In short: Texas has not required a license to carry a handgun since September 2021, but the License to Carry (LTC) is far from obsolete. It lets you carry in about 35 other states, speeds up gun purchases, is the only path to lawful carry for most adults under 21, and gives you clearer legal footing in places where unlicensed carry gets complicated. It costs $40, takes a four to six hour class, and a criminal charge can take it away.
Does Texas Still Require a License to Carry a Handgun?
No. Since House Bill 1927 took effect on September 1, 2021, most Texans 21 and older who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm can carry a handgun in public without a license. This is usually called constitutional carry or permitless carry.
That change did not eliminate the License to Carry program. The Texas Department of Public Safety still issues LTCs under Government Code Chapter 411, Subchapter H, and hundreds of thousands of Texans keep theirs current. There are good reasons for that.
Why Get an LTC If You Can Carry Without One?
- Carry in other states. Permitless carry ends at the state line. A Texas LTC is recognized in roughly 35 other states through reciprocity agreements. If you ever carry while traveling, the license does the work your Texas residency cannot.
- You are under 21. Permitless carry applies only at 21 and up. After a federal court struck down the age restriction in Firearms Policy Coalition v. McCraw, DPS began issuing LTCs to eligible adults aged 18 to 20. For that group, the LTC is the only lawful way to carry a handgun in public.
- Faster gun purchases. An LTC serves as an alternative to the point-of-sale NICS background check when you buy a firearm from a dealer. No waiting on a delayed check.
- Fewer places are off limits. A business can exclude unlicensed carriers with a generic no-firearms sign under Penal Code Section 30.05. Excluding an LTC holder requires the specific 30.06 (concealed) or 30.07 (open) signage. In practice, license holders can lawfully carry in more places.
- Campus carry. Carrying a concealed handgun on a public university campus is lawful only for LTC holders.
- Cleaner police encounters. Presenting an LTC during a traffic stop answers most of an officer’s questions before they are asked. Unlicensed carriers depend on the officer’s on-the-spot read of Penal Code Section 46.02, and mistakes get people arrested. If that happens, our page on unlawful carry of a weapon in Texas explains what you are facing.
Who Qualifies for a Texas LTC?
You can apply if you are:
- 21 or older, or
- 18 to 20 (following the McCraw ruling, DPS no longer denies applications solely based on age for this group), or
- 18 or older and an active-duty member of the military or an honorably discharged veteran, and
- legally present in Texas or an eligible out-of-state resident, and
- not disqualified under state or federal law.
What Disqualifies You From an LTC?
Government Code Section 411.172 sets the eligibility rules. In plain terms, you cannot get a license if:
- You have a felony conviction. This is permanent, and for eligibility purposes a felony deferred adjudication counts as a conviction.
- You have a Class A or Class B misdemeanor conviction within the last five years. This includes offenses like DWI, assault, and unlawful carry. Deferred adjudication counts here too.
- You are currently charged with a felony or a Class A or Class B misdemeanor. A pending case makes you ineligible until it is resolved, which is one more reason the outcome of a criminal case matters beyond the sentence itself.
- You are chemically dependent as the statute defines it. Two convictions in ten years for Class B or higher offenses involving alcohol or drugs, DWI being the common example, make you ineligible.
- You are subject to an active protective order or restraining order.
- You are federally prohibited from possessing a firearm for any reason, including certain domestic violence convictions.
If a past case is the obstacle, it may be fixable. An expunction or order of nondisclosure can change what appears on your record, and we walk through both on our expunctions and nondisclosures page.
How to Get a Texas License to Carry
- Apply online through the DPS website and pay the fee. The standard application fee is $40, plus about $10 for fingerprinting. Renewals are $25. Discounts apply for military members, veterans, and some other groups.
- Complete fingerprinting through the state’s vendor.
- Take the class. Four to six hours of classroom or online instruction covering handgun law, non-violent dispute resolution, and safe storage, followed by a written exam.
- Pass the shooting proficiency test with an instructor, 50 rounds at 3, 7, and 15 yards.
- Wait for the background check. DPS has 60 days from a complete application to issue the license or start the denial process.
Where You Still Cannot Carry, Even With an LTC
Penal Code Section 46.03 lists premises that are off limits regardless of licensure: schools and school activities, polling places while voting is underway, courts and court offices, racetracks, secured airport areas, bars (businesses earning 51 percent or more of revenue from on-premises alcohol sales), high school and professional sporting events, correctional facilities, and hospitals or nursing homes with proper signage, among others. Carrying while intoxicated is also an offense for everyone, licensed or not.
What Happens to Your LTC If You Are Charged With a Crime?
DPS suspends a license when the holder is charged with a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or any felony, and revokes it on conviction. A DWI arrest, an assault allegation after a heated argument, even a shoplifting charge can cost you the license before a jury ever hears the case, and a conviction extends that loss for five years or forever.
This is one of the quiet collateral consequences that makes the disposition of a criminal case so important. A charge reduced to a Class C, a dismissal, or an acquittal preserves your eligibility. Our criminal defense team factors gun rights into how we resolve cases, and our Texas gun rights page covers restoration and related issues in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an 18-year-old get a Texas LTC?
Yes. Since early 2023, following the Firearms Policy Coalition v. McCraw ruling, DPS issues licenses to applicants aged 18 to 20 who meet every other requirement. Note that federal law still bars dealers from selling handguns to buyers under 21, so most young license holders acquire their handgun by private sale or as a gift from a family member.
Is the LTC worth it if I never leave Texas?
For most people, yes. The purchase-check exemption, the narrower signage rules, campus carry, and the smoother police encounters are all in-state benefits. At $40 for five years, it is inexpensive insurance against gray areas in the unlicensed carry law.
Will a DWI keep me from getting an LTC?
A DWI conviction or deferred adjudication makes you ineligible for five years. Two alcohol-related convictions within ten years make you ineligible as chemically dependent under the statute. A pending DWI charge suspends eligibility until the case resolves. How the case ends determines whether you carry again in five months or five years, so talk to a lawyer before pleading. Our Texas DWI defense page explains the options.
Does deferred adjudication protect my LTC eligibility?
No. For LTC purposes, Section 411.172 counts deferred adjudication as a conviction, both for felonies and for the five-year misdemeanor rule. Deferred adjudication has real benefits, but preserving handgun licensure is not one of them.
Charged With a Crime? Your Gun Rights Are on the Line
If you are facing a charge that threatens your license, or you were arrested for carrying a handgun the police believed was unlawful, the outcome of the case will follow your gun rights for years. Call Varghese Summersett at 817-203-2220 for a confidential consultation.
