Index
Self Defense & CriminalTexas, USA

Texas Open Carry Handgun Laws

Summary

Texas allows the open carry of handguns by individuals who are legally allowed to possess a firearm, without requiring a License to Carry (LTC).

Rights & Rules

  • 01.
    If you are 21 or older and not a convicted felon, you can legally carry a handgun visibly in public.
  • 02.
    The handgun MUST be carried in a holster (it cannot just be tucked into a waistband).
  • 03.
    Private businesses have the absolute right to ban open carry on their premises by displaying a specific legal sign (a '30.07' sign).
  • 04.
    You cannot open carry in schools, polling places, courts, racetracks, secure areas of airports, or bars (businesses making 51% of income from alcohol).

Penalties

  • 01.
    Ignoring a business's 'no open carry' sign and refusing to leave when asked is a Class C misdemeanor (Criminal Trespass).
  • 02.
    Carrying a firearm into a prohibited place like a school or bar is a third-degree felony.

Verified Citations

Texas Penal Code Section 46.02 & 30.07

Source
"A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun... and the handgun is not carried in a holster."