Are you planning to get a license to carry a gun in Texas? Do you want to keep yourself protected on your next trip to the state of Texas?
Before you carry your gun or enter the state with it, make sure you know Texas gun laws.
Unrest in the US has grown this year, and one of the very first defensive moves civilians are making is getting a license to carry a gun. In the first half of 2020, the number of new gun owners went up by 2.5 million in the country.
However, as a gun owner, you still have a responsibility to learn the gun laws in your state. Remember the saying, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Read on to learn about gun safety and gun laws in Texas.
1. Texas Gun Laws on Who Can Carry Guns
Texas is one of the top states that support gun rights. In 2019, 1.2 million Texan residents were active holders of concealed handgun permits.
Therefore, let’s begin our list of Texas gun laws by answering the question of who can carry guns.
As long as you have a license to carry (LTC) and you’re at least 21 years of age, you’re good. If you don’t have a license to carry, the best thing you can do is to apply for an LTC license first and learn gun safety.
If you’re a member or a veteran of the US Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard, you can carry a gun. This applies even to Army members who are still 18 years old. You can also carry a gun even if you got discharged under honorable conditions.
What if you’re not from Texas but you plan to carry your gun while you’re in the state? Non-resident permits to carry will get accepted in Texas. The catch is that you have to be at least 21 years old.
2. Where Can and Can’t You Carry Guns?
You can carry your gun as a concealed weapon or otherwise. If you want to show the world that you’ve got your handgun with you, you must follow some rules.
Texas allows open carry, but make sure you keep the weapon in a hip or shoulder holster. Also, make sure you have your LTC license with you at all times.
Now, let’s discuss some answers to the question of what places can you carry your gun in.
Many gun owners can find a lot of places in Texas that prohibit them from using guns. Let’s look at House Bill 302. It’s the bill that prohibits landlords from banning tenants and guests from carrying guns.
We all know how some people will take extreme measures for their faith. Senate Bill 535 addresses the issue of carrying a gun in places of worship. Even if you have a concealed carry license, many churches, synagogues, and other places of worship ban guns.
Defense Against Carrying a Gun Into Places That Ban Them
What if you entered an establishment that bans guns without knowing about that policy?
While Texas is a pro-firearms state, many establishments and properties ban firearms. There’s a loophole in the Texas Penal Code 30.06 and 30.07. It allows licensed individuals carrying a firearm onto a property that bans firearms.
The problem is that there’s always someone who won’t know about the firearm prohibition. House Bill 121 closes that loophole by protecting persons with an LTC and concealed carry. If they weren’t aware of the fact that there’s a ban on firearms in an establishment, they can defend themselves.
However, the person who is carrying the firearm must leave once informed and when asked. It’d be unfair to an otherwise law-abiding gun owner to be sued for such a mistake.
Also, owners of the establishment that ban firearms need to post a sign about the prohibition.
3. When Can You Carry Without a Permit to Carry?
As long as you have your license to carry, you’re safe. However, there are times when we least expect incidents from happening. During these times, it’s understandable that you’ll feel the safest if you have your firearm with you.
The good news is that there is a bill that exempts you from legal consequences if you carry without a permit. Note that the bill pertains to a specific situation only. House Bill 1177 says that you can carry handguns without a license during a state of disaster.
Texas is one of the states with the highest frequency of extreme weather events. In the past, some opportunists in and near the area that got hit by a disaster have taken advantage of such events by looting and robbing residents.
Because of this, the government decided to give Texas residents more protection. HB 1177 lets Texans carry their guns without a permit for up to a week after a natural disaster. Note that the bill only talks about handguns.
4. What Guns Can and Can’t You Carry in Texas?
Texas law isn’t too strict with the types of weapons you can have and carry. You can have and carry almost all firearms and weapons in the state. The exceptions are rifles with a barrel length under 16 inches and shotguns that feature barrels shorter than 18 inches.
The interesting bit is the exception to that exception. Register it with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and pay a $200 tax. Once you do that, your machine gun and silencers are good to go.
Age restriction is another factor. Again, you need to be 21 to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer in Texas. However, you can buy a rifle at 18 as long as it’s not prohibited.
Otherwise, every other firearm is legal in Texas, including accessories. You can have your AR 15 foregrip when you go outside and feel free as a bird about your gun rights.
Below, we’re going to take a closer look at some specific Texas gun carry laws you must know about.
5. Senate Bill 741: On Banning Firearm Storage on Rental Properties
Some property owners’ associations feel uneasy about clients with firearms. Thus, they prohibit guns on their rental properties. However, this makes gun owners feel uneasy and unsafe.
This is where Senate Bill 741 comes in. As long as you’re a licensed owner and carrier of a firearm, you can carry it to rental properties.
6. House Bill 1387: Loosened Restrictions on School Marshals With Guns
In 2019, the number of mass shootings in the US surpassed the days in that year. According to stats, 417 mass shootings occurred in 2019. By October of that year, 32 of the shootings happened in schools.
To resolve this, Texas loosened the restrictions on how school marshals carry guns. To protect schools, Texas government officials decided marshals are the best choices. They don’t receive the same training as police, but they don’t give advocates a reason to be uncomfortable.
The bill applies to both private and public schools in the state. Schools still have to give their appointed marshals training, education, and resources. They’ll receive training on child and adolescent psychology, mental health crisis, and more.
7. House Bill 2363: Storing Guns in Foster Homes
HB 2363 allows firearms and ammunition in foster homes. However, the guns have to stay in a locked storage space. This gives caretakers and kids from a foster home the sense of security that other homeowners have.
8. Other Laws to Take Note of
Texas has the “Castle Doctrine” law. It says that you have the right to use lethal force against anybody who enters your home unlawfully. This is especially important to fend off home invaders.
The Castle Doctrine applies if you are inside your vehicle and someone tries to enter it without your permission. Things are different if you’re outside your vehicle while an unknown person enters it. This law has an expansion that includes self-defense in other places that aren’t in your property.
The “Stand Your Ground” law is like the Castle Doctrine. It allows you to use lethal force in self-defense with no duty to retreat in public places. In simpler terms, if you feel threatened, you can use lethal force for self-protection. Now, many other states adopted and are using the Stand Your Ground laws as well.
Take Your Time to Study These Texas Gun Laws
That concludes the list of important Texas gun laws that you need to know about.
However, as we said earlier, ignorance of the law is no excuse to be negligible to your duties. We hope that the gun laws we included in this guide help you make better decisions on when and where to carry. It’s also better if you memorize these laws one by one.
