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Considering a move to Texas

fire suppressor

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Hello everyone I am considering a move to Texas and wanted to know what to expect as far as gun laws and culture. I have family in Texas and I have visited a few times but I do not know much about your laws. If I understand right open carry is illegal and printing as well? In Washington state open carry is legal and no permit is required to open carry so that will take some getting use to.

I would appreciate any insight anyone feels appropriate to give both on laws and culture. My gun is always on me and while open carry may be illegal I am hoping you are a gun friendly state. Also I have a valid Washington state resident CPL, Michigan state CPL and a non resident Utah CPL. Would I automatically quality for a Texas CPL? Thanks in advance
 

rpyne

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Hello everyone I am considering a move to Texas and wanted to know what to expect as far as gun laws and culture. I have family in Texas and I have visited a few times but I do not know much about your laws. If I understand right open carry is illegal and printing as well? In Washington state open carry is legal and no permit is required to open carry so that will take some getting use to.

I would appreciate any insight anyone feels appropriate to give both on laws and culture. My gun is always on me and while open carry may be illegal I am hoping you are a gun friendly state. Also I have a valid Washington state resident CPL, Michigan state CPL and a non resident Utah CPL. Would I automatically quality for a Texas CPL? Thanks in advance

I am not a Texan, but have spent quite a bit of time searching Texas gun law because my grandchildren lived there up until a couple months ago.

While most Texans spout how gun friendly their state is, I have found it not so friendly.

The first issue is how difficult it is to get a resident permit. If you happen to have an outstanding parking ticket or are a month behind on child support, you can forget it. If you do have a squeaky clean record, it will cost you a minimum of $200 for the required training and another $100+ to apply for the permit. Once you have the permit, the list of prohibited places makes it almost worthless.

Disclaimer: I grew up in Idaho and have lived in Utah for 30+ years, so those are my frame of reference.
 

davidmcbeth

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I am not a Texan, but have spent quite a bit of time searching Texas gun law because my grandchildren lived there up until a couple months ago.

While most Texans spout how gun friendly their state is, I have found it not so friendly.

The first issue is how difficult it is to get a resident permit. If you happen to have an outstanding parking ticket or are a month behind on child support, you can forget it. If you do have a squeaky clean record, it will cost you a minimum of $200 for the required training and another $100+ to apply for the permit. Once you have the permit, the list of prohibited places makes it almost worthless.

Disclaimer: I grew up in Idaho and have lived in Utah for 30+ years, so those are my frame of reference.

I would agree .. Texas has gone nowhere but downhill on OCing ...
 

stealthyeliminator

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Unless Texas reciprocity allows you to carry concealed using one of your current permits I don't think they will help much. You will probably have to go through the whole shebang to get your Texas CHL (Concealed Handgun License).

It is somewhat of a hassle, and is not cheap. You will probably want to find a CHL instructor with a good reputation in the community that will help you through the entire process and help make sure your application is complete and correct. Not all CHL instructors will necessarily do this for you, but some will go the extra mile and help you get everything filled out and ready to submit.

The list of prohibited places has somewhat shrunk, and the super-restrictive laws regarding printing and accidental exposure have been loosened a little bit, but Texas is still pretty low on the carry-friendly list IMO. In researching a little, it would seem that some of the processing requirements (submission of photo and fingerprints) have been adjusted a little as well, but may not help in your case.

Technically you can carry a long gun openly, or a pre-1899 pistol (or replica thereof as long as it does not fire rim or center fire ammunition) but typically this is only done as part of a demonstration or in areas that are known to have police who are knowledgeable and respectful of the law. Men across Texas are still being arrested for these few forms of legal open carry, despite doing so in a lawful manner.

Let us hope/work for open carry in 2015. Unfortunately, most likely any open carry legislation that passes will only allow open carry by CHL holders.

Edit: Oh, you should be able to concealed carry to and from your vehicle, and have your handgun concealed in your vehicle, without a CHL. But outside of that, to carry a handgun, you're pretty much going to have to get a CHL and carry concealed.

You may want to read this: http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm It defines weapons, defines unlawful carry of weapons, defines unlawful carry by license holder, etc.

And this is the code for the CHL http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.411.htm#20787.18077
 
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fire suppressor

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Thanks for the info Texas sounds a lot like Michigan. In Washington all I did was walk into my local sheriff's station, pay $60 and walked put with my permit. In Michigan I had to take a class, quality with 200 rounds and go before a judge. The Michigan process cost me about $300 with ammo. Laws aside is Texas gun friendly? Washington is interesting we have a lot of good pro open carry laws but the state has a very negative view of guns. Telling someone you own a gun is kind of like cussing them out they take offense to it

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stealthyeliminator

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Does Texas law allow a Texas resident to carry/conceal in Texas on another State's permit?
I honestly don't know. Probably your best bet would be to find a reputable CHL instructor and ask them, and/or call the concealed handgun program number at the DPS ((512) 424-7293)
Thanks for the info Texas sounds a lot like Michigan. In Washington all I did was walk into my local sheriff's station, pay $60 and walked put with my permit. In Michigan I had to take a class, quality with 200 rounds and go before a judge. The Michigan process cost me about $300 with ammo. Laws aside is Texas gun friendly? Washington is interesting we have a lot of good pro open carry laws but the state has a very negative view of guns. Telling someone you own a gun is kind of like cussing them out they take offense to it

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Did not know that about Michigan... Getting your Texas CHL may cost close to that much, dependent on how much your instructor charges and how many "associated" costs you end up having. I think it cost me a little less overall to get mine, probably closer to $150-$200, not including the time. You may enjoy that you only have to use 50 rounds for the range part.

