Today, September 1, 2021, constitutional carry goes into effect in Texas. That makes Texas the 21st state to have some constitutional carry or permitless carry law on the books.
I’ve seen many people saying this is going to turn Texas into the “Wild Wild West.” But with nearly half the country under Constitutional Carry, we haven’t seen any other states turn into the “Wild Wild West.” I think these are just quick assumptions people have when they hear that anyone can carry a gun but don’t do any research to back up those assumptions.
So what does this mean for Texans? If you are 21-years-old or older, can legally possess a firearm and “have not been convicted within the past five years of misdemeanor bodily assault causing injury, deadly conduct, terroristic threat, or disorderly conduct (display or discharge) of a firearm,” then you are allowed to carry a concealed firearm without a Texas Handgun License.
I’m sure some of you are wondering if non-residents can carry without a recognized permit. Yes, non-residents can carry under this Constitutional Carry law as it doesn’t only pertain to residents of Texas.
But I still highly recommend getting a concealed carry permit to have reciprocity with other states. You should also be going out and getting trained. Just because you can carry without a permit doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be training how to use and carry that firearm properly.
Texas just became a more “tactical” state. Passing constitutional carry is one of the most “tactical” things a state legislature can do, IMHO.