Back to Tennessee

HB0948 • 2026

Domestic Violence

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to firearms dispossession.

Firearms
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Brooks, Akbari
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
Failed in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Firearms Dispossession for Domestic Violence Orders

This bill requires individuals subject to domestic violence protection orders or convicted of domestic assault to surrender their firearms to a designated law enforcement agency and provide proof of this action to the court.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires someone who gets an order of protection due to domestic violence to give up any guns they own within two days by handing them over to a police department chosen by the judge.
  • Prohibits people with orders of protection from having guns as long as the order is in effect and does not allow them to get their guns back once the order ends.
  • Requires someone who pleads guilty to domestic assault to give up any firearms they own to law enforcement within two days and provide proof of this action to the court.
  • Directs the administrative office of the courts to create a form for people to use when giving up their firearms as required by the new rules.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who get orders of protection due to domestic violence
  • People convicted of domestic assault

Terms To Know

Order of Protection
A court order that protects someone from being hurt by another person, often in cases of domestic violence.
Firearms Dispossession
The act of giving up firearms to a designated law enforcement agency as required by a court order or legal requirement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill did not pass in the current session.
  • It is unclear how much it will cost local governments to store and manage surrendered firearms.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  3. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  7. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  9. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  10. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  11. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  12. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  13. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  14. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  16. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final cal. #2 of Civil Justice Subcommittee

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  19. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  21. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  22. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  23. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  24. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  25. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  26. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  27. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Under present law, a person who is subject to an order of protection as the respondent is required to
dispossess
th
e respondent's firearms
by any lawful means, such as transferring possession to a third party who is not prohibited from possessing firearms, within 48 hours of the
i
ssuance of the order
. The respondent is
prohibited from possessing a firearm for so long
as the order of protection or any successive order of protection is in effect, and may reassume possession of the dispossessed firearm at such time as the order expires or is otherwise no longer in effect
. Present law specifies that a respondent may resum
e possession of their firearms once the order of protection and any subsequent order expire, unless the respondents is otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm.

This bill changes present law by requiring that a respondent to a protective order disp
ossess the respondent's firearms
to a law enforcement agency designated by the court within 48 hours of the issuance of the order
. Upon dispossession of the respondent's firearms, a law enforcement agency will be required to provide the respondent with a
receipt that the respondent will submit to the court along with the affidavit of firearms dispossession. This bill removes the present law provisions that specifies that a respondent may resume possession of their firearms once the order of protection an
d
any subsequent order expire.

Similarly, this bill requires that a person who pleads guilty to domestic assault must surrender their firearms to law enforcement and be provided a receipt instead of terminating possession of the firearms by any lawful mea
ns.

This bill requires the a
dministrative office of the courts
to
develop
an
affidavit of firearms dispossession form
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1184
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 948
By Brooks

HB0948
002133
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36;
Title 39 and Title 40, relative to firearms
dispossession.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-625(a), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) and substituting:
(1) That the respondent is required to dispossess any firearm in the respondent's
possession by transferring the firearm to a law enforcement agency designated by the
court within forty-eight (48) hours of the issuance of the order;
(2) That the respondent is prohibited from possessing a firearm for so long as
the order of protection or any successive order of protection is in effect; and
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-625, is amended by deleting
subdivision (b)(1) and substituting:
(1) To terminate the respondent's possession of all firearms in the respondent's
possession pursuant to subdivision (a)(1) within forty-eight (48) hours;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-625, is amended by deleting
subdivision (b)(2) and substituting:
(2) To complete and return to the court within three (3) business days of the
issuance of the order:
(A) A copy of the receipt from the law enforcement agency demonstrating
the law enforcement agency's receipt of the firearm; and

- 2 - 002133

(B) The affidavit of firearm dispossession form created pursuant to
subsection (e), which the court may provide the respondent or direct the
respondent to obtain from the administrative office of the court's website; and
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-625, is amended by deleting
subdivision (f)(1).
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-625, is amended by deleting
subsection (g) and substituting:
(g) A law enforcement agency designated by the court to receive a respondent's
firearm pursuant to subdivision (a)(1) shall at the time of the surrender issue to the
respondent a receipt identifying all firearms that have been surrendered. The law
enforcement agency shall retain a copy of the receipt.
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-111, is amended by deleting
subdivision (c)(6)(A) and substituting:
(A) Terminate physical possession of any firearm in the defendant's possession
by transferring the firearm to a law enforcement agency designated by the court within
forty-eight (48) hours of the issuance of the order; and
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-111, is amended by deleting
subdivision (c)(6)(B) and substituting:
(B) Complete and return to the court in which the defendant was convicted within
three (3) business days:
(i) An affidavit of firearms dispossession form; and
(ii) A copy of the receipt from the law enforcement agency demonstrating
the law enforcement agency's receipt of the firearm.
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-111(c), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:

- 3 - 002133

(8) The defendant may obtain an affidavit of firearms dispossession from the
court or court clerk or the defendant may be directed to obtain a copy from the website
of the administrative office of the courts.
SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-111, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(g) A law enforcement agency designated by the court to receive a respondent's
firearm pursuant to subdivision (c)(6)(A) shall at the time of the surrender issue to the
respondent a receipt identifying all firearms that have been surrendered. The law
enforcement agency shall retain a copy of the receipt.
SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-14-109, is amended by deleting
subdivision (b)(4).
SECTION 11. The administrative office of the courts shall develop the affidavit of
firearms dispossession form required by § 39-13-111(c)(6)(B)(i). Upon completion, the form
must be posted on the website of the administrative office of the courts where it can be copied
by defendants or provided by the court or court clerk upon conviction.
SECTION 12. For the purposes of creating the form required by Section 11, this act
takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act
takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and applies to offenses committed on or
after that date.