Index

Texas Permitless Carry Law

Summary

As of 2021, Texas is a 'Constitutional Carry' state, meaning eligible adults can carry a handgun in public without needing a License to Carry (LTC), background check, or state training.

Rights & Rules

  • 01.
    If you are 21 or older and not legally prohibited from owning a firearm (e.g., not a convicted felon), you can carry a handgun openly or concealed.
  • 02.
    If you carry openly, the handgun MUST be in a holster.
  • 03.
    You are still banned from carrying in specific locations like schools, hospitals, amusement parks, sporting events, and secure areas of airports.
  • 04.
    Private businesses can easily ban permitless carry by posting standard '30.05' signs at their entrances.

Penalties

  • 01.
    Carrying a handgun while intoxicated is a Class A misdemeanor.
  • 02.
    Ignoring a business's 'no guns' sign and refusing to leave is a criminal trespass offense.

Verified Citations

Texas Penal Code Section 46.02

Source
"A person commits an offense if the person: (1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun... and (2) is not: (A) on the person's own premises or premises under the person's control..."