CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennesseans are signing up for the newly-approved, online-only gun permit classes at a fast clip.
The new concealed carry permits would allow people to carry a concealed gun after taking an online class as short as 90 minutes. The permit differs from previously issued carry permits, which allow both concealed carry and carrying the weapon in the open, such as in a holster.
Clarksville Guns and Archery was one of only five locations in Tennessee on Thursday offering the new online-only concealed carry permit class.
On Thursday alone, owner John McConnell says more than 700 people signed up to take his class, with more than 500 already completing it that day.
The state still requires an in-person class if a gun owner wants to open carry in addition to carrying a concealed gun. That permit, formerly called a "handgun carry permit," is now called an "Enhanced handgun carry permit."
If you already have a carry permit from years past, you don't need to do anything: your permit is converted to an Enhanced handgun carry permit.
McConnell says while the approved courses teach about the states laws and different parts of the gun, it doesn't train you how to shoot. That's something gun store owners say you should seek out separately.
It's kind of like going to the DMV to get your drivers license," McConnell said. "They're not going to teach you how to drive, they're going to test you on your driving abilities."
