Tennessee considers arming teachers: Do other states allow them to carry guns on campus?

More than half of all states have some type of law allowing teachers and other school employees to carry guns on campus.

Tennessee lawmakers are considering a controversial bill that would allow some teachers to go armed in classrooms in the wake of Nashville’s Covenant School shooting last year that killed six people, including three children. 

The bill passed in the Senate and now awaits action in the House, despite vocal protests from Democrats, students and parents.

In a nation plagued with deadly school shootings, here is a closer look at laws in other states for guns in schools.

Which states allow teachers to carry firearms on school grounds?

More than half of all states have some type of law allowing teachers and other school employees to carry concealed guns on campus, according to data compiled by the Giffords Law Center.

Iowa is the most recent state to push for more guns, with lawmakers this week sending a bill to the governor that would allow teachers and other school employees to obtain permits to carry guns on school grounds.

Just 16 states and the District of Columbia have laws specifically prohibiting teachers from carrying guns – Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Most states, including Tennessee, allow non-law enforcement school security to carry guns on campus, and of the states that allow teachers and other school employees to carry guns, many require permission from the school district.  

Spotlight on teacher gun laws

California, a state with some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, allows non-law enforcement to carry guns without needing permission from the school district, but it prohibits teachers and other school employees. 

Texas, Florida, Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota allow teachers and other employees to carry if they are designated school guardians or part of a program.

Tennessee and Arkansas prohibit teachers in public schools from carrying guns but allow exemptions for private schools. 

Six states – Delaware, Nebraska, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Maine – prohibit guns for non-law enforcement school security, teachers and other staff. 

What do schools allow for the general public?

Most states prohibit members of the general public from carrying guns on campus, but a handful – Kansas Michigan Mississippi New Hampshire Oregon Utah and Wyoming – allow the guns if the individual has a concealed carry permit.

Just over half of all states, including Tennessee, allow people with concealed carry permits to keep loaded, unlocked guns in their cars on campus.

How would Tennessee’s law arming teachers work?

Tennessee’s law would allow facilities or staff to carry concealed guns on their respective campuses. The state already allows non-law enforcement school security to carry.

The individual would have to get permission from the district and a law enforcement agency. The district would not be required to notify parents if a gun is in their child’s classroom.

A teacher would have to follow these additional requirements: 

• Have a valid handgun carry permit
• Undergo a background check
• Complete 40 hours of additional training
• Pass a psychological evaluation