Texas Gun Laws: Can Visitors Carry Their Firearm?

Texas has long supported its residents' and visitors' rights to bear arms, and the state's gun laws prove it.

The state has had a concealed handgun license program for 18 years and currently has more than 750,000 residents with active CHLs. Texas residents with permits can legally carry their firearms in 35 other states, and even more Americans are legally allowed to carry their guns in Texas.

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Thirty states have reciprocal CHL agreements with Texas. Residents of those states who possess a legal conceal and carry permit are allowed to legally bring and carry their handgun within the Texas border. Those states are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming, and West Virginia.

Texas has additional unilateral agreements with 11 states. That means residents of those states who have a concealed-carry permit are allowed to carry their guns in Texas, but Texas holders are not allowed to carry their guns legally in those states. The states with unilateral agreements are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington.

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Texas lawmakers have made no provisions for those who hold concealed-carry permits from Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Vermont, or Wisconsin.

While there are restrictions as to where even legally permitted carriers can take their handguns — like the secure area of airports, courtrooms, and schools without permission — there are provisions for law enforcement officers to carry firearms “almost anywhere, whether they are on or off duty,” according to the Texas Concealed Handgun Association.

Carrying a shotgun or rifle, as long as it is done in a nonthreatening way, is generally within the bounds of Texas gun laws.

This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws of your state and destination before travel.

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