Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. Available On Air Stations. All Streams. Texas News. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. Arina P Habich. Greg Abbott signed the open carry bill into law in June. You can't carry a gun anywhere you want. Businesses can choose whether to ban guns — but they have to post signs. Why is open carry so controversial? Opponents say it will also be tougher for police to spot criminals. Where do businesses stand on open carry in Texas?
It's also illegal to carry a handgun under the following circumstances: if you've been convicted of a certain type of violent crime within the past five years if you are legally prohibited from possessing any firearm as discussed below if you're intoxicated and aren't on your property, in your car or boat, or directly en route to your car or boat or the private property, car, or boat or someone else who has given you consent to be there ; or in certain places where guns are restricted more on that below.
Places in Texas Where It's Illegal to Carry a Gun It's a crime to have any guns in certain Texas locations, including: schools, school buses, and anywhere school activities are taking place but see special rules for handguns at colleges and universities, discussed below wherever sporting events are being held whether professional, school, or interscholastic at businesses that get more than half of their income from on-premises sale of alcohol at hospitals and nursing homes at polling places during elections or early voting in court buildings or offices, and at racetracks.
Special Texas Rules for Handguns on College Campuses Texas law specifically allows license holders to carry concealed handguns on post-secondary school campuses, except on portions of the campuses of private institutions that have established rules prohibiting concealed handguns in certain areas, as long as the schools have posted proper notices about the prohibition.
Getting Legal Help If you've been charged a crime for violating the Texas rules on carrying guns, you should consult with a qualified criminal defense lawyer who can help you prepare the best defense possible. Look Out for Legal Changes States can change their laws at any time, but you can check the current Texas statutes by using this search tool.
Updated July 19, Talk to a Lawyer Start here to find criminal defense lawyers near you. Practice Area Please select The new law does allow officers to ask someone about their guns if there's a reasonable suspicion or a call for service. But it limits how police can interact in other ways, Griffith said.
To Charles Cotton, first vice president at the National Rifle Association, which lobbied for permitless carry in Texas and other states, those fears are overblown. Cotton, a firearm instructor himself, also encourages gun owners to get a license to carry anyway — not just because of the learning experience, but also because the license is good in other states that have reciprocity with Texas.
Plus, gun buyers can skip a background check if they have a license to carry, and get to carry in some places that those without a permit can't. That includes university campuses and governmental meetings, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, along with any private business that chooses to prohibit the unlicensed carrying of guns — and has room for more no-gun signs. Until now, businesses that don't want handguns on their premises have had to post at least two signs, in both English and Spanish: one for concealed carry and one for open carry.
What's unclear is how many gun owners will take advantage of this new freedom. Michael Cavanaugh, criminal justice professor at the University of Houston-Downtown, thinks there may be an increase in people carrying at first, but that that the number will go down eventually, similar to what he saw after campus carry went into effect in This law modified the previous open carry law from by eliminating the requirement to have a license to carry.
People and Places Restrictions. Secure Law Enforcement Facility. Please be advised that handguns and other weapons are prohibited in these places:. Do public schools have to post "no carry" signs or are they just understood "no carry" zones? What should citizens do if a business tells them they cannot have their gun exposed but they don't have the prohibited sign posted?
This means that most people 21 or over may carry a handgun without a license to carry. Concealing a gun is still allowed.
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