 SAVE MONEY AND TIME
The 2013 Legislature substantially simplified the Texas Concealed Handgun Licensing (CHL) course to make it shorter. It is now four to six hours of classroom instruction plus range time and time to take a 25-question test. This is a reduction from 10 to 15 hours including the range time and time to take a 50-question test. The new course should not take more than about eight hours so I have reduced my fee to $100 from $125.
For the convenience of applicants, I usually teach the course over a period of about eight hours on a single day. Courses are held on an as needed basis so please call Privateer Publications at (210) 308-8191 or email us to arrange for a course. Classes are normally held at Chris Bird’s home in Castle Hills or elsewhere by arrangement. The shooting is done at Bexar Community Shooting Range, 15391 Bexar Bowling Road, Marion, TX 78124. On successful completion of the course, the student receives a CHL-100 form to accompany his or her application. All you need to bring is a handgun, semi-automatic or revolver of .32 caliber or larger, 50 rounds of ammunition, eye and ear protection, a hat, a notebook, and a pen or pencil.
Information about Texas Concealed Handgun License Training
The Texas Concealed Handgun Law passed the Legislature and was signed by Governor George W. Bush in 1995. It took effect January 1, 1996 and is administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The license costs $140 and is valid for between four and five years. It expires on your birthday ($70 for senior citizens 60 years and older, and indigents). Renewal license costs $70 and is valid for five years (35 for seniors). As of 2013 there is no longer a requirement to take a training course to renew your license
You can start your application process and pay the application fee on line but you don’t have to. If you choose not to apply online, we can provide you with all the documents you need. To apply online, go to the Texas Department of Public Safety web site at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ Click on Online Services – Concealed Handgun License Bureau.
Applicants must meet the following qualifications: 21 years of age or older (18 for active military or veterans); pass a criminal record check – not convicted of, or currently charged with, a felony or with a Class A or B misdemeanor in last five years; not a fugitive from justice; not chemically dependent or of unsound mind – capable of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun; not delinquent in paying child support or taxes; not currently under a spousal protective or restraining order; qualified under state and federal law to buy a handgun; pass the required training course.
Even with a concealed handgun license, license holders may not carry in certain places. These include the premises or buses of schools or educational institutes; polling places when in operation; courtrooms or court offices; racetracks; secured areas of airports; correctional facilities; within one thousand feet of a place of execution on execution day; businesses that derive 51 percent or more of their revenue from the sale of alcohol for on-premises consumption; at high-school, collegiate or professional sporting events. Provided they are properly signed, hospitals, nursing homes, amusement parks, churches or places of worship, meetings of governmental entities, and private businesses. Premises do not include parking areas or driveways. It is illegal to carry while intoxicated.
Texas has reciprocal agreements to honor concealed handgun licenses with 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. Visitors do not need licenses to carry concealed or openly in Alaska and Vermont. When carrying in another state under your Texas license, you are required to obey the laws of the state you are in at the time.
The Texas Concealed Handgun License Course
Texas requires applicants for a concealed handgun license to pass a training course taught by a state certified instructor before the license is issued. The classroom part of the course takes between four and six hours and covers the following:
- Laws that relate to weapons and to the use of deadly force
- Handgun use and safety
- Non-violent dispute resolution
- Proper storage practices for handguns with an emphasis on storage practices that eliminate the possibility of accidental injury to a child.
The instruction is followed by a written test containing 25 multiple choice and true-or-false questions. Also required is a 50-round shooting test with a semi-automatic or revolver of minimum .32 caliber. The written test and range test are not included in the four- to six-hour time limit.
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