Tennessee Background Check Requirements

[Virginiagunguy]

Hello,

I'm from Virginia and live there now, but I'm thinking of starting a business in Tennessee after college. Out of curiosity, I was looking at the gun laws in your state and comparing them to the ones here in Va. For the most part, they are the same, what caught my eye was that an FFL is required to provide the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with the make, model, caliber etc. of the firearm you are purchasing. To me that sounds like de-facto registration, what do people that live in Tn think of this requirement? Thanks.

P.S. It also bugs me that you have to be finger printed for the concealed carry permit in Tn, and is it still required that you give a thumb print for the purchase of a handgun? Edited March 1, 2016 by Virginiagunguy

[JayC]

TICS which is the state's background check is prohibited by law from keeping the make/model of the firearm past 48 hours. In theory this prevents it from being a registry, TICS is frankly bad, has a much higher rate of false positives to the national system and is likely unconstitutional under the states Constitution.

 

Finger prints are required for HCP's, but the thumb print is no longer required for purchase.

[Worriedman]

Virginia allows open carry with no permit, so it recognizes the right to bear and wear arms, Tennessee does not. Tennessee allows you a defense against prosecution of the intent to go armed clause of the TCA (Jim Crow Law still on our books) via a tax.

[Oh Shoot]

... what caught my eye was that an FFL is required to provide the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with the make, model, caliber etc. of the firearm you are purchasing. To me that sounds like de-facto registration, what do people that live in Tn think of this requirement? ..

 

JayC answered the question, though thought I'd add the (stated) reason for that -- TICS runs a check against whatever existing stolen gun databases on every purchase, NICS does not.

 

- OS