Texas Gun Laws
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
---|---|---|
Permit to Purchase | No | No |
Registration of Firearms | No | No |
Licensing of Owners | No | No |
Permit to Carry | No | No |
The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. Texas only honors licenses or permits of individuals who are 21 years of age or over. |
STATE STATUS | |
---|---|
Castle Doctrine | Enacted |
No-Net Loss | No Legislation |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | Provisions Enacted |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Partial Ban |
Right To Carry Laws | No Permit Required |
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | Conditional Recognition |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | With Provisions |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Antiques and Replicas
Antique or curio guns manufactured before 1899 and replicas thereof which do not use rim fire or center fire ammunition are not included in the definition of “firearm” as it is used in Texas Penal Code Title 10, Chapter 46, which governs weapons. |
Carry
A person commits an offense of unlawfully carrying a weapon if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun on or about his or her person unless the person is on one's own premise or premises under the person's control or inside of or directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or under the person's control. MORE |
Machine Guns
It is unlawful to possess, manufacture, transport, repair or sell a machine gun, explosive weapon, short-barreled firearm, or silencer. Federal registration of such an item under the National Firearms Act is a defense to this prohibition. |
Miscellaneous
A violation of the state’s firearms laws that occurs within 300 feet of a school or on premises where a school function is taking place shall result in an increased punishment. MORE |
Purchase
A Texas resident, if not otherwise precluded by law, may purchase rifles and shotguns, ammunition, reloading components, or firearms accessories in contiguous states. MORE |
Possession
No state license is required to possess a rifle, shotgun or handgun. There are restrictions on possession by a person: convicted of a felony or a Class A misdemeanor involving the person’s family or household; or subject to certain orders issued under the Family Code or Code of Criminal Procedure. |
Preemption
Tex. Local Gov't Code § 229.001 (2002) |
Friday, May 1, 1987
An office worker leaving her Harris County, Tex., office building was accosted by a man who tried to ...
Friday, May 1, 1987
While opening a Lubbock, Tex., truck parts store, Wayne Higgins heard a dog barking and looked out to ...
Sunday, March 1, 1987
When a youth entered Leonard Coloney's Harlingen, Tex., liquor store, the owner asked for some identification. Instead, the ...
Sunday, February 1, 1987
A man entering a Dallas, Tex., ice cream store had a coat draped over his arm, as if ...
Monday, December 1, 1986
A Harris County, Tex., woman was at home at night with her small child when she heard someone ...
Monday, December 1, 1986
Hearing noises at the front door of his Dallas, Tex., home, Paul Smiley took a pistol from under ...
Saturday, November 1, 1986
A Lancaster, Tex., woman was loading a newspaper vending machine at 4 a.m. when a man approached her ...
Wednesday, October 1, 1986
Raped in her bed while her unsuspecting husband worked outside in the garage, a 62-year-old Fort Worth woman ...
Monday, September 1, 1986
After beating and raping an Angleton, Tex., woman, the rapist turned away from his victim, thinking she was ...
Friday, August 1, 1986
After taking Hubert Chandler's son hostage at gunpoint, a robbery suspect demanded that the 69-year-old Ft. Worth, Tex., ...