Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Washington County. Johnson City is the medical and university city of the Tri-Cities in the mountains of north-east Tennessee. Washington County dealers run the TBI instant check at pickup.
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, no registration and no waiting period. You complete ATF Form 4473 at the Tennessee dealer you name and pay their transfer fee. Dealers run the check through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's instant check system, which charges a small fee per transaction. Federal age limits apply: 21 for a handgun, 18 for a long gun.
Dealers in these communities all work for Johnson City-area buyers:
Tennessee has allowed permitless handgun carry since July 2021 for adults 21 and over, and for 18 to 20-year-olds with military service, openly or concealed. The enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits are still issued by the Department of Safety and are worth holding for reciprocity and for some posted locations. Schools, courthouses and posted property stay off limits.
Tennessee's gun deer season opens on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and runs into early January, with muzzleloader and archery seasons ahead of it. Wild hogs are not a game animal in Tennessee and may not be hunted on most public land, so check the TWRA rules before you plan on them. Most of the state is Unit L with a generous antlerless allowance, and a separate CWD unit in the southwest has its own rules. Centerfire rifles and handguns, shotguns and muzzleloaders are all legal for deer.
Washington County is the Tri-Cities corner of Appalachian Tennessee, with the Cherokee National Forest and its high-country deer and bear a short drive east and Unit L rules on the valley farms.
The Cherokee National Forest offers public hunting and informal shooting, and the valley's farm deer are hunted from stands with bolt rifles.
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you go.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Elizabethton, Jonesborough, Gray, Johnson City or anywhere in Washington 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 dealer runs the TBI instant check when you complete ATF Form 4473, and you leave with the gun once it clears.
Adults 21 and over who may lawfully possess a handgun can carry openly or concealed without a permit. The Department of Safety still issues permits for travel.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, statewide, running into early January. Washington County is in Unit L unless the current TWRA guide says otherwise.
A .308, 6.5 Creedmoor or .243 in a bolt-action covers deer anywhere it is legal; check whether your state limits deer rifles to straight-walled cartridges.
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 (handgun carry permits) or a local attorney about your own situation.