Texas is classed as a “shall Issue” state with the law regulating ownership of firearms to any person at least 18 years old. Texas gun laws do not regulate the possession of firearms so any person, no matter what age, can possess a firearm as long as they are not a felon. To purchase a handgun a person must be at least 21 years old if buying from a federally licensed dealer. Licenses to carry are issued to both residents and non-residents with a 4-6 hour training course required. Open carry is legal provided the handgun is in a shoulder or belt holster.
All non-resident permits from states that Texas honors will be accepted in Texas as long as the holder of the permit is at least 21 years old.
Texas has signed reciprocity agreements with 31 other states which can be viewed at the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website.
Resident Licences
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Non-Resident Licences
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, New York City, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington.
DistrictRhode Island – Only permits issued by the Rhode Island Attorney General will be honored by Texas
Ohio – Permits must have been issued or renewed after 3/23/15 to be honored in Texas.
Texas state flag
The Texas License To Carry (LTC) is issue to qualified applicants who are at least 21 years old or 18 if in the military. The license is also required if a person wants to carry a handgun openly. Previously the handgun permit was called a Concealed Handgun License CHL however this was changed to License To Carry (LTC) in January 2016.
Applications for a license are handled by the Department of Public Safety who require first time applications to be made online. There is a fee of $40 with the license being valid for 5 years.
Non-residents can apply online for a Texas LTC or mail in the forms. The application will need to contain the following;
Texas Non-Resident License is valid in:
AK, AL, AR, AZ, DE, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NV, NM, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY
All applicants are required to complete a 4-6 hour instruction course set by the state and taught by a licensed instructor. The cost of the courses varies but on average are around $100-$125. Course topics usually include state gun laws, handgun safety, liability and conflict resolution. There is a written and practical part to the course with the practical qualification requiring 50 rounds of ammunition to be fired. Once the course has been passed the instructor will supply a Certificate of Training (CHL-100) which the student must submit to the DPS.
Follow these steps to obtain a permit
If you are making the application by mail send your application to;
Texas Department of Public Safety
Concealed Handgun – MSC 0245
PO Box 4087
Austin, TX
NON-RESIDENTS
Out of state residents must supply a color copy, front and back, of your state drivers license or ID card. A proficiency certificate not greater than two years old from a course approved by the DPS. Non-Residents can make applications online or via mail. Application for a Handgun License
Application Conditions | Original | Renewal |
---|---|---|
Individual | $40 | $40 |
Active Judicial or Probation Officer | $25 | $25 |
Retired Judicial Officer | $25 | $25 |
Active Military/Peace Officer/Correctional Officer/County Jailer | $0 | $0 |
Retired Peace Officer/Federal Officer | $25 | $25 |
Senior Citizen | $40 | $35 |
Veteran (Honorably Discharged) | $25 | $25 |
* The sections marked with an asterisk (*) do not apply if the person was not given effective notice under Section 30.06 or 30.07. (And must be posted with approved signage)
All the most important Texas gun laws you should be aware of are listed below. Make yourself familiar with these laws before carry a firearm.
Subject | Handguns | Long Guns | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Carry permit required | Yes | No | Policy is Shall Issue. |
Purchase permit required | No | No | |
Registration of firearm | No | No | |
Open carry allowed | Yes | Yes | |
Background checks on private gun sales required | No | No | |
Magazine size restriction | No | No |
Any person who can legally possess a handgun can carry it within a vehicle.
However, if you do not have a Texas license to carry or a firearms license from another state that Texas honors then the firearm must be concealed in the glove box, console or other area but not on your person.
If you do have a LTC license then you can open carry in a vehicle if the firearm is in a shoulder or belt holster. And you can conceal carry in any mode you desire.
In order to open carry a handgun in Texas you will need a LTC license.
If you do have a LTC or other state license Texas honors then you can only open carry if the firearm is in a shoulder or belt holster. These are the only ways Texas law allows a person to open carry. The police also have authority to ask for your license to carry when you open carry.
