Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms in Tennessee.’ Hardware & Ammunition. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 8 December
Relevant contents
Machine Guns and Automatic Firearms in Tennessee
Tennessee law generally penalizes anyone who intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs or sells a machine gun. However, it is a defense to prosecution that the person's conduct involved acquisition or possession of a machine gun that is validly registered to the person under federal law in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records.
Federal law generally allows private citizens to acquire and possess machine guns manufactured prior to May 19, 1986 so long as they are registered. Tennessee law simply requires a person who acquires or possesses a firearm registered as required under federal law to retain proof of registration.
Tennessee law requires the sheriff or chief of police of the city where a person purchasing any machine gun (or other firearm required to be registered under the National Firearms Act) resides to execute within 15 business days all documents required to be submitted by the purchaser if the purchaser is not prohibited from possessing firearms pursuant to Tennessee law…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]
Last accessed at:
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/machine-guns-automatic-firearms-in-tennessee/