Tennessee Concealed Handgun Carry Permit (Standard)
Tennessee CHCP Training — Start Online
Tennessee offers two different permits. This course meets the requirement for the Standard concealed permit — not the Enhanced permit — and requires no live fire.
At a glance
- Credential
- Tennessee Concealed Handgun Carry Permit (Standard)
- Issued by
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
- Residents
- Eligible
- Nonresidents
- Generally not eligible
- Online training
- Available
- Live fire
- Not required
- Course price
- $74.99
- Provider
- U.S. LawShield
Last reviewed September 2026. Verify current requirements with the issuing authority before applying.
Standard is not Enhanced
Why consider a Tennessee CHCP
What a Tennessee CHCP gets you.
Tennessee is the state where choosing the wrong course is easiest, because the state issues two distinct permits. The Standard Concealed Handgun Carry Permit can be earned through approved online training with no range session. The Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit requires a longer in-person course with live fire.
The two are not interchangeable. The Enhanced permit carries broader recognition in other states and fewer restrictions inside Tennessee. If your reason for getting a permit is travel coverage, that difference is the whole decision.
This course is the Standard-permit path. It is the right choice for a Tennessee resident who wants a lawful, straightforward permit without a range day — and the wrong choice for someone whose plan depends on Enhanced recognition.
How it works
The Tennessee process, in order.
Steps marked “handled elsewhere” are run by the government or a third party — not by us. Knowing which is which is most of what prevents wasted money.
Decide: Standard or Enhanced
If you need the broader recognition of the Enhanced permit, this is not the right course. Make this decision first.
Confirm eligibility
Tennessee screens age, residency and statutory prohibitors for permit applicants.
Complete the online course
The U.S. LawShield Tennessee Handgun Permit Course satisfies the training requirement for the Standard permit.
Apply through the Department of SafetyHandled elsewhere
Submit your application, fingerprints and fee to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
What you'll learn
Inside the coursework.
U.S. LawShield Tennessee Handgun Permit Course — delivered online by U.S. LawShield.
- Tennessee law governing handgun carry permits and where carry is restricted
- Use of force and self-defense law in Tennessee
- Safe handling, storage and transportation of handguns
- Concealed carry practices and responsibilities
- Interacting with law enforcement while armed
- What follows a defensive incident
Residency
Resident vs. nonresident.
Tennessee residents
EligibleTennessee residents apply through the Department of Safety and Homeland Security after completing an approved course.
Everyone else
Limited or not availableThis eLearning path is offered to Tennessee residents. If you live elsewhere and want coverage in Tennessee, look at whether Tennessee recognizes your home-state license, or consider a different nonresident-eligible state.
Looking for a permit you can get without living in the state? See which states issue to nonresidents.
Read this before you buy
What this course does — and does not do.
Every state page on this site carries this section. If a training company won't tell you where its product stops, that is the information you needed.
What this course does
- Meets the training requirement for the Tennessee Standard permit
- Can be completed online with no range session
- Covers Tennessee-specific law rather than generic content
- Produces documentation for your state application
What it does not do
- Does not satisfy the requirements for Tennessee's Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
- Does not issue your permit — the Department of Safety does
- Does not include fingerprinting or state fees
- Does not carry the broader multi-state recognition associated with the Enhanced permit
- Is generally not needed to renew a Concealed permit — an existing Tennessee permit is itself accepted training
About the live-fire requirement
Travel value
What could a Tennessee CHCP add to your carry strategy?
A second license is worth it where it covers ground your current one doesn't — and that depends entirely on the combination. So look at the actual recognition below, with the states you travel to in mind, rather than assuming any permit simply adds coverage.
We haven't published a recognition map for this permit yet.
We only publish reciprocity once someone here has read the issuing authority's own current list and transcribed it. We have not finished that for the Tennessee Concealed Handgun Carry Permit, and a plausible-looking guess is worse than nothing when you are planning to travel armed. Verify current recognition directly with the sources below before you rely on it.