There seems to be a bit of confusion here with some websites claiming you need to inform a law enforcement officer you have a weapon. The fact is the law does not mention this and you are not legally required to inform law enforcement you have a weapon. However, the law does require you to hand over your firearm licence and ID if requested to do so by law enforcement. Please watch the video on traffic stops for more clarification.
Sec. 411.205 Requirement to Display License
Texas does not have constitutional carry.
It is legal to carry in the following areas;
State Parks: YES
State/National Forests: YES
State Game Management Units: YES
Road Side Rest Areas: YES
“Yes” or “No” states if you can carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol. Some restaurants may be posted with “NO GUN” signs. Check with the staff if this means just the bar area. If we have indicated a “Yes” then it should be legal to have a meal without drinking alcohol.
It is legal to carry in the following areas;
State Parks: YES
State/National Forests: YES
State Game Management Units: YES
Road Side Rest Areas: YES
“Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State; but the legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime”.
(ART. I § 23)
(a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder’s person under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and intentionally displays the handgun in plain view of another person in a public place. It is an exception to the application of this subsection that the handgun was partially or wholly visible but was carried in a shoulder or belt holster by the license holder.
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a partially or wholly visible handgun, regardless of whether the handgun is holstered, on or about the license holder’s person under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and intentionally displays the handgun in plain view of another person:
(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun regardless of whether the handgun is concealed or carried in a shoulder or belt holster, on or about the license holder ’s person:
*Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06 or 30.07.
(d) A license holder commits an offense if, while intoxicated, the license holder carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed or carried in a shoulder or belt holster.
(e) A license holder who is licensed as a security officer under Chapter 1702, Occupations Code, and employed as a security officer commits an offense if, while in the course and scope of the security officer’s employment, the security officer violates a provision of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code.
(f) In this section:
(1-a) “Institution of higher education” and “private or independent institution of higher education” have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
(g) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the offense is committed under Subsection (b)(1) or (b)(3), in which event the offense is a felony of the third degree.
(h) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) or (a-1) that the actor, at the time of the commission of the offense, displayed the handgun under circumstances in which the actor would have been justified in the use of force or deadly force under Chapter 9.
(i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06 or 30.07.
(j) Subsections (a), (a-1), and (b)(1) do not apply to a historical reenactment performed in compliance with the rules of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
(e-1) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(5) that the actor:
(e-2) A peace officer investigating conduct that may constitute an offense under Subsection (a)(5) and that consists only of an actor’s possession of a handgun that the actor is licensed to carry under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, may not arrest the actor for the offense unless:
It is an exception to the application of this section that the property on which the license holder carries a concealed handgun is owned or leased by a governmental entity and is not a premises or other place on which the license holder is prohibited from carrying the handgun under Section 46.03 or 46.035. In order to provide notice that entry on property by a license holder with a handgun is forbidden
Penal Code 30.06(c)(3)(A) Trespass By License Holder With a Concealed Handgun.
(a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder:
(a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder:
(b) For purposes of this section, a person receives notice if the owner of the property or someone with apparent authority to act for the owner provides notice to the person by oral or written communication.
(c) In this section:
(A) a card or other document on which is written language identical to the following: “Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly”; or
(B) a sign posted on the property that:
(d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $200, except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that, after entering the property, the license holder was personally given the notice by oral communication described by Subsection (b) and subsequently failed to depart.
(e) It is an exception to the application of this section that the property on which the license holder openly carries the handgun is owned or leased by a governmental entity and is not a premises or other place on which the license holder is prohibited from carrying the handgun under Section 46.03 or 46.035.
(f) It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the handgun was carried in a shoulder or belt holster.
