State of Tennessee approved · 100% online · self-paced
Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit Online Course
Get your permit without taking a day off work. The state-required 90-minute handgun safety course — start tonight, pass the exam, and take your certificate to a Driver Services Center.
Enroll now — $39Instant access · a full year to finish · certificate the moment you pass
Permitless carry stops at the state line — and Tennessee touches eight of them. Your permit doesn't.
- The complete state-required course
- Your certificate included — nothing more to pay when you pass
- A full year to finish it
- No range fee, no ammunition, no day off work
The part most people get wrong
"Tennessee has permitless carry, so I don't need one."
True right up until you leave the state — and in Tennessee, leaving the state is a short drive.
Permitless carry covers about half the country
Roughly 29 states allow some form of permitless carry. In the rest, carrying without a permit is a crime — and a Tennessee permit is recognized in a great many of them. Your permit travels a lot further than permitless carry does.
Every state writes its own rules
Even among permitless states, the minimum ages and the places you may carry are all different. What is legal on this side of the line may not be legal on the other, and "I didn't know" has never been a defense.
A permit is proof, on the spot
At a traffic stop, a permit is a card you hand over with your license. It says a background check was run and a safety course was completed. Without it, the conversation is longer and it is all on you.
The law can change. Your permit doesn't.
Permitless carry is a statute, and statutes get rewritten. A permit in your wallet is good for eight years no matter what the legislature does next session.
Reciprocity and state rules change. Before you travel, check the state's current list: Tennessee handgun permit reciprocity.
Three steps
How you get the permit
Nothing complicated. The only part people get wrong is which office to walk into.
Take this course
90 minutes of video and quizzes, then the final exam. Pass and download your certificate right away.
Any device · pause and resume
Visit a Driver Services Center
Bring your certificate, proof of citizenship, your Social Security number and a photo ID. Pay the state's $65 and get fingerprinted.
Book an appointment — walk-in waits are long
Check the mail
Your permit arrives by mail once the background check clears.
Good for eight yearsTennessee has no DMV — the office you want is a Driver Services Center. Asking for the DMV is the fastest way to get sent somewhere useless.
Who's teaching you
A real instructor with a real storefront
John McConnell
John owns Clarksville Guns & Archery and has spent about fifteen years behind a gun counter. He wrote and filmed every lesson in this course himself. If something doesn't make sense, you can call and talk to the man who taught it — which is not something most online courses can offer.
- State of Tennessee Certified Handgun Carry Permit Instructor
- State-Approved Online Handgun Safety Course Instructor
- NRA Certified Pistol Instructor
- NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
- NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor
- NRA Personal Protection in the Home Instructor
- NRA Refuse To Be A Victim Instructor
- United States Marine Corps veteran
88 lessons · 14 sections · 98 graded questions
What the course covers
Everything the state requires, plus the parts people actually get wrong. Self-defense law gets 21 lessons here.