- Tennessee Department of Safety — Handgun Carry Permits
Standard and Enhanced permits are recognized differently by other states
Quick answers
Tennessee, in plain terms.
Can a nonresident get a Tennessee CHCP?
No. This eLearning path is for Tennessee residents. Tennessee's separate Enhanced permit has its own in-person requirements.
Does Tennessee require live fire?
No. The training requirement can be satisfied through approved online coursework with no range qualification.
Can I complete Tennessee training online?
Yes. The full training requirement can be completed online.
Who issues the Tennessee CHCP?
Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
FAQ
Tennessee questions, answered.
Does this course qualify me for Tennessee's Enhanced permit?
No. This course meets the requirement for the Standard Concealed Handgun Carry Permit. The Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit requires a longer in-person course that includes live fire.
Does Tennessee's standard permit require live fire?
No. The Standard concealed permit can be obtained through approved online training with no range qualification. The Enhanced permit does require live fire.
Which Tennessee permit should I get?
It depends on why you want one. The Standard permit is faster and lawful in Tennessee. The Enhanced permit is recognized by more states and carries fewer in-state restrictions, which matters if your goal is travel coverage.
How long is a Tennessee handgun carry permit valid?
Eight years, for both the Enhanced and the Concealed permit. Tennessee also offers a lifetime option, but only for the Enhanced permit. Concealed permit holders additionally have a name-based background check run every five years.
How do you renew a Tennessee handgun carry permit?
Renewal goes through the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and a renewed permit carries a new eight-year expiration from the renewal date. The department publishes the fees: the Enhanced renewal is listed at $50, against $100 for an initial Enhanced permit and $65 for an initial Concealed permit. A lifetime Enhanced permit is $300, or $265 for qualifying military applicants. Confirm current amounts with the department before you pay.
Do you need to retake training to renew a Tennessee permit?
For the Concealed permit, generally no. The department's published list of accepted training includes a prior Tennessee handgun carry permit that is not suspended or revoked, and accepts it at any time rather than only within a recent window — so holding the permit already is itself accepted proof. Confirm your own situation with the department, because a suspension, revocation or long lapse changes the answer.
Can Tennessee concealed carry training be completed online?
For the Concealed permit, yes. The department's training requirements expressly list a firearms training or safety class "including electronic, video, or online course", taught by an instructor certified by TDOSHS or by an organization specializing in firearms training. The Enhanced permit is different: it requires an 8-hour course from a Tennessee certified handgun safety school covering both classroom and firing range, so it cannot be completed online.
How much does the Tennessee course cost?
The U.S. LawShield Tennessee Handgun Permit Course is $74.99. State application, renewal and fingerprinting fees are separate.
Start your training
Begin your Tennessee CHCP training.
U.S. LawShield Tennessee Handgun Permit Course · $74.99 · Delivered by U.S. LawShield. You complete it on your own schedule.
Purchases are completed on the U.S. LawShield site. The Ammo Academy earns a commission on courses bought through our links, at no extra cost to you.
Sources & official resources
Last reviewed: September 2026
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security — Handgun Carry Permits
Issuing authority; permit types, application and renewal
- TDOSHS — Handgun permit types
Enhanced and Concealed permits, both issued for eight years
- TDOSHS — Concealed Carry Permit training requirements (PDF)
Accepted training routes, including electronic, video and online courses
- TDOSHS — Enhanced permit training requirements (PDF)
The 8-hour Tennessee certified school route, classroom and firing range
- TDOSHS — Handgun permit fees
Current application, renewal, lifetime and duplicate fees
Program details for the U.S. LawShield Tennessee Handgun Permit Course were provided by U.S. LawShield Instructor Relations. Statutory and procedural details are sourced to the issuing authority above.
Educational information only. Not legal advice. Firearm laws change, and requirements vary by state, county and issuing authority. Verify current requirements with the issuing authority before you apply.
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