![]() ![]() Under state law, the Department of Public Safety must generally issue a license to carry a handgun if the applicant meets specified qualifications. 3 In some cases, like K-12 schools, firearms are generally prohibited regardless of whether a person has a handgun carry license in other cases, like most public areas on public college and university campuses, people with a valid handgun carry license may generally carry concealed or holstered handguns, but people without these licenses may not. Texas law still authorizes people to apply for and obtain these licenses (see below for more information about the licensing process), which may be required, for instance, for people to legally carry handguns in public in certain locations in Texas or when visiting other states.Ĭertain location restrictions apply, however, that generally restrict people from carrying handguns in certain types of public locations, including K-12 schools and certain colleges and universities. Prior to this law’s passage, Texas law required people to complete a basic safety training course and pass a background check in order to obtain a handgun license from the Texas Department of Public Safety, which authorized them to carry concealed handguns in most public places. 1 A narrow but notable exception is that people who have been convicted of any of four specified violent misdemeanors are not authorized to carry handguns in public for five years after the date that they committed that offense, except when on their own property or when they are inside of or directly en route to a motor vehicle or watercraft that they own or control. Any changes to the law must come through the state legislative process.In 2021, Texas enacted dangerous ‘permitless carry’ legislation that, effective September 1, 2021, generally authorizes people to carry concealed or holstered handguns in most public spaces without any license, safety training, or background check required, as long as they are at least 21 years old and not prohibited from possessing firearms under Texas’s weak firearm prohibitions law. UT Austin is obliged to follow Texas law to the letter and is not at liberty to enact policies or provisions that violate it. The University of Texas at Austin is committed to providing a safe environment for students, employees, university affiliates, and visitors, and to respecting the right of individuals who are licensed to carry a handgun as permitted by Texas law. 11, individuals who are licensed to carry may carry concealed handguns on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by law or as specified in HOP 8-1060. UT Austin’s rules and regulations governing campus carry are set forth in the university Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP 8-1060). The law stipulates, however, that these rules and regulations may not either "generally prohibit" or "have the effect of generally prohibiting" license holders from carrying concealed handguns on campus. Storage of handguns in dormitories or other residential facilities 11 provides that after consulting with students, staff and faculty regarding "the nature of the student population, specific safety considerations and the uniqueness of the campus environment," a university may enact reasonable rules and regulations regarding:Ĭarrying of concealed handguns by license holders on campus and The University of Texas at Austin takes issues surrounding guns on campus very seriously and has adopted rules and regulations governing campus carry that conform to Texas law, protect the rights of citizens and ensure the safety and security of the entire campus. The law gives public universities some discretion to regulate campus carry. 11, which is codified in section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code, provides that persons licensed to carry a handgun in Texas may carry a concealed handgun on university campuses. 11), also known as the "campus carry" law. ![]()
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