(a) A person commits an offense who intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs or sells:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class B felony8 to 30 yearsup to $25,000
class C felony3 to 15 yearsup to $10,000
class E felony1 to 6 yearsup to $3,000
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-17-1302

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Bodily injury: includes a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn or disfigurement, and physical pain or temporary illness or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Explosive weapon: means any explosive, incendiary or poisonous gas:
    (i) Bomb. See Tennessee Code 39-17-1301
  • Force: means compulsion by the use of physical power or violence and shall be broadly construed to accomplish the purposes of this title. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Hoax device: means any device that reasonably appears to be or is purported to be an explosive or incendiary device and is intended to cause alarm or reaction of any type by an official of a public safety agency or a volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies. See Tennessee Code 39-17-1301
  • Knuckles: means any instrument that consists of finger rings or guards made of a hard substance and that is designed, made or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles. See Tennessee Code 39-17-1301
  • Machine gun: means any firearm that is capable of shooting more than two (2) shots automatically, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. See Tennessee Code 39-17-1301
  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) An explosive or an explosive weapon;
(2) A device principally designed, made or adapted for delivering or shooting an explosive weapon;
(3) A machine gun;
(4) [Deleted by 2022 amendment.]
(5) Hoax device;
(6) Knuckles; or
(7) Any other implement for infliction of serious bodily injury or death that has no common lawful purpose.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the person’s conduct:

(1) Was incident to the performance of official duty and pursuant to military regulations in the army, navy, air force, coast guard or marine service of the United States or the Tennessee national guard, or was incident to the performance of official duty in a governmental law enforcement agency or a penal institution;
(2) Was incident to engaging in a lawful commercial or business transaction with an organization identified in subdivision (b)(1);
(3) Was incident to using an explosive or an explosive weapon in a manner reasonably related to a lawful industrial or commercial enterprise;
(4) Was incident to using the weapon in a manner reasonably related to a lawful dramatic performance or scientific research;
(5) Was incident to displaying the weapon in a public museum or exhibition; or
(6) Was licensed by the state of Tennessee as a manufacturer, importer or dealer in weapons; provided, that the manufacture, import, purchase, possession, sale or disposition of weapons is authorized and incident to carrying on the business for which licensed and is for scientific or research purposes or sale or disposition to an organization designated in subdivision (b)(1).
(c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the person must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that:

(1) The person’s conduct was relative to dealing with the weapon solely as a curio, ornament or keepsake, and if the weapon is a type described in subdivisions (a)(1)-(4), that it was in a nonfunctioning condition and could not readily be made operable; or
(2) The possession was brief and occurred as a consequence of having found the weapon or taken it from an aggressor.
(d) It is an exception to the application of subsection (a) that the person acquiring or possessing a weapon described in subdivisions (a)(3) or (a)(4) is in full compliance with the requirements of the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. §§ 5841-5862).
(e) Subsection (a) shall not apply to the possession, manufacture, transportation, repair, or sale of an explosive if:

(1) The person in question is eighteen (18) years of age or older; and
(2) The possession, manufacture, transport, repair, or sale was incident to creating or using an exploding target for lawful sporting activity, as solely intended by the commercial manufacturer.
(f)

(1) An offense under subdivision (a)(1) is a Class B felony.
(2) An offense under subdivisions (a)(2)-(4) is a Class E felony.
(3) An offense under subdivision (a)(5) is a Class C felony.
(4) An offense under subdivisions (a)(6)-(7) is a Class A misdemeanor.
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