Tennessee does not require a bill of sale for a private firearm transfer, but writing one is the single best way to protect yourself on either side of the deal. A Tennessee firearm bill of sale proves when the gun changed hands and who took possession, which matters if that firearm is later stolen, recovered by police, or linked to a crime. The state allows direct private sales between residents without a background check or government paperwork,1Tennessee Secretary of State. Constitution of the State of Tennessee which means the document you draft is usually the only paper trail the transaction will ever have.
What to Put in the Document
Tennessee has no official template. You can download a generic form or write one by hand on a blank sheet of paper. Either way, the document needs enough detail that a stranger reading it years later could identify exactly who sold what to whom, and when.
Start with both parties’ full legal names and current street addresses, matching whatever appears on a government-issued ID. Adding each person’s driver’s license number ties the transaction to a verifiable identity. Then describe the firearm: manufacturer, model name, caliber or gauge, and serial number. The serial is usually engraved on the frame or receiver. Transcribe it directly rather than working from memory. One transposed digit makes the record useless for tracing.
Include the sale price (or note that the firearm was gifted), the date of the transfer, and a statement that both parties believe the sale is legal. Many sellers add a short clause saying the buyer assumes all responsibility for the firearm going forward and is not legally prohibited from possessing it. That language won’t shield a seller who knowingly sells to someone prohibited, but it creates evidence that the seller took the legality of the transfer seriously.
Who You Can Legally Sell To
Age
Federal law sets the minimum age for a private handgun transfer at 18, not 21. The 21-year threshold applies only when you buy a handgun from a licensed dealer.2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers For long guns, federal law imposes no minimum age at all on private transfers.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Tennessee state law fills that gap: it is unlawful to sell, loan, or give any firearm to a minor, so the effective floor for every private firearm sale in Tennessee is 18. A narrow exception lets a non-dealer loan a firearm to a minor for hunting, trapping, camping, or sport shooting. Knowingly transferring a firearm to someone under 18 outside those exceptions carries criminal liability.
Residency
Both the buyer and the seller must be Tennessee residents to complete a face-to-face private sale. Federal law prohibits an unlicensed person from transferring a firearm to someone the seller knows or has reason to believe lives in a different state.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts If either party lives out of state, the transfer must go through a Federal Firearms Licensee in the buyer’s home state. The dealer runs the background check and handles the federal paperwork. Narrow exceptions exist for bequests and temporary loans for lawful sporting use, but a standard sale between residents of different states always requires a dealer.
Prohibited Persons
Selling a firearm to someone who is legally barred from having one is a crime for both the seller and the buyer. Federal law lists nine categories of prohibited people, including anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison, fugitives, unlawful users of controlled substances, anyone adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, and anyone subject to a qualifying domestic violence protective order.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Tennessee has its own overlapping prohibitions under T.C.A. 39-17-1307. A person who possesses a firearm after being convicted of a violent felony, a felony drug offense, or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence commits a separate state offense. The statute also reaches people subject to protective orders that meet the federal standard and people adjudicated as mentally defective or judicially committed.4Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1307 – Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon Violations are a Class E felony, carrying one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $3,000.5Justia. Tennessee Code 40-35-111 – Authorized Terms of Imprisonment and Fines for Felonies and Misdemeanors
A seller is not required to run a formal background check on a private buyer in Tennessee, but selling to someone you know or have reason to believe is prohibited is a federal crime. The bill of sale helps here. By documenting the buyer’s identifying information and their written statement that they are eligible, you create evidence of good faith if questions arise later.
Domestic violence convictions trip up more transactions than people expect. Tennessee uses the federal definition, which covers offenses involving physical force or threatened use of a deadly weapon committed against a spouse, former spouse, co-parent, or cohabitant. Unlike most misdemeanors, a domestic assault conviction in Tennessee cannot be expunged, so the prohibition is effectively permanent. If a prospective buyer mentions a prior domestic-related conviction, do not complete the sale.
Straw Purchase Warning Signs
A straw purchase is when one person buys a firearm on behalf of someone else who is prohibited or who intends to use it in a crime. Federal law makes this a standalone offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison, with longer terms if the gun is later used in a felony, terrorism, or drug trafficking.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 932 – Straw Purchasing of Firearms Watch for a buyer who seems unfamiliar with the firearm, a third party nearby who appears to be directing the deal, or an offer well above asking price for a quick, no-questions sale. None of those are illegal on their own, but if a reasonable person would suspect the actual recipient is someone other than the person signing the bill of sale, walk away.
Signing and Keeping the Document
Both parties should sign in each other’s presence. Tennessee does not require notarization, but having a notary witness the signatures adds a layer of verification. A notary confirms each signer’s identity using government-issued ID and applies an official seal, which can matter if the document’s authenticity is ever questioned.
Make two originals, or sign one and give the other party a clear photocopy. Both buyer and seller should keep their copy indefinitely. A fireproof safe is ideal, with a scanned digital backup in the cloud as a second layer. Tennessee does not require you to file the bill of sale with any state agency or law enforcement office. The document stays between you and the other party unless something later makes one of you need to produce it.
Why the Bill of Sale Matters Later
The practical value shows up months or years after the transaction, not the day you sign it. If the firearm you sold is recovered at a crime scene, law enforcement will trace it through the manufacturer and the last licensed dealer who sold it. That trace often dead-ends at a private sale. Without a bill of sale, you may struggle to prove you no longer possessed the gun on the date of the incident. With one, you hand the investigator a document showing the date of transfer and the buyer’s name, address, and license number.
Tennessee does not require private citizens to report lost or stolen firearms, but filing a police report promptly and keeping your bill of sale on hand are the two most effective ways to separate yourself from a gun you no longer own. The ATF does not accept theft reports from private citizens directly; that process goes through your local police department.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Report Firearms Theft or Loss
Transfers a Standard Bill of Sale Won’t Cover
A standard bill of sale is not enough to transfer suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, or other items regulated under the National Firearms Act. These transfers require ATF approval before the item changes hands, using ATF Form 4 for transfers between private individuals. The transferee must submit fingerprints and photographs, and the item must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.8Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF National Firearms Act Handbook As of January 2026, the federal transfer tax for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons” dropped to $0. The paperwork and registration requirements remain fully intact, so the process still takes time and ATF approval is still mandatory before the transferee takes possession. Attempting to move an NFA item through a simple private bill of sale is a federal felony.
At the other end of the spectrum, antique firearms get much lighter treatment. Federal law defines an antique as a firearm manufactured in or before 1898, along with certain replicas that do not use modern fixed ammunition and muzzle-loaders designed for black powder.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 921 – Definitions Antiques are exempt from most federal firearms regulations, including the interstate transfer rules and the requirement to use a licensed dealer for out-of-state sales. The exemption does not apply to a modern firearm that has simply been converted to accept black powder, or to a muzzle-loader that can be readily converted to fire fixed ammunition. A bill of sale is still a good idea; the legal constraints around who can buy and how are just significantly lighter.