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Airgun law · United States

Are Airguns Legal in Tennessee?

Yes, with conditions.

Generally legal, but with real rules to follow, usually age verification and, in some places, a low-power threshold.

Tier 3: Moderate

Mainly age verification (typically 18+), with some local variance.

TN

The picture at a glance

Each measure below scores how restrictive Tennessee is on that part of owning or transferring an airgun, from permissive (green) to firearm-level (red).

ClassificationNot a firearm
Age rule18+ for sales
PossessionFree for adults
Transfer / saleAge verification
TransportNo state rule
PreemptionPartial preemption

The rules in detail

Classification
Not a firearm
Not a firearm under state law.
Age rule
18+ for sales
18+ for purchase.
Possession
Free for adults
Lawful for adults.
Transfer / sale
Age verification
Verify 18+ for sales.
Transport
No state rule
No state-specific transport rules.
Preemption
Partial preemption
Standard firearms preemption.

Hunting with an airgun

PCP air guns .35 caliber or larger (built-in manometer) legal for deer, bear and elk in gun season; not for turkey, except the PCP arrow gun in modern gun season

Deer
Explicitly allowed
Allowed in gun season: PCP air gun .35 caliber or larger with built-in manometer, or PCP arrow gun
Turkey
Allowed with conditions
Only via PCP arrow-shooting setup in statewide gun seasons
Small game
Allowed with conditions
Allowed with air guns .25 caliber or smaller
Predators
Allowed with conditions
Allowed (air guns .25 cal or smaller, or PCP .35 cal+ with manometer); not during the nighttime coyote/bobcat-only season
Other big game
Explicitly allowed
Bear/elk: Allowed in gun season with PCP air gun .35 caliber or larger (built-in manometer), or PCP arrow gun
Caliber / FPE minimums
Big game: PCP air gun ≥ .35 caliber with built-in manometer. Small game/furbearers: air guns .25 caliber or smaller also legal. Turkey: PCP arrow gun only (modern gun season). Arrow-gun setup detailed in TWRA table.
Notes
Tennessee allows PCP air guns .35 caliber or larger (with a built-in manometer) for deer, bear and elk during gun seasons (legal-devices table since Proclamation 18-05, current Proclamation 26-06). Air guns are not legal for turkey; the PCP arrow gun is legal for all hunters in modern gun season for deer, bear, elk and turkey.

Keep exploring

Open the interactive mapSee how this compares across the map and switch between legal and hunting views.→Find a place to shootAirgun-friendly ranges, flagged where confirmed.→Ballistics toolkitCheck energy, velocity, and range for any airgun and load.→Ammo databaseBrowse 600+ pellets and slugs by caliber and weight.→

This is a plain-language summary compiled from primary statutes and official guidance. It isn't legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so verify the current rules with the relevant authority before buying, selling, or hunting.