U.S. state · federal alcohol permits
Alcohol permits in Tennessee
Every TTB Federal Basic Permit holder in Tennessee - wineries, distilleries, importers, and wholesalers, from the public List of Permittees.
- 862
- Total permits
- #27
- National rank
- 12.1
- Low density · per 100k
- 163
- Cities covered
Count rank ≠ density rank
Tennessee holds 862 federal alcohol permits (#27 of 52 by count) but ranks #46 at 12.1 per 100,000 residents — count rank and density rank diverge on this state.
- #27
- by total permits
- #46
- by permits per capita
- 862
- permits in state
- 12.1/100k
- residents
Source: TTB List of Permittees (August 2026) · Census Vintage-2023 population.
Comparing more than one state? Save Tennessee to your Permit Explorer watchlist to keep this state alongside the others you are reviewing. The watchlist stays in your browser and its comparison link preserves the selected states, permit class, and sort order.
Data updated September 2026
Tennessee vs all states by federal permit count
Where this state's TTB Basic Permit count sits among every state and territory on PlainAlcohol
862 27th of 52 higher than 25 of 52 states
States, banded by federal alcohol Basic Permit count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source TTB List of Permittees · August 2026
Permit mix
How Tennessee's 862 permits split across the four classes.
Top cities in Tennessee
Bar length = federal alcohol permit holders in the city
- Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
190 permits
- Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
79 permits
- Knoxville 59
Knoxville, Tennessee
59 permits
- Chattanooga 41
Chattanooga, Tennessee
41 permits
- Franklin 39
Franklin, Tennessee
39 permits
Tennessee alcohol industry score
One composite grade from Tennessee's own TTB permit data, benchmarked against every other state and territory PlainAlcohol tracks (not an external industry standard). A state missing an input is graded on the remaining dimensions alone -- the missing weight moves to them rather than deflating the score.
TTB-permitted producers per 100,000 residents
1 minus the Herfindahl index across distillery/winery/importer/wholesaler permit shares -- higher means no single permit type dominates
Distinct cities with a TTB-permitted producer, per 100,000 residents
Source: TTB List of Permittees, August 2026, and U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population. See methodology.
All permit holders (862)
Page 7 of 18Data & reports
National TTB statistics →
Citeable national permit totals, class mix, and state rankings from the same TTB extract.
Permit release changes →
What changed between TTB List of Permittees releases: new, closed, and net permit counts.
52-state landscape CSV →
Downloadable state-level permit counts for every jurisdiction in this directory.
Frequently asked questions
How many federal alcohol permits are in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 862 active federal alcohol Basic Permits - 130 wineries, 144 distilleries, 175 importers, and 413 wholesalers. That is the 27th most of any U.S. state or territory.
What is Tennessee's per-capita permit rate?
Tennessee has 12.1 federal alcohol permits per 100,000 residents (U.S. Census Vintage-2023 population), ranking 46th by density. Per-capita rates are high in wine- and spirits-producing states with smaller populations.
Which Tennessee city has the most permit holders?
Nashville leads Tennessee with 190 federal alcohol permit holders, followed by Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga.
Are breweries included?
No. Breweries do not hold an FAA Basic Permit, they operate under a Brewer's Notice (IRC §6103, protected from disclosure), so they are not in the public TTB List of Permittees this directory is built from.
Where does this data come from?
The TTB FOIA "List of Permittees," published August 2026, public U.S. government data, reformatted without alteration.
Reading Tennessee's count-vs-density split
Tennessee holds 862 federal alcohol permits (#27 of 52 by count) but ranks #46 at 12.1 per 100,000 residents — count rank and density rank diverge on this state. Federal Basic Permits authorize FAA Act activity, not retail sale, and are not a substitute for the state ABC license.
Source: TTB FOIA List of Permittees, published August 2026, public U.S. government data, reformatted without alteration. Per-capita rates use U.S. Census Bureau Vintage-2023 population (Verify with the Census Bureau →). Confirm any record against the official TTB Public Permit Search. For informational purposes only; see our disclaimer.