Tennessee has no law that imposes a penalty on someone who fails to secure an unattended firearm and leaves it accessible to an unsupervised minor.

It does, however, prohibit a parent or guardian from intentionally, knowingly or recklessly providing a handgun to a juvenile¹ or permitting a juvenile to possess a handgun, if such parent or guardian knows of a substantial risk that such juvenile will use the handgun to commit a felony.²

Tennessee also prohibits any person age 18 or older, including a parent or legal guardian, who knows that a minor or student is in illegal possession of a firearm in or upon the premises of a public or private school, in or on such school’s athletic stadium or other facility or building where school sponsored athletic events are conducted, or a public park, playground or civic center, from failing to prevent the possession or failing to report the possession to the appropriate school or law enforcement officials.³

Tennessee does not otherwise impose criminal liability on adults who allow children access to firearms.

Tennessee has no law that requires unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way.

Tennessee also does not require a locking device to accompany the sale of a firearm, and no state statutes require firearm owners to affirmatively lock their weapons.

In 2023, Tennessee enacted a law requiring the department of safety, subject to appropriations, to provide free firearm locks to a Tennessee resident upon the resident’s request. The department was also required to collaborate with the Tennessee bureau of investigation, and other state agencies as the department deems appropriate, to create a public safety campaign dedicated to safe firearm storage using funds specifically appropriated for that purpose.⁴

Tennessee requires age-appropriate instruction in public schools relating to safe storage of firearms and school safety as it relates to firearms.⁵

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1. “Juvenile” is defined as any person under age 18. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1319(a)(2).[↩]
2. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1320(b).[↩]
3. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1312(a).[↩]
4. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1328.[↩]
5. Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1016.[↩]