 hours per week for six consecutive months and hold a valid permit from their home state.

What Disqualifies You

Tennessee law tracks the federal firearm prohibitions and adds a few state-specific bars. You are ineligible if you have any felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence; are subject to an active protection order for domestic violence or stalking; have been involuntarily committed or adjudicated mentally incompetent; are an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance; have two or more DUI convictions in the past ten years with at least one in the past five; or were discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) independently prohibits anyone in these categories from possessing a firearm at all.⁴ The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs a background check on every applicant.

Concealed Permit or Enhanced Permit

Tennessee issues two distinct handgun carry permits, and the choice matters more than most applicants expect.

The concealed handgun carry permit allows concealed carry only. It requires a shorter online training course and costs $65.⁵

The enhanced handgun carry permit allows both open and concealed carry. It requires an in-person course with range time and costs $100.⁶ The enhanced permit is what most other states recognize through reciprocity agreements, so it is the better choice if you plan to carry when traveling.

Both permits are valid for eight years and both require background checks at application and renewal. The enhanced permit also has a lifetime option, which eliminates renewal entirely.

How to Apply

Applications for both permit types go through the Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s online Handgun Permit Portal. You provide personal information, your Social Security number, and your criminal history disclosure. The state runs you through TBI records and the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

After submitting the online application, you complete fingerprinting through IdentoGO, which transmits prints to both the TBI and FBI. Fingerprinting is available at designated enrollment centers, not only at Driver Services Centers. You must complete fingerprinting within 90 days of applying or the application is denied.

Along with fingerprints, you submit proof of identity, proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency, and your training certificate. Applicants aged 18 to 20 qualifying through military service bring the applicable discharge or service documentation.

Application fees are non-refundable and paid online:

IdentoGO charges a separate fingerprinting fee not included in the permit application cost. Check the current amount on IdentoGO’s Tennessee page before your appointment. Processing can take up to 90 days from a completed application, though many applicants receive their permits sooner.

Training You Have to Complete

For the Concealed Permit

You need a state-approved firearms safety course of at least 90 minutes. The course can be taken online and covers firearm safety basics, safe handling, and legal responsibilities. You must pass a final exam to receive the completion certificate.⁷

For the Enhanced Permit

The enhanced permit requires an in-person course of at least eight hours covering both classroom instruction and live-fire range time. Classroom topics include self-defense law, firearm storage, and conflict de-escalation. The range portion requires you to demonstrate safe handling and shooting proficiency under a certified instructor.² Instructors must be certified by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the NRA, or a recognized law enforcement training organization. Course costs vary by provider, generally running $75 to $150.

Military applicants can skip parts of the enhanced course. Four hours of military handgun training within the five years before applying waives the classroom and range requirements entirely. Anyone who passed small arms qualification or combat pistol training in any branch is exempt from the live-fire portion regardless of when.² You submit documentation to prove it.

For either permit, your training certificate is valid for one year from the completion date and must be submitted with the application.⁷

Where Your Permit Does Not Let You Carry

A valid permit does not override location-based prohibitions, and carrying in a restricted area is a criminal offense. Firearms are banned on any public or private school property, including school buildings, buses, campuses, athletic fields, and recreation areas, regardless of permit status.⁸ Courthouses and judicial buildings are off-limits, as are any locations where state or federal law independently prohibits firearms.

Private and government property owners can prohibit firearms by posting a “NO FIREARMS ALLOWED” sign at all primary entrances. Carrying on properly posted property is a criminal offense.⁹ Public parks, greenways, campgrounds, and nature trails are specifically excluded from the posted-property provision; carrying there is generally permitted for eligible individuals.

You can carry a handgun into a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol, but you cannot consume any alcoholic beverage while carrying. Possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance is illegal anywhere.¹⁰ A violation while holding a permit can trigger a three-year suspension.

Renewal, Lifetime Option, and Revocation

Both permits are valid for eight years. The renewal window opens six months before expiration, and renewal is available online or in person. The renewal fee is $50 for either permit type, and a new background check confirms you still qualify.² No additional training is required for a standard renewal.

Let the permit lapse for more than eight years and you lose the renewal option entirely. You start over, including the full firearms course.

The enhanced permit’s lifetime option costs $300 for a new applicant and never needs renewal.⁶ Over the long run it costs less than paying $50 every eight years and reapplying.

A permit is automatically revoked on conviction of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.² An active order of protection triggers immediate suspension. Other grounds for suspension or revocation include DUI convictions meeting the two-in-ten-years threshold, involuntary commitment or a finding of mental incompetence, unlawful drug use or dependency, reckless firearm conduct such as brandishing or unlawful discharge, and carrying in a prohibited location. If your permit is suspended or revoked, you can request an administrative hearing to challenge the action, and the state must notify you in writing and give you 30 days to respond.

Carrying Out of State

The enhanced permit is recognized in roughly 36 states, which makes interstate travel straightforward for enhanced permit holders. The concealed permit has narrower reciprocity. Before any trip, verify your specific permit type is accepted at your destination. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security maintains a current reciprocity list, but the destination state’s rules control once you arrive.

Several major states do not honor any Tennessee permit, including California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Oregon. If you are passing through one of these states, you fall back on the federal Firearm Owners’ Protection Act, which allows interstate transport provided you can legally possess the firearm at both origin and destination. During transport the firearm must be unloaded and stored where it is not directly accessible from the passenger compartment; in vehicles without a separate trunk, it must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.¹¹

For air travel, TSA requires firearms to be unloaded, locked in a hard-sided container, and transported only as checked baggage. You must declare the firearm at the airline ticket counter when checking your bag.¹² Individual airlines may add restrictions on ammunition quantities or container types, so check with your carrier before heading to the airport.

1
TN.gov. Eligibility Requirements
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1351 – Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
3
TN.gov. Handgun Carry Permits Frequently Asked Questions
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
5
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1366 – Concealed Handgun Carry Permit
6
Legal Information Institute. Tennessee Comp. R. and Regs. 1340-02-04-.03 – Fees
7
Tennessee Department of Safety. Firearms Training Accepted for the Concealed Carry Permit
8
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1309 – Carrying Weapons on School Property
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Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1359 – Prohibition at Certain Meetings, Posted Notice, Handgun Carry Permit Holder
10
Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1321 – Possession of Handgun While Under the Influence
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms
12
Transportation Security Administration. Transporting Firearms and Ammunition