Visiting Texas

Guys,

I might be visiting Texas for a long weekend. Plan is to come to San Antonio and drive around the area and maybe go to some longhorn and dude ranches and stuff. Can you please refresh me on Texas carry laws and what to watch out for.

I'm a VA resident and have a VA resident CHP. I'm only planning to carry concealed, which I think is the only mode of carry permitted under Texas law - correct me if I'm wrong.


1) Is my permit (VA resident CHP) still valid in TX? Yep, both resident and non-res permits from VA are good here.

2) What are the places off limits for carry? Check out http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/texas.pdf for the full list... it's longer than Virginia, but you probably won't run along too many of them except for 51% bars, which must be posted by law.

3) Is carry in National Forests permitted? Yep

4) Is carry in State parks/state forests permitted? Yep - no rifles or shotguns in state parks, but handguns with a CHP are all good

5) Is carry permitted in family restaurants that serve alcohol? Yep - only places that make 51% or more of their money from on-premise consumption of alcohol are off limits, and they must be posted with a sign that has a huge red 51% on it. It's a defense to prosecution that a location isn't posted correctly.

6) Are there any national parks in San Antonio area which are not clearly signed? No NPS property in the San Antonio area that I know of. The Alamo is partially administered by the TDPW and partially by private organizations, even though it's listed on the NHL list.

7) Any federal property (other than obvious Post Offices and Federal buildings that are marked as such)?  Not that I know of.

8) Is there a duty to notify LEO at traffic stops? Yep - Texas is a must-notify state, although ironically only for people with a CHP

9) Is there a duty to retreat?  No - Texas is a stand-your-ground state, and the castle doctrine also applies to people in their cars for civil immunity (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/pdf/PE.9.pdf for the full statutes)

10) Any other places off limits beyond the obvious I need to be aware of? Link above has the full list by statute. The skinny - no schools, 51% bars, professional sporting events, prisons, courthouses, polling locations, racetracks, secured areas of airports, and anywhere posted with a 30.06 sign, which are generally rare. Generic "no handgun" signs have no force of law and are specifically exempted from trespass laws under PC30.05.


Thanks in advance!

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