ArmorOS

TN

Tennessee — Body Armor Regulation Profile

Statutes, eligibility requirements, shipping rules, and the dealer and agency directory for this jurisdiction.

Enhanced penalty
Civilian purchase
Yes
Online sale
Yes
Face-to-face
No
Profession-gated
No

Primary Statute

Tenn. Code §39-17-1324

Strategic Context

Gpo Sweet Spots
  • rural sheriffs among 95 counties (East TN Appalachian + West TN rural)
  • Fort Campbell SOF-contractor ecosystem
  • Nashville music industry security specialty
  • Memphis FedEx Superhub specialty
  • Y-12 + ORNL federal-nuclear contractor security
  • TN community colleges + smaller public universities
  • small municipal PDs
Unique To TN Categories
  • Fort_Campbell_5th_SFG_160th_SOAR_101st_ABN_major_SOF_concentration
  • Oak_Ridge_Y_12_nuclear_weapons_component_production_unique_protective_force
  • FedEx_Memphis_Superhub_largest_cargo_hub_Western_Hemisphere
  • CoreCivic_Nashville_HQ
  • HCA_Healthcare_Nashville_HQ
  • Vanderbilt_VUPD_one_of_largest_private_university_PDs_US
  • Nashville_music_industry_security_specialty
  • TVA_Police_federal_authority
  • Dollywood_Graceland_seasonal_tourism_surges
  • Nashville_consolidated_Metro_government_unique_PD_SO_structure
  • Arnold_AEDC_Air_Force_largest_jet_engine_testing
Onboarding Friction Notes
TN is enhanced_penalty tier (Class E felony for armor during crime); enhancement informational only; TN Private Protective Services registration serves as profession verification proxy
Partnership Opportunities
  • TN CPO state contract awardee
  • Tennessee Sheriffs' Association endorsement
  • TACP endorsement
  • TN Board of Regents + UT System cooperative
  • CoreCivic Nashville HQ strategic corporate relationship
  • HCA Healthcare Nashville HQ healthcare-security relationship
  • Fort Campbell SOF-contractor channel
  • Vanderbilt VUPD direct engagement
  • Music industry security channel (CMA + labels + venues)
Aggregated Demand Estimate
90000+ tactical-armor-eligible buyers in TN
Strategic Corporate Anchors
TN has unique dual HQ concentration: HCA Healthcare + CoreCivic in Nashville metro = direct relationships with healthcare-security + private-corrections giants
Phase 2 Threshold Met By Tn Alone
true

Detailed intelligence

Laws

Reviewed 2026-04-14Public

Laws — Tennessee

Restriction tier: enhanced_penalty

Federal baseline

  • 18 USC §931 — violent felons prohibited.

State statutes

Tenn. Code §39-17-1324 — Unlawful Wearing of Body Armor

  • Codification: Tenn. Code Ann. §39-17-1324 (armor provisions)
  • Summary: Makes it unlawful to wear body armor during the commission of a crime. Unlawful wearing is a Class E felony.
  • Source: TN Code Title 39

Civilian purchase

  • Adults 18+ (non-felon) may purchase online or in-person.
  • No dealer license required.

Local ordinances

None identified.

Recent changes (past 3 years)

None material.

Pending / proposed legislation

Monitor TN General Assembly.

ArmorOS compliance handling

  • Civilians permitted 18+
  • Federal §931 screening
  • Standard flow

Regulations

Reviewed 2026-04-14Public

Regulations — [STATE]

State agency administrative rules

[Any state-level agency rules implementing armor-related statutes — often from State Police, Dept. of Public Safety, or Department of State.]

Enforcement posture

[How rigorously the state enforces armor statutes, any notable enforcement actions.]

Sources

[AG opinions, state police guidance, state AG website links.]

Purchase channels

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Dealer licensing

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Suppliers in state

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Tactical buyers

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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Law-enforcement breakdown

Per-agency detail — name-level coverage of municipal PDs, sheriffs, state police, corrections, National Guard, federal-in-state, transit/port, and university/campus police. Verified-industry subscribers only.

Major municipal PDs

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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County sheriffs

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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State police / highway patrol

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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Tactical-buyer intel and LE agency breakdowns are limited to verified-industry subscribers — document review takes ~2 business days.
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Corrections

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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National Guard

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
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Tactical-buyer intel and LE agency breakdowns are limited to verified-industry subscribers — document review takes ~2 business days.
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Federal agencies in-state

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
Available to Verified Industry members
Tactical-buyer intel and LE agency breakdowns are limited to verified-industry subscribers — document review takes ~2 business days.
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Transit & port authorities

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
Available to Verified Industry members
Tactical-buyer intel and LE agency breakdowns are limited to verified-industry subscribers — document review takes ~2 business days.
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University & campus police

Reviewed 2026-04-15Verified Industry
Available to Verified Industry members
Tactical-buyer intel and LE agency breakdowns are limited to verified-industry subscribers — document review takes ~2 business days.
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Authorized Dealers (1)

Dana Safety Supply, Inc. (DSS)

Greensboro

Point BlankSafarilandArmor ExpressGH ArmorSurvival Armor
(336) 854-5536Website

Law Enforcement Agencies (34)

TN Army + Air National Guard

national_guard

12,200
sworn

Tennessee Department of Correction

state_corrections

6,000
sworn

Memphis Police Department

municipal_pd

2,000
sworn

Shelby County Sheriff's Office

county_sheriff

1,700
sworn

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

consolidated_metro_pd

1,400
sworn

Tennessee Highway Patrol

state_police

900
sworn

Davidson County Sheriff's Office

metro_sheriff_court

600
sworn

Knox County Sheriff's Office

county_sheriff

600
sworn

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

county_sheriff

500
sworn

Y-12 Protective Force (Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC)

federal_contractor_nuclear_protective

500
sworn

Chattanooga Police Department

municipal_pd

490
sworn

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

state_investigative

400
sworn