TCA 39-17-1305
Prohibited firearm registries
FELONY EClass E Felony
Sentence enhancement may apply
What does this charge mean?
It is illegal for state or local government officials to create or keep a firearm registry—a record tracking who owns specific firearms and their serial numbers. Violation is a Class E felony punishable by 1-6 years in jail and/or up to $3,000 in fines. ---
Penalty Details
ClassificationClass E Felony
Maximum Jail1-6 years
Maximum Fine$3,000
Penalty SummaryClass E felony; 1-6 years; fine up to $3,000
(a) As used in this section, “registry” means a record of the possession or ownership by individuals or non-governmental entities of a firearm or firearm accessory, which includes, but is not limited to, the serial number, make, model, purchase date, or purchase location of the firearm or firearm accessory or the names, social security numbers, or personal addresses of the individuals or non-governmental entities. 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.Government: means the state or any political subdivision of the state, and includes any branch or agency of the state, a county, municipality or other political subdivision. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105(b) A state or local government entity, official, employee, or agent shall not knowingly create or maintain any firearm registry with the intent to record the possession or ownership of a firearm or firearm accessory by individuals or non-governmental entities. (c) A violation of subsection (b) is a Class E felony. (d) (1) A firearm registry under this section does not include: (A) A temporary log or record maintained by a state or private entity for the purpose of temporary storage of firearms; (B) A receipt or record generated while the firearm is in possession of a state or private entity pursuant to the normal operations of that entity unless prohibited by state law; (C) A record of persons assigned firearms that are purchased, owned, or authorized for carry in the course of employment by a state or local law enforcement agency; (D) A record maintained in connection with a criminal, civil, or administrative court case; (E) A record created or received by the department of correction for the following purposes: (i) Incident reporting or disciplining inmates, relative to the possession or introduction of a contraband firearm into a penal institution; or (ii) Incident reporting, issuing parole revocation warrants, or giving notice to the sentencing court relative to the unlawful possession of a weapon by a parolee or a felon probationer; or (F) A record created, received, or maintained by the Tennessee peace officer standards and training commission, the Jerry F. Agee Tennessee law enforcement training academy, or a law enforcement agency pursuant to § 39-17-1309(e)(11)(B), § 39-17-1315, § 38-8-116, § 38-8-123, or § 49-6-816(f)(1) and (i). (2) Firearm information contained in documents pursuant to subdivision (d)(1) must be redacted by the record holder prior to any release under § 10-7-503. (e) A violation of subsection (b) may result in a civil action under § 39-17-1314(g)-(i). (f) A violation of subsection (b) by a state or local entity shall result in loss of funding from the state for the following fiscal year and any subsequent fiscal year during which the violation occurs.
View on official sourceLast verified: Feb 25, 2026
Quick Facts
FELONY E
TCA Section39-17-1305
Max Jail1-6 years
Max Fine$3,000