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (i), a state agency or a political subdivision of the state may not provide notice by a communication described by Section 30.06, Penal Code, or by any sign expressly referring to that law or to a license to carry a handgun, that a license holder carrying a handgun under the authority of this subchapter is prohibited from entering or remaining on a premises or other place owned or leased by the governmental entity unless license holders are prohibited from carrying a handgun on the premises or other place by Section 46.03 or 46.035, Penal Code.
(b) A state agency or a political subdivision of the state that violates Subsection (a) is liable for a civil penalty of:
(c) Each day of a continuing violation of Subsection (a) constitutes a separate violation.
(d) A resident of this state or a person licensed to carry a handgun under this subchapter may file a complaint with the attorney general that a state agency or political subdivision is in violation of Subsection (a) if the resident or person provides the agency or subdivision a written notice that describes the violation and specific location of the sign found to be in violation and the agency or subdivision does not cure the violation before the end of the third business day after the date of receiving the written notice. (See complete statute. Edited for space Considerations.)
If a license holder is carrying a handgun on or about the license holder’s person when a magistrate or a peace officer demands that the license holder display identification, the license holder shall display both the license holder’s driver’s license or identification certificate issued by the department and the license holder’s handgun license.
(a) A person commits an offense if the person [he] intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun, illegal knife, or club if the person is not:
(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the person’s control at any time in which:
(a-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a partially or wholly visible handgun, regardless of whether the handgun is holstered, on or about the license holder ’s person under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and intentionally displays the handgun in plain view of another person:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, including Section 43.002 of this code and Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, a municipality may not adopt regulations relating to:
(b) Subsection (a) does not affect the authority a municipality has under another law to:
7. regulate the hours of operation of a sport shooting range, except that the hours of operation may not be more limited than the least limited hours of operation of any other business in the municipality other than a business permitted or licensed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption; or
8. regulate the carrying of an air gun by a minor on:
(c) The exception provided by Subsection (b)(6) does not apply if the firearm or air gun is in or is carried to or from an area designated for use in a lawful hunting, fishing, or other sporting event and the firearm or air gun is of the type commonly used in the activity.
(d) The exception provided by Subsection (b)(4) does not authorize the seizure or confiscation of any firearm, air gun, knife, or ammunition from an individual who is lawfully carrying or possessing the firearm, air gun, knife, or ammunition.
(e) In this section:
(f) The attorney general may bring an action in the name of the state to obtain a temporary or permanent injunction against a municipality adopting a regulation in violation of this section.
A private citizen is allowed to sell, gift, or lease a handgun to any person 18 or older who is not a felon. No gun registration or purchase license is required in Texas.
To purchase from a federally licensed gun dealer a person must be 21 years or older.
Local Gov Code § 229.001. Firearms; Air Guns; Knives; Explosives.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, including Section 43.002 of this code and Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, a municipality may not adopt regulations relating to:
(b) Subsection (a) does not affect the authority a municipality has under another law to:
Concealed carry handgun licenses are issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
60 Days
The application for a concealed carry handgun license must be processed within 60 – 180 days of the application being received. Applications can take up to 180 days if there is missing documents or information.
Yes, but only the classroom part can be done online. You will still need to have 1-2 hours of firing practice with an instructor.
Some instructors will provide you with a gun but not all. Others may require you to bring your own gun.
Once you have filed an application for a license to carry you will need to wait before until you receive the actual license before you can carry a weapon.
The law requires any person open carrying a handgun to have it in either a belt or shoulder holster and they must have a LTC license.
Yes, Texas law does not prohibit the carrying of a weapon in public parks.
The gun laws in Texas are silent on the number of guns a person can carry. So you are free to carry as many as you like.
No, firearms can only be registered to one person.
If you move to another address you can submit a request online for change of address.
No, a license to carry is issued to residents and non-residents.
You can submit a request for a new license online. You will be issued a new license number for security reasons, (in case the license was stolen).
If it was more than 5 years ago yes. Driving under the influence is a class B misdemeanor.
Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Address 5805 North Lamar Blvd
City Austin, TX 78752-4431
Phone (512) 424-7293
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