TN May Issue Pre 1994

[Guest 270win]

Just curious, how difficult was it to get a handgun carry permit in Tennessee before 1994? Were the county sheriffs willing to let people have them or was it a very restrictive system (you had to be carrying money for business, a jeweler, pharmacist). Would some sheriffs flat out not issue permits?

I have read TN has had a permit system in place for carrying handguns for a long time if you paid a bond or something and had to qualify with what you carried every year.

[Guest Tman]

hi, in response to your question about permits in Tn. before the "shall issue" law went into effect. It wasn't terribly difficult. I have had one in one form or another since mid seventies. It was always, of course, just up to the particular sheriff. But since i've been self employed and owned my own business most of my life, I have had a "need" for one. All you had to do was have a ligitimate need for one before the shall issue...and of course, have a clean record.

[Marswolf]

From what I hear, it wasn't bad in most places. I hear they had a problem around Chattanooga and the Sullivan County (Tri-Cities) Sheriff wasn't thrilled to issue them. That is part of the reason he is no longer sheriff.