Concerned over legal issues

[Sylan]

Hi, sorry if this has been asked before or belongs somewhere else. I tried to make sure it hadn't already been covered beforehand. I just bought my first set of picks in a while. My last set was purchased in a different state. However, I now live in Tennessee, and I just learned that possession of lock picks is illegal here. While I don't intend to take them from home, I'm concerned over the shipping. Is there a chance of any legal issues coming up with them getting here? They're arriving through the "Standard ground shipping" option from lockpickshop.com. Thanks to anyone who can clear up this information.

[johnb007]

Based on what I've read, I'd avoid taking them from home or shipping any lock-pick stuff to your address in TN.

I found this on http://toool.us/laws.html

TN: Possibly illegal by statute; new laws targeting rogue or scammer locksmiths are broadly-written and criminalize possession of lockpicks by unlicensed persons.
However, a common sense reading of the new statutes shows that they are targeting those who improperly seek to earn money by defrauding the public.
Use and demonstration of lockpicks might be considered legal if not done for profit. TOOOL is writing to the Tennessee AG's office for clarification.

Law/Legal Verbage:

"The purpose of this act is to provide uniform procedures and qualifications throughout Tennessee for licensing and regulation of locksmiths, to protect the public of Tennessee by prohibiting the unauthorized use of lock picking, safe opening, and car opening tools by making it illegal for persons convicted of certain crimes to obtain or possess such tools, and to protect the safety and security of persons and property by assuring that individuals or companies offering locksmithing services to the general public are competent in locksmithing services"

Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 62

§ 4 - (8) "Locksmith" means any natural person who provides locksmithing services for any type of compensation; (9) "Locksmithing services" means: (A) Repairing, rebuilding, repinning, recombinating, servicing, adjusting, or installing any lock, safe, or vault; or (B) Operating a lock, safe, or vault by means other than those intended by the manufacturer of such lock, safe, or vault;

§ 5 - (g) No person who is not licensed under this act shall possess, use, sell, or offer to sell any code book, lock picking tool, manipulation key, try-out key, safe opening tool, or car opening tool. (h) No person shall sell, offer to sell, or give to any person not licensed under this act any code book, lock picking tool, manipulation key, try-out key, safe opening tool, or car opening tool.

§ 6 - (a) The following persons, firms, partnerships, associations, or corporations not offering any other locksmithing services are specifically excluded from the requirements of this act... (5) Locksmith trade publications or equipment manufacturers or distributors not providing direct locksmithing services to the public; (7) Architects and engineers not providing direct sales, adjustment, or installation of locks;