Free Tennessee Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale
Tennessee is one of the most permissive firearms states in the country: no permit to purchase, no waiting period, no state registry, no assault weapons ban, no magazine limits, and constitutional carry since 2021. Private sales between Tennessee residents require nothing more than a written bill of sale — though prudent sellers and buyers go further with a copy of the buyer's TN driver's license and a sworn statement that the buyer is not a prohibited person under federal law.
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Private firearm sales carry more legal requirements than most buyers realize — background check laws, waiting periods, and prohibited-person rules vary widely by state. Our guide explains when a bill of sale is legally required and what it must say. Read: Do I Need a Bill of Sale? →
Tennessee Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Primary Form
Standard bill of sale
Agency
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security (handgun carry permits only); no state agency regulates private firearm sales
Primary ID Field
Serial Number
Sales Tax
Exempt
Title Required
No
Firearms are not titled in Tennessee. No state registry, no permit-to-purchase, and no waiting period exist. Federal NICS background checks apply only to sales by Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers — private sales between Tennessee residents do not require a NICS check or any state form.
Inspection
Not required
Sales Tax Details
Casual sales of personal firearms between private Tennessee residents are not subject to sales tax. Sales by FFL dealers are subject to 7% state sales tax plus local option tax. Tennessee has no special firearms excise tax beyond standard sales tax.
Inspection Requirements
Tennessee adopted constitutional (permitless) carry on July 1, 2021 (T.C.A. § 39-17-1307(g)). Lawful adults 21+ (or 18+ for honorably discharged military) may carry openly or concealed without a permit. A handgun carry permit is still available for reciprocity with other states.
Tennessee Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Record make, model, caliber/gauge, type (pistol/rifle/shotgun), and full serial number — verify the serial against the firearm physically
- Include both parties' full legal names, current TN addresses, and dates of birth
- Buyer signs an attestation that they are not federally prohibited from possessing firearms (no felony, no domestic violence misdemeanor, not a fugitive, not a prohibited drug user, not under 18 USC § 922(g))
- Verify the buyer is a Tennessee resident with a TN driver's license or TN ID — it is illegal under federal law to sell a handgun to an out-of-state resident in a private transaction
- Photocopy or photograph the buyer's TN driver's license and attach to the seller's file copy
- Specify "as-is" condition and note any modifications, optics, or accessories included
- Both parties sign and date; notarization is optional but adds significant evidentiary weight if the firearm is later involved in a crime
Common Pitfalls
- Selling to someone you know or have reason to believe is a prohibited person — this is a federal felony under 18 USC § 922(d) regardless of TN's permissive private-sale laws
- Selling a handgun to an out-of-state resident in a private transaction — federal law (18 USC § 922(a)(5)) requires interstate handgun transfers to go through an FFL in the buyer's state
- Skipping the bill of sale entirely — without paperwork, if the firearm is recovered at a crime scene the ATF trace will land at the seller, who has no proof of transfer
- Failing to check the serial number against the firearm — a common scam involves selling guns with altered or removed serials, which is a federal felony to possess
- Assuming constitutional carry means anyone 18+ can buy and carry — TN constitutional carry applies to adults 21+ (or 18+ honorably discharged military), and federal law sets minimum purchase ages at FFLs
- Forgetting that schools, courthouses, federal buildings, and posted private property remain off-limits even under constitutional carry
Pro Tip
Tennessee's permissive firearms laws make private sales legally simple but ethically demanding. The bill of sale, the buyer's ID copy, and the prohibited-person attestation are the three documents that protect both parties and create a clean paper trail if the firearm later resurfaces in a law enforcement context.
Tennessee Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — FAQs
Do I need a background check for a private gun sale in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee does not require background checks, NICS checks, or any state-level check for private (non-dealer) firearm sales between Tennessee residents. Federal law only requires NICS checks on sales by Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers. However, federal law (18 USC § 922(d)) makes it a felony to sell a firearm to someone you know or have reasonable cause to believe is a prohibited person — felon, domestic abuser, fugitive, illegal drug user, etc. A bill of sale with a buyer attestation is your best defense if questions arise later.
Is there a waiting period or permit-to-purchase requirement?
No on both counts. Tennessee has no waiting period for any firearm purchase — handgun, long gun, or otherwise — and no permit-to-purchase is required at any level. As of July 1, 2021, Tennessee also became a constitutional (permitless) carry state under T.C.A. § 39-17-1307(g): adults 21 and older (or 18+ honorably discharged military) may carry openly or concealed without a permit. The optional Tennessee Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit and the Concealed Handgun Carry Permit are still available primarily for out-of-state reciprocity.
Can I sell a handgun to someone from another state?
Not in a private transaction. Federal law (18 USC § 922(a)(5)) prohibits private transfers of handguns to non-residents of the seller's state. To sell a handgun to a non-resident, the firearm must be transferred through a Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer in the buyer's home state — the dealer runs the NICS check and handles the paperwork. Long guns (rifles and shotguns) may be sold privately across state lines only if the transaction would be legal in both the buyer's and seller's states, and even then, going through an FFL is the safer practice.
Do I have to keep the bill of sale forever?
You should keep it indefinitely. If the firearm is later used in a crime, ATF traces start at the manufacturer, work through distributors and FFLs to the original retail buyer, and stop there. Without a bill of sale documenting your transfer, the trace lands at you and law enforcement may treat you as the last known possessor. A signed, dated bill of sale with the buyer's ID information is your only documentary defense. Store it with your other important records — fireproof safe, safe deposit box, or scanned to encrypted cloud storage.
Are there any guns that can't be sold privately in Tennessee?
Tennessee follows federal law. NFA-regulated items (machine guns, suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs) require ATF Form 4 transfer with a $200 tax stamp and cannot be transferred through a simple bill of sale — that process takes 8-12 months and goes through an SOT-licensed dealer. Firearms with obliterated serial numbers are illegal to possess or transfer under federal law. Otherwise, Tennessee imposes no state-level restrictions on private sales of standard rifles, shotguns, handguns, AR-pattern rifles, or standard-capacity magazines.