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SB1318 • 2026

Handgun Permits

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Johnson, Lamberth
Last action
2025-05-08
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 356
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the impact of existing permits for those turning 18 before July 1, 2025.

Handgun Permits in Tennessee

This law changes requirements for getting an enhanced handgun carry permit by making people with recent DUI convictions ineligible and lowering the age requirement to 18.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that anyone who has a DUI conviction within five years of applying or renewing their permit cannot get an enhanced handgun carry permit.
  • Changes the minimum age for getting an enhanced handgun carry permit from 21 to 18, but only if all other requirements are met.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to get or renew an enhanced handgun carry permit in Tennessee
  • Law enforcement agencies and courts dealing with DUI convictions

Terms To Know

Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
A special type of permit that allows people to carry a concealed handgun in public places.
DUI
Driving Under the Influence, which is when someone drives a car after drinking alcohol or using drugs and it's against the law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens to existing permits for people who turn 18 before July 1, 2025.
  • It doesn't say how military service exceptions will be applied or changed.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1332

Plain English: The amendment changes requirements for obtaining and renewing handgun carry permits in Tennessee by altering eligibility criteria related to driving under the influence (DUI) convictions and lowering the minimum age requirement.

  • Changes the DUI conviction limit from one within ten years to two or more within ten years, with an additional restriction that none of these convictions can be within five years of applying for or renewing a permit.
  • Reduces the minimum age requirement for applying for a handgun carry permit from twenty-one (21) years old to eighteen (18) years old.
  • The amendment text does not specify all changes comprehensively, so some details about eligibility criteria and other requirements remain unclear.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1318

Plain English: The amendment changes requirements for obtaining and renewing handgun carry permits in Tennessee by altering eligibility criteria related to driving under the influence (DUI) convictions and lowering the minimum age requirement.

  • It updates the rules about DUI convictions, stating that an applicant cannot have been convicted of DUI two or more times within ten years from the date of application or renewal, with no such convictions allowed in the five years prior to applying for a permit.
  • It lowers the minimum age requirement for applying for a handgun carry permit from 21 to 18 years old.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on how these changes will be implemented or enforced, which could leave some uncertainties about practical application.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 356

  2. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/02/2025

  3. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 356

  4. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 26, Nays 6

  12. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0386)

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 71, Nays 21, PNV 3

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0337)

  20. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  23. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 2 PNV 0

  24. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee to Firearm Calendar

  38. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  39. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee

  40. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  42. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  43. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  45. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  46. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOU
SE BILL 1332, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to make the following changes to present law concerning criminal justice:

(1) One of the present law eligibility requirements for issuance of an enhanced handgun carry permit is t
hat the applic
ant
for a permit
has not been convicted of
DUI
two or more times within 10 years from the date of the application and that none of the convictions has occurred within five years from the date of application or renewal
. This amendment clarifies that an app
licant who has a DUI conviction that occurred within five years from the date of application or renewal is not eligible for a permit; and

(2) Subject to certain exceptions for persons who have military service, present law requires that an applicant for
an enhanced handgun carry permit be at least 21 years of age. This amendment lowers the age requirement to 18; provided, that the applicant meets all other eligibility requirements for issuance of the permit.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1332
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1318
By Johnson

SB1318
000550
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-28-505(a), is amended by
deleting the language "ninety (90)" and substituting "one hundred (100)".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.