Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Firearm Prohibitions in Tennessee.’ Who Can Have a Gun. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 4 December
Relevant contents
Prohibited Purchasers Generally in Tennessee
Federal law prohibits certain persons from purchasing or possessing firearms, such as felons, certain domestic abusers, and certain people with a history of mental illness.
Tennessee law prohibits the possession of a firearm by any person:
- Convicted of a felony involving the use or attempted use of force, violence or a deadly weapon;
- Convicted of a felony drug offense;
- Convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence while remaining subject to the disabilities of such a conviction;
- Possessing a firearm while subject to an order of protection;
- Under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance (handguns only); or
- Prohibited from possessing a firearm under any other provision of federal or state law
Tennessee prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing a handgun.
Tennessee prohibits juveniles (persons under age 18) from knowingly possessing a handgun.
In addition, Tennessee prohibits any person from selling a firearm to any person:
1) convicted of stalking;
2) addicted to alcohol;
3) ineligible to receive a firearm under federal law;
4) judicially committed to a mental institution; or
5) adjudicated as a mental defective…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]