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HB1189 • 2026

Firearms and Ammunition

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50; Title 57; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 70, relative to firearms.

Firearms
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Grills, Lowe
Last action
2026-04-01
Official status
Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the exact types of firearms allowed under new permit rules.

Firearms Carry Permit Changes

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to allow permit holders to carry firearms other than handguns and updates permit names from 'handgun' to 'firearm'.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the name of enhanced handgun carry permits to enhanced firearm carry permits.
  • Changes the name of concealed handgun carry permits to concealed firearm carry permits.
  • Allows permit holders to carry firearms other than handguns under certain conditions.
  • Updates reciprocity rules for out-of-state firearm permits to be recognized in Tennessee.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who hold enhanced or concealed firearm carry permits.
  • The Department of Safety and other state agencies responsible for issuing permits.
  • Out-of-state residents with valid firearm permits visiting Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Firearm
A weapon, such as a gun, that uses an explosive charge to launch a projectile.
Reciprocity
The agreement between states to recognize each other's firearm permits.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact types of firearms allowed under new permit rules.
  • It is unclear if there will be additional costs for updating software and implementing changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026

  4. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2027

  6. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  9. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  11. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  12. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  13. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

  14. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  15. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  29. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes the issuance of enhanced handgun carry permits and concealed handgun carry permits. The most significant difference between the two permit types is that an enhanced hand
gun permit applicant must provide proof of completing a handgun safety course that includes classroom and firing range hours (subject to exceptions for persons with certain law enforcement or military training in firearms), while an applicant for a concea
l
ed handgun carry permit must demonstrate competence with a handgun based on military service or completion of a hunter safety course, a firearms safety course, or government firearms training.

This bill changes enhanced handgun carry permit and concealed
handgun carry permit to enhanced firearm carry permits and concealed firearm carry permits, respectively, thereby authorizing holders of such licenses to carry firearms other than handguns under certain circumstances. The change will also apply to tempo
r
ary handgun carry permits that are issued to persons who are granted an order of protection.

This bill changes the present law concerning reciprocity for permits issued by other states so that a person who holds a f
acially valid handgun permit, firearms
permit, weapons permit, or license issued by another state
will be entitled to the privileges of a firearm
carry permit issued by
Tennessee
.

This bill changes certain training requirements from applying to handguns specifically to firearms generally. Th
is bill provides that enhanced handgun carry permits and concealed handgun carry permits prior to this bill's effective date will automatically be deemed to be to enhanced firearm carry permits and concealed firearm carry permits.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1227
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 1189
By Grills

HB1189
003337
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title
37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50;
Title 57; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 70, relative to
firearms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351, is amended by deleting
"handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm" and by deleting "handguns" wherever
it appears and substituting "firearms".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351(r)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1) A facially valid handgun permit, firearms permit, weapons permit, or license
issued by another state shall be valid in this state according to its terms and shall be
treated as if it is a firearm carry permit issued by this state.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1365, is amended by deleting
"handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1366, is amended by deleting
"handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm" and by deleting "handguns" wherever
it appears and substituting "firearms".
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 10-7-504(a)(2)(A), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit" and by deleting "handgun
carry permits" and substituting "firearm carry permits".

- 2 - 003337

SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 10-7-504(o), is amended by deleting
"handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit" and by
deleting "handgun permit holder" and substituting "firearm carry permit holder".
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-6-413(b), is amended by deleting
"handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-626, is amended by deleting
"handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm" and by deleting "as defined in § 39-17-
1319" and substituting "as defined in § 39-11-106".
SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-153(a)(6), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-3-122(c), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-6-105, is amended by deleting
"handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-8-116, is amended by deleting
"handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-16-702(b), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1309(e)(8)(B), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1313(a), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1321(a), is amended by
deleting "handgun" and substituting "firearm".

- 3 - 003337

SECTION 17. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1321(c)(2), is amended by
deleting "handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 18. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1350(g), is amended by
deleting "handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm".
SECTION 19. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1352, is amended by deleting
"handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm".
SECTION 20. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1359(g)(1), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 21. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-32-101, is amended by deleting
"handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 22. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-32-105(i)(5), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 23. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-815(b)(1)(A), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 24. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-816, is amended by deleting
"handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 25. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-161(b)(2), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 26. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-50-803(b)(2), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 27. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-3-201(d), is amended by
deleting "handgun permits to carry a handgun" and substituting "firearm carry permits to carry a
firearm".
SECTION 28. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-1-312(a)(1), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".

- 4 - 003337

SECTION 29. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-2-104(g)(3)(B), is amended by
deleting "handgun carry permit" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 30. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-5-101(c), is amended by
deleting "handgun" wherever it appears and substituting "firearm".
SECTION 31. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-5-101(d), is amended by
deleting "hand gun" and substituting "firearm".
SECTION 32. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-21-401(f)(1), is amended by
deleting "handgun permits" and substituting "firearm carry permits".
SECTION 33. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-7-110(a), is amended by deleting
the language "handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 34. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 57-1-212, is amended by deleting
the language "handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 35. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 67-1-1441(c)(1), is amended by
deleting the language "handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 36. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-102-403(a)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "handgun permit" and substituting "firearm carry permit".
SECTION 37. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(z) Beginning July 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., all valid permits issued prior to that
date pursuant to this section are deemed to be enhanced firearm carry permits and the
department is not required to reissue permits.
SECTION 38. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1366, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:

- 5 - 003337

(p) Beginning July 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., all valid permits issued prior to that
date pursuant to this section are deemed to be concealed firearm carry permits and the
department is not required to reissue permits.
SECTION 39. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., the public welfare
requiring it.