Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Knox County. Knoxville sits on the Tennessee River in the valley between the Cumberland Plateau and the Great Smokies, with the university and Oak Ridge shaping the local economy. Orders ship to FFL dealers across Knox County and down into Blount and Loudon.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Tennessee law allows.
Tennessee has no purchase permit and no waiting period, but the check is run by the state. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is the point of contact, so your dealer submits the sale through the TICS system rather than calling the FBI. Federal age rules apply at the counter: 21 for handguns and 18 for long guns. A Tennessee handgun carry permit does not replace the background check, because the state permit is not on the federal list of qualifying alternatives, so expect a TICS check on every dealer purchase.
Dealers in these communities all work for Knoxville-area buyers:
Tennessee allows permitless carry of a handgun, openly or concealed, by eligible adults, and the age was lowered to 18 following litigation and the 2024 and 2025 changes to the permit statute. The law covers handguns, not rifles and shotguns, which are handled under separate rules. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security still issues the enhanced handgun carry permit and the concealed handgun carry permit, both valid eight years, and the enhanced permit carries the widest recognition in other states.
The statewide gun season for deer runs November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027, with archery opening in the fall and muzzleloader ahead of the gun opener. Archery gear is legal during the muzzleloader and gun seasons, and straight-walled rifle cartridges of .35 caliber or larger are allowed on private land during the second week of muzzleloader season. The statewide bag is two antlered deer, one per day, with antlerless limits set by unit. Wild hogs are a nuisance species with no hunting season, and only landowners and their designees may remove them.
Knox County is deer Unit 5, where the antlerless limit is tighter than in the middle of the state. Chuck Swan WMA to the north and the Cherokee National Forest to the east hold the closest public hunting.
Cherokee National Forest and the Cumberland Plateau WMAs put deer, bear and turkey country inside a short drive, and the chain of TVA lakes keeps the boat ramps busy nine months a year.
The ranges below are run or officially listed by state wildlife agencies and state forests near the cities we cover. Most want a hunting or fishing license, an access permit or a daily fee, and some close seasonally, so read the agency page before you drive out.
Source: State wildlife agency public range lists (Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah), September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Farragut, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Knoxville or anywhere in Knox County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs a TICS check on every dealer sale, and the state permit does not qualify as a federal alternative.
Tennessee allows eligible adults to carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit. The law covers handguns only, and the enhanced permit is still worth having for travel.
Not as game. Wild hogs are classed as a nuisance species with no season, and removal is limited to landowners and their designees under TWRA rules.
Rarely. States that allow handgun hunting set cartridge or energy minimums that 9mm does not meet, which rules out a G34 or G17L. The 10mm G40 with its 6.02-inch barrel is the one long slide that meets some state minimums, and you still have to read your own rules first.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our buying guide and check with Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security or a local attorney about your own situation.