This spring the General Assembly passed Public Chapter 1061. The law, which takes effect on July 1, allows generally all UT full-time employees with a valid handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on UT property.

The university has adopted a new safety policy concerning firearms and has posted a list of commonly asked questions.

At 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 20, the University of Tennessee Police Department will begin registering full-time employees who intend to exercise their right to carry a concealed handgun on UT property on or after July 1.

To register, applicants are required to go to the UTPD office at 1101 Cumberland Avenue to complete the paperwork and sign the application in the presence of a sworn UTPD officer. Knoxville-area employees who intend to carry a concealed handgun on university property in the Knoxville area should come to UTPD to register.

Applicants must bring their:

Faculty/staff identification card

Valid Tennessee driver’s license

Valid Tennessee handgun permit

The registration process requires applicants to acknowledge their responsibilities in carrying a handgun, which include their duty to secure and conceal it. UTPD will retain the list of registered permit holders, which can be shared only with other law enforcement agencies.

Full-time employees are prohibited from carrying a concealed handgun into meetings about tenure and employee discipline. Full-time employees may not carry a handgun into any stadium, arena, or auditorium when university-sponsored events are under way. Other prohibited locations are hospitals and offices where medical and mental health services are the primary services provided: Student Health Center, Veterinary Medical Center, Early Learning Center, and the speech and hearing clinics. View a map of all prohibited locations.

This new law does not extend the right to carry a concealed handgun on campus to students. Therefore, full-time employees enrolled in a class or classes at UT are unable to carry a concealed handgun on UT property.

UTPD will offer a voluntary training course that will cover firearm safety, reiteration of statutory requirements and limitations, a review of prohibited locations, personal liabilities, and other pertinent topics. Information on the classes will be provided to registrants.

If you have questions, please contact UT Police at 865-974-3114.