Things to know about Texas gun laws

SAPD firearms instructor answers common questions

SAN ANTONIO – In the aftermath of every mass shooting, questions about gun laws come up.

San Antonio police Officer Spence Jones, a firearms instructor at the department's training academy, helped clarify what gun laws exist in Texas:

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1. Who can legally purchase a gun?

Anyone 18 years of age and older can buy a rifle or shotgun. Anyone 21 years of age and older can buy a handgun. Prospective owners must undergo a federal background check.

2. What kind of license or permit must a gun owner have?

Gun-owners do not need a license or permit to purchase or own a gun. However, owners must have a permit to carry a gun with them when it is concealed. Owners do not need a license or permit to travel with guns in their vehicles.

3. Where can gun owners carry a gun?

Owners can carry a concealed gun anywhere that does not prohibit the carrying of a weapon or any place where it is not prohibited by law. Owners can openly carry guns in almost all places where concealed weapons are allowed, with some exception made by state law. Guns carried openly must be holstered or carried in a shoulder.

Additional resources

  • For a list of frequently asked questions about handguns provided by the Department of Public Safety, click HERE.
  • To see a map provided by the NRA spelling out additional Texas gun laws and a map of which states recognize Texas carry permits, click HERE.

 

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About the Authors:

Myra Arthur is passionate about San Antonio and sharing its stories. She graduated high school in the Alamo City and always wanted to anchor and report in her hometown. Myra anchors KSAT News at 6:00 p.m. and hosts and reports for the streaming show, KSAT Explains. She joined KSAT in 2012 after anchoring and reporting in Waco and Corpus Christi.