Tim Powers
Law Offices of Tim Powers, Denton, Texas
940.483.8000
With the New Year here, several questions have come to mind concerning Texans about their safety. Starting this past January 1, 2016, House Bill 910 came into effect making it legal for a Texas citizen to carry a handgun openly or concealed as long as they were licensed by the state of Texas.
With this new law coming into effect, the state of Texas has faced many questions and concerns. The point of this blog is not to state beliefs for this law but rather eliminate any questions one might have concerning this new law. All the questions in which we will discuss are all addresses by Open Carry Texas and the Texas Department of Safety.
According to House Bill 910, it states that this bill is "relating to the authority of a person who is licensed to carry a handgun to openly carry a holstered handgun; creating a criminal offense; providing penalties." With this being said a person can carry a handgun openly or concealed as long as they are licensed by the state of Texas or a state with reciprocity.
Those who are not allowed to openly carry a handgun are people who have been convicted of certain crimes and minors under 18-years of age (without a parent present). If you can lawfully possess a firearm, one can carry one as long as they have the proper documentation.
For those whom have had concealed handgun licenses (CHL) you qualify to openly carry a handgun. In order for it to be lawfully, the person openly carrying a handgun must do so using a shoulder or belt holster that is "on or about the person" in order to increase the safety of the person and of the people around.
As far as where a person can openly carry a firearm depends on the type of property. A person can open carry on private property only if the business or other property does not display a 30.07 sign. A 30.07 sign bans people from open carry, while the 30.06 sign applies to concealed carry. If a business wants to ban both they have the right only if they post both sign on the front of the door. The business has the right to ask people to leave the premise if they neglect the signs and can be charged with criminal activity.
As far as campus carry, this will take effect on August 1, 2016. According to the new Campus Carry Law, it will permit individuals who have obtained a concealed handgun license to conceal and carry a loaded weapon on a college campus.
These are all adjustments that the public will face together and I think it will be interesting to see the deterrence if any that is associated with these new laws. It will be even more interesting to follow what President Obama has just proclaimed regarding stricter gun laws. What do you think?
For more in depth questions about Campus Carry and Open Carry, please visit the Texas Department of Public Safety.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/legal/newlegislation.htm http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/politics/poll-obama-gun-action/index.html http://www.opencarrytexas.org/faq.html http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/legal/newlegislation.htm http://www.armedcampuses.org/texas/ ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/84R/billtext/html/house_bills/HB00900_HB00999/HB00910I.htm
If you are seeking aggressive criminal representation by an experienced criminal defense attorney for your Denton County criminal case or arrest in Denton County, contact the offices of Tim Powers today. There is no charge or obligation for the initial consultation. 940.483.8000
*Tim Powers is an attorney licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For legal advice about any specific legal question you should directly consult an attorney. Criminal Defense Lawyers with Unparalleled Passion for Success Providing Quality Representation for your Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Corinth, Highland Village Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Denton County, Tarrant County, Collin County, or Dallas County criminal case