Tennessee to now deny firearms purchases based on DUI standard contained in permitless carry law?

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s “TICS” division, which is the division that performs background checks on firearms purchases from federally licensed dealers, has announced that it will now deny transfers to anyone who has had 2 or more DUI’s in the preceding 10 years or 1 or more DUI’s in the last 5 years.

An apparent email from the TICS division to federally licensed firearms that was sent out on July 1, 2021, dealers states:

From: TICS on behalf of Sandi Duncan
Sent: Thursday, July 1, 2021, 9:26 AM
To: TICS@LISTSERV.TN.GOV
Subject: July 1, 2021 New Law

As of July 1, 2021, a new law has gone into effect. (Attached) I wanted to notify all the FFL Dealers in the state, because TICS will now have to deny firearm transactions on individuals that have been convicted of one DUI within the last five years, and individuals that have two DUI convictions in the last ten years. I was hoping this new law would not have an effect on the purchases, but I was notified late yesterday that we would now have to deny the transactions that meet this criteria. I have attached the Public Chapter 108 which is the new Permitless Carry Law.

Sandi Duncan
CJIS Manager – TICS Unit
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
901 R.S. Gass Blvd. Nashville, TN. 37216

TFA has contacted the TICS unit with an Open Records Request to obtain a copy of any research that was performed to support this policy determination but has not at this time received a reply.

It is not clear what the basis for the TIC’s policy change is but TFA is sending requests for clarification to TBI, the Department of Safety and even the BATF.

One thing appears clear. This is the kind of thing that might be anticipated when new state laws are written that impose new infringements on Second Amendment rights and those new infringements have potential “ripple” effects that may or may not have been intended.

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