◆ TEXAS · CARRY LAW
Texas.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
- You must produce your permit if an officer asks for it.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Texas requires
The state's permit is the License to Carry a Handgun, issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
Yes
No permit needed at 21 or older. Texas does this by narrowing the offense rather than granting a right: § 46.02(a) now only reaches people under 21, or convicted of certain assault, threat or disorderly-conduct offenses in the last five years. Separate offenses still apply if you are intoxicated or federally prohibited.
In force since September 1, 2021.
Tex. Penal Code § 46.02(a), (a-6), (a-7); HB 1927, 87th Leg. (2021)Read at the Texas Legislature ↗Checked 9 days ago
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes, but it MUST be holstered. Displaying a handgun in plain view in public is its own offense, and being in a holster is the exception to it, so the same 21-and-not-prohibited test as concealed, plus a holster.
In force since September 1, 2021.
Tex. Penal Code § 46.02(a), (a-5); HB 1927, 87th Leg. (2021)Read at the Texas Legislature ↗Checked 9 days ago
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
No permit needed in your own vehicle. Keep it out of sight, or holstered if it is visible. A handgun in plain view is an offense unless you are 21 or older (or licensed) AND it is in a holster. Not available if you are engaged in criminal activity or barred from possessing a firearm.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The License to Carry still exists and is what other states recognize.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Yes
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
21
18–20 may qualify for an LTC in limited circumstances (military service, or a protective order).
Tex. Penal Code § 46.02(a)(2)(A); HB 1927, 87th Leg. (2021)Read at the Texas Legislature ↗Checked 9 days ago
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Only if asked
Never volunteer it, and it depends which you are. Carrying WITHOUT a license: nothing is required. § 411.205 speaks only to license holders. Carrying ON AN LTC: if an officer or magistrate demands identification, you must hand over your handgun license along with your driver's license. The trigger is a demand for ID, not a question about the gun.
Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
No state permit-to-purchase statuteRead at the Texas Department of Public Safety ↗Checked 9 days ago
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
No extreme risk protection order statuteRead at the Texas Department of Public Safety ↗Checked 9 days ago
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Texas honors
If you are visiting Texas, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Texas permits are honored
If you live in Texas, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored34
Honored, with a condition3
Not honored17
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful only when registered under the NFA. Unregistered possession is a state offense.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful only when registered under the NFA.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful only when registered under the NFA.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Pre-1986 registered transferables only, under federal law.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. But a disguised gun BUILT from something that was not a firearm is a “zip gun”, which Texas bans outright.
Tex. Penal Code §§ 46.01(16), 46.05(a)Read at the Texas Statutes ↗Checked 9 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read § 46.05(a) in full at the Texas Legislature on 2026-09-07, rendering the page because statutes.capitol.texas.gov now serves an Angular shell to a scripted fetch. The prohibited list is closed (explosive weapon, machine gun, armor-piercing ammunition, chemical dispensing device, zip gun, tire deflation device, improvised explosive device), and searched the whole 68,627-character chapter for “any other weapon”, “cane gun”, “pen gun”, “wallet gun”, “disguised” and “umbrella”. None appears.◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- the Texas Department of Public Safety ↗
- ATF’s index
- Texas firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)