Tenn. Code Ann. § 45-2-2203: Government registry of privately owned firearms and owners prohibited - Exceptions - Financial institutions prohibited from discriminating against firearms retailers - Exclusions

(a) Except for those records kept during the regular course of a criminal investigation and prosecution, or as otherwise required by law, a government entity, or an official, employee, or agent of a governmental entity, shall not knowingly keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of such firearms. (b) A financial institution, including an agent of the financial institution, shall not: (1) Require or permit the assignment of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer from other retailers; or (2) Subject to subsections (c) and (d), decline a payment card transaction involving a firearms retailer based solely on the assignment of a firearms code. (c) This section does not prohibit a financial institution from declining or otherwise refusing to process a payment card transaction for any of the following reasons: (1) If necessary to comply with applicable state or federal law; (2) If requested by the customer; (3) If necessary due to fraud controls; or (4) For the purpose of merchant category exclusions offered by a financial institution for the purpose of expenditure control or corporate card control. (d) This section does not limit the authority of a financial institution to negotiate with responsible parties or otherwise impair a financial institution's actions related to any of the following: (1) Dispute processing; (2) Fraud risk, credit management, or other controls in the ordinary course of business operations; (3) Protecting against illegal activities, breach, or cyber risks; or (4) Restricting the use or availability of a firearms code in this state. Added by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 773,s 1, eff. 7/1/2024.

(a) Except for those records kept during the regular course of a criminal investigation and prosecution, or as otherwise required by law, a government entity, or an official, employee, or agent of a governmental entity, shall not knowingly keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of such firearms.

(b) A financial institution, including an agent of the financial institution, shall not: (1) Require or permit the assignment of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer from other retailers; or (2) Subject to subsections (c) and (d), decline a payment card transaction involving a firearms retailer based solely on the assignment of a firearms code.

(1) Require or permit the assignment of a firearms code in a way that distinguishes a firearms retailer from other retailers; or

(2) Subject to subsections (c) and (d), decline a payment card transaction involving a firearms retailer based solely on the assignment of a firearms code.

(c) This section does not prohibit a financial institution from declining or otherwise refusing to process a payment card transaction for any of the following reasons: (1) If necessary to comply with applicable state or federal law; (2) If requested by the customer; (3) If necessary due to fraud controls; or (4) For the purpose of merchant category exclusions offered by a financial institution for the purpose of expenditure control or corporate card control.

(1) If necessary to comply with applicable state or federal law;

(2) If requested by the customer;

(3) If necessary due to fraud controls; or

(4) For the purpose of merchant category exclusions offered by a financial institution for the purpose of expenditure control or corporate card control.

ions offered by a financial institution for the purpose of expenditure control or corporate card control.

(1) If necessary to comply with applicable state or federal law;

(2) If requested by the customer;

(3) If necessary due to fraud controls; or

(4) For the purpose of merchant category exclusions offered by a financial institution for the purpose of expenditure control or corporate card control.

(d) This section does not limit the authority of a financial institution to negotiate with responsible parties or otherwise impair a financial institution's actions related to any of the following: (1) Dispute processing; (2) Fraud risk, credit management, or other controls in the ordinary course of business operations; (3) Protecting against illegal activities, breach, or cyber risks; or (4) Restricting the use or availability of a firearms code in this state.

(1) Dispute processing;

(2) Fraud risk, credit management, or other controls in the ordinary course of business operations;

(3) Protecting against illegal activities, breach, or cyber risks; or

(4) Restricting the use or availability of a firearms code in this state.