I don't know the actual numbers on gun owners in Texas, but, I'd guess they're pretty high... If you got into a conversation with a stranger and told them you were a gun enthusiast, I imagine you'd have about a 25% chance of them going "me too!" and about a 25% chance of them looking at you like, "... and? isn't everyone?" Of the guys I work with every day, 75% of them own firearms for self defense and/or are enthusiastic about owning, buying and shooting them. Ironically, I think that the only one that has a CHL is the one that cares the least about guns (is in the 25% non-enthusiast group) and is probably the most "liberal" of the bunch regarding gun laws.

This article is pretty funny. http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/03/guns_texas_poll_owning_guns.php

According to the perfectly unscientific poll and math calculations, one hundred twenty thousand Texans own a gun for the sole reason of "the second amendment"
 
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janus

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Does Texas law allow a Texas resident to carry/conceal in Texas on another State's permit?

I moved from Texas in 2007, but prior to that I carried in Texas, as a resident, on a Florida permit. One time, I was stopped for a traffic ticket and was asked by the police as to why I was carrying on a Florida license. I told him that it was cheaper. That's as far as it went.

Don't know if the law has changed since then.
 

stealthyeliminator

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I moved from Texas in 2007, but prior to that I carried in Texas, as a resident, on a Florida permit. One time, I was stopped for a traffic ticket and was asked by the police as to why I was carrying on a Florida license. I told him that it was cheaper. That's as far as it went.

Don't know if the law has changed since then.

Now that you mention it, I remember the Florida non-resident permit being an option not more than a few years ago. I doubt that it's changed.
 

fire suppressor

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Does Texas law allow a Texas resident to carry/conceal in Texas on another State's permit?

Texas has reciprocity in the following states

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

http://www.usacarry.com/concealed_carry_permit_reciprocity_maps.html
 

fire suppressor

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I have three permits and it looks like all three have reciprocity in Texas. If I understand correctly they will cover me as a visitor but I will still need to get my Texas resident permit once I become a resident

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HPmatt

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Depends on where you're moving to in Texas. As to attitude to guns, most Texans are okay with them - only Texans that have moved here from East or Left coasts (liberals) would be concerned. I think there are about 600,000 active Texas-granted CHLs. All of the major counties have tilted democrat control - Houston/Harris, Dallas, Austin/Travis, San Antonio/Bexar and El Paso. You get outside of the major urban centers and you are in 'regular' Texas - guns are normal and so are the people. Unless you are/look like a gang member most of the police forces are okay with CHL and guns for hunting - duck, dove & deer. Get closer to the border and the cops/sheriffs/state dps would be more wary due to drug smuggling from Mexico.

CHL process is not hard nor complicated nor lengthy - find an instructor, register with the state and you could probably get it all done in 6-8 weeks w issue of CHL license.
 
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rushcreek2

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A lot of attention given lately to open carry of long guns in Texas.

Rarely is it considered that Texas has constitutional carry of rifles/shotguns - open or concealed.
 

stealthyeliminator

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A lot of attention given lately to open carry of long guns in Texas.

Rarely is it considered that Texas has constitutional carry of rifles/shotguns - open or concealed.

Not sure what your intent is with this statement... I would concur that many if not most people are quite ignorant of the laws (rather, the lack thereof) regarding possession of long guns in public. To purposefully lead anyone to believe that the legality of carrying a long gun in public is a matter of opinion, or to purposefully lead someone to believe that it is prohibited by statute, would be dishonest.
 

fire suppressor

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Thanks everyone I do appreciate the feedback. When I was in middle school I lived in Temple for about a year when my dad was working for the rail road. I have family in the general Huston area and I have visited a few times over the years. Most people I have interacted with seem down to earth but Texas is a big state and I have noticed a difference in behavior city by city. I have a lot of decisions to make

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HPmatt

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I have family in the general Huston area and I have visited a few times over the years. Most people I have interacted with seem down to earth but Texas is a big state and I have noticed a difference in behavior city by city.

Houston's a big town - about 2-3 hours north to south and 2 hours east to west. A little warmer than Kitsap in the summer, a little more humid too. Probably locating on Galveston bay would make you feel just like you were back in WA - of course the mosquitoes would suck you dry before you could get to the deep 85deg Galveston bay water….
 

rushcreek2

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Not sure what your intent is with this statement... I would concur that many if not most people are quite ignorant of the laws (rather, the lack thereof) regarding possession of long guns in public. To purposefully lead anyone to believe that the legality of carrying a long gun in public is a matter of opinion, or to purposefully lead someone to believe that it is prohibited by statute, would be dishonest.

[ ? ]
 
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fire suppressor

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I can not tell you what the law is in Texas but technically long arm open carry is legal in Washington although I do not recommend it. You are almost guaranteed a police encounter. Myself and a few others have open carried both handguns and ARs at our state capital during protests without any problems but not on a regular basis

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rushcreek2

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A very significant positive often overlooked is that there is no restriction upon concealed carry at all under Texas laws.

Unlike most states that exclude concealed carry from the right to carry Texas merely has a blanket handgun prohibition that cannot pass the SCOTUS standard of scrutiny under Heller/McDonald.

Point is.....constitutional carry is readily within the grasp of Texans.... long gun / handgun...whatever.
 
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