See all 88 lessons
1 · Introduction
Getting Started · How to navigate · Permit Type · Firearm Safety · Course Objectives · Course Content and Your Responsibility · Eligibility Requirements · Reasons for Denial · Suicide Statistics and Prevention · Active Shooter · Section quiz
2 · Carry Laws
Federal Transportation Guidelines · Firearms in Vehicles · Firearms in Parking Lots · Public Parks and Recreation Grounds · Guns on School Property · Vehicles at Public Post-Secondary Institutions · Employees of Public Higher Education · Private Schools · Under the Influence · Signage · Government Premises · Progress quiz
3 · Tennessee Self-Defense Law
Using a Firearm Under TN Self-Defense Law · Definitions · Phrases to Remember · Immunity · When Defensive Force Cannot Be Used · Self-Defense Summary · More Deadly Force · Protection of Property · Things to Consider · Judgment Considerations · Civil Remedies Unaffected · Forced Entry Into a Residence, Business or Vehicle · Defense of Third Person · Reckless Injury of Innocent Third Person · Progress quiz
4 · Traffic Stop Suggestions
Traffic Stop Suggestions · Sample Traffic Stop · Progress quiz
5 · Handgun Safety
Three Fundamental Rules · Additional Safety Fundamentals · Firearm Accidents: General Causes · Progress quiz
6 · Pistol Types
Pistol Types · Carry Considerations
7 · Revolvers
Primary Parts and Operation · Barrels · Single Action · Double Action · Double Action Only · Revolver Demonstration · Progress quiz
8 · Semi-Automatic Pistols
Semi-Auto Pistols · Nomenclature · Proper Slide Grip · Semi-Auto Demonstration · Malfunctions · Progress quiz
9 · Ammunition
Malfunctions · Considerations · Cartridge Designation and Identification · Cartridge Types · Storage · Progress quiz
10 · Marksmanship
Fundamentals Overview · Stance · Low Ready Position · Grip and Hand Placement · Eye Dominance · Progress quiz
11 · Proper Aiming Technique
Aiming Technique · Sight Alignment · Breath and Trigger Control · Progress quiz
12 · Cleaning and Storage
Cleaning Words of Wisdom · Handgun Cleaning Demonstration · Firearms Storage · Make Sure · Progress quiz
13 · Next Steps
How to get your permit · Falsifying Certificate Warning · Identity Confirmation · Proof of Training Form
14 · Final Exam
38 questions
From students
What others are saying
“The online course was excellent. Very informative and easy to learn. Big thanks for making this available.”David M. — Knoxville, TN
“Took the class last weekend. Great course with some very informative information. Highly recommend CarryTN.”Steve M. — Winchester, TN
“Super easy to navigate through website and course. I have already recommended it to my family, friends and neighbors.”Brandon H. — Nashville, TN
Answers
Questions we get at the counter
Tennessee has permitless carry. Why would I pay for a permit?
Because permitless carry only works in Tennessee. Around 29 states allow some version of it; in the rest, carrying without a permit is a crime. A Tennessee permit is recognized in far more states than permitless carry is. Tennessee borders eight states and is only about 110 miles from top to bottom, so this comes up more often than people expect.
Rules differ state to state and they change. Check the state's current reciprocity list before you travel.
What's my total? Are there any add-ons?
$39 on this site, once. That is the entire course — no upsells, no range fee, no ammunition to buy, and your certificate is included. There is nothing further to pay us when you pass.
Separately, the State of Tennessee charges $65 when you apply in person at a Driver Services Center. We do not receive any part of that.
How do I know this is the real, state-approved course?
Check the state's own list. The Tennessee Department of Safety publishes every approved online course at tn.gov, in the order the courses were approved. Twelve are approved right now, and Clarksville Guns & Archery Tennessee Carry Permit Online School sits second on it — we were the second online course Tennessee ever approved, and the state has recertified us at least once a year ever since. Plenty of schools have come and gone in that time.
Worth doing. There are sites with names close to ours, and the state's list is the only place that settles it.
How long does it take?
About 90 minutes of instruction plus the final exam. You don't have to do it in one sitting — stop whenever you like and pick up where you left off, on any device. You have a full year from purchase to finish. Most people do it over two evenings.
What if I fail the final exam?
You can take it again. Go back through the lessons covering what you missed first — the exam is drawn straight from the course, and people who review pass comfortably the second time. Nobody is going to leave you stuck holding a course you paid for and can't finish.
Can I do it on my phone?
Yes — phone, tablet, laptop or desktop, and you can switch between them mid-course. It remembers where you stopped. Just keep your browser up to date.
Am I eligible?
You must be a resident of Tennessee 18 years of age or older, or have military orders stationing you in Tennessee as your permanent duty station. Certain criminal history, mental health adjudications and other factors can disqualify you. The course covers the full list, and the State of Tennessee makes the final decision.
How soon do I get my certificate?
Immediately on passing the final exam. Download it, print it, and take it with you to the Driver Services Center.
Start tonight. Finish this weekend.
Join the 29,648 Tennesseans who have already taken this course, taught by a shop you can actually walk into.
Enroll now — $39One payment · a full year to complete · certificate the moment you pass