Tennessee Lowers Age Requirement for Carry Permit; Complies with Court

AmmoLand ^ | May 13, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On January 23, 2023, Tennessee was required by court order to allow individuals aged 18-20 to carry handguns under the Tennessee permitless carry (Constitutional Carry) law, and to obtain carry permits under the law governing the issue of handgun carry permits.

On May 8, 2025, the government of Tennessee reduced the age requirement to obtain a handgun carry permit from 21 to 18.  HB1332 became Public Chapter No. 356.

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351(b), is amended by deleting the language and substituting:

(b) Except as provided in subsection (r), any resident of Tennessee who is a United States citizen or permanent lawful resident, as defined by § 55-50-102, who has reached eighteen (18) years of age, may apply to the department of safety for a handgun carry permit. If the applicant is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm in this state pursuant to§ 39-17-1316 or§ 39-17-1307(b), 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), or any other state or federal law, and the applicant otherwise meets all of the requirements of this section, the department shall issue a permit to the applicant.

SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1351(x)(1), is amended by deleting the language “twenty-one (21) years of age” and substituting “eighteen ( 18) years of age”.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

Young citizens who are 18-20 years old may be in greater need of self-defense than older citizens. In a South City apartment complex, four suspects hunted down two young men and killed them. From wreg.com:

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 1820; banglist; permit; tennessee; tn

[marktwain]

Tennessee finally obeys court order to remove barriers to exercise of Second Amendment rights by 18-20 year-old citizens.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Good, and bad. Depends on how the guns end up being used. Young men need to mature before carrying a weapon with no military training.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

No.

Only good.

Either you are an adult or you are not.

If you are not an adult at 18 what are you?

[MikelTackNailer]

That’s what I was thinking. We should have a definite age of responsible adulthood, across the board, that applies to guns, tobacco, alcohol, voting, military service and prison sentences. They can drive at a younger age after passing a driver’s ed course.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yep.

I have been strongly against the tiered adulthood bit since it came out. Either you are or you are not.

If you are then you have all the responsibilities and rights of adulthood.

[Paal Gulli]

It's not that big of a deal because Tennessee is a Constitutional Carry state. A carry permit is superfluous.

CC states shown in green

The only reason CC states issue carry permits/licenses is in case you go to a reciprocity state that isn't Constitutional Carry.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Tell that to the hoodrats

[suthener]

My son got his permit in Alabama at 18. The sheriff required that he show either a student ID or proof of employment prior to issue. I don’t believe this was a legal requirement but my son complied and got his permit. Of course now we’re constitutional carry.