Visiting Nashville

Hello everyone. My family and I will be visiting Nashville for four days later in July. I have been reading up on TN laws for carry. Since I have a Missouri CCW permit, I should be covered for the locations that are allowed by law. I am curious though if most businesses and restaurants tend to be carry-friendly or if most have gun-buster signs. Just trying to get a feel for what to expect. Thanks...

Morpheus97 said:

Hello everyone. My family and I will be visiting Nashville for four days later in July. I have been reading up on TN laws for carry. Since I have a Missouri CCW permit, I should be covered for the locations that are allowed by law. I am curious though if most businesses and restaurants tend to be carry-friendly or if most have gun-buster signs. Just trying to get a feel for what to expect. Thanks...

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Most either don't care or are totally oblivious to the issue in general. That said, before you enter a building, look for signs, almost anything is legal now.

Thanks for the info. I'll be watching for the signs.

Look for a "gun buster" sign on or around the door. Most do not have it. Most do not know about the ability to post. Most simply do not care. Remember: As long as you are not consuming alcohol, you can carry into "bars." (Note: in quotes, as there are no "bars" under law, just restaurants that server more than 50% of their sales in alcohol, and pay the fines for doing it...)
Permit here allows for open or concealed.
Stay cool, as late July is freakin hot and humid.

What you comin into town for? Might be able to be more specific...

good to know

I too am visiting Tenn. and didn't know that cc or oc is legal in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as the carrier doesn't consume alcohol. can you cite the law or direct me to the statute # please? would be helpful to print out that little bit of law to have handy in case of a LEO encounter.

HvyMtl said:

Look for a "gun buster" sign on or around the door. Most do not have it. Most do not know about the ability to post. Most simply do not care. Remember: As long as you are not consuming alcohol, you can carry into "bars." (Note: in quotes, as there are no "bars" under law, just restaurants that server more than 50% of their sales in alcohol, and pay the fines for doing it...)
Permit here allows for open or concealed.
Stay cool, as late July is freakin hot and humid.

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Thanks for the advice. Tennessee sounds simpler for OC than Missouri. In Missouri, CC has preemption at the state level but OC is left up to each municipality. In some towns OC is allowed if you can legally possess a firearm, others require a CC permit to legally OC, and the rest prohibit OC. You really have to do a lot of research to make sure you stay legal while OCing.

HvyMtl said:

What you comin into town for? Might be able to be more specific...

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We have family coming from multiple directions and meeting in the middle, which happens to be Nashville. I imagine most of the time the kids will be swimming while the adults are catching up with each other. I doubt we'll get out much other than to visit restaurants, etc.

Ken56 said:

I too am visiting Tenn. and didn't know that cc or oc is legal in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as the carrier doesn't consume alcohol. can you cite the law or direct me to the statute # please? would be helpful to print out that little bit of law to have handy in case of a LEO encounter.

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I started with www.handgunlaw.us. The document about TN laws mentions that it is legal, but it does not reference the statute #. There are links in the document to the appropriate location on the TN state website which contains more details, but the links to the docs on the TN state website are not working tonight.

Ken56 said:

I too am visiting Tenn. and didn't know that cc or oc is legal in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as the carrier doesn't consume alcohol. can you cite the law or direct me to the statute # please? would be helpful to print out that little bit of law to have handy in case of a LEO encounter.

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Like most statutory laws, what is allowed is generally not specified, only what is forbidden.

At any rate, here is the only booze/carry statute:

http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/...S-zSkAW&_md5=c3ff7ee96e486b826e9b559430ab5b8c

- OS

Ken56 said:

I too am visiting Tenn. and didn't know that cc or oc is legal in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as the carrier doesn't consume alcohol. can you cite the law or direct me to the statute # please? would be helpful to print out that little bit of law to have handy in case of a LEO encounter.

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As OS said, there really isn't a law that says you can...there just not longer is one that says you can't. Here is the bill that was passed that removed the law http://state.tn.us/sos/acts/106/pub/pc1009.pdf

But after two bills being passed, vetoed and the veto overridden....it's hard to believe there would be a LEO who didn't know....but not impossiable...

Thank you, Fallguy for that. I tried to look this up myself on the Tenn. legislature site but things wern't working right. maybe it was me but.....go figure. Its nice to know that I can go into a place to have a bite to eat and not worry if they serve alcohol. I will be carrying concealed though so as not to cause any unpleasent excitement on my vacation and have the wife have to bail me out. lol....thanks again.