Texas age laws

F

FallenPhoenix

New member
After reading related federal and state laws, I'm confused as to the legality of taking my handgun to the range. I am 18 and would like to take lessons from one of the officers of the club but I'm not sure what position I'd be in on the offchance that I was stopped and the handgun was discovered unloaded in it's box in my trunk. Can anyone explain to me exactly what is legal and what isn't in Texas, taking into account state and federal law?
 
as far as federal law is concerned you have to be 21 to BUY a handgun from a ffl. basically all the other laws are dealt with at a state level.

and then there is also the difference of whether you have a ccw in texas or not. im not sure about texas's laws as i am from indiana.

if you have a ccw from texas then i suggest you look at packing.org for help if not then i will say im not qualified to give you a answer on this sunject not knowing texas law
 
Texas requires that you be at least 21 years of age to apply for a CCW permit. I'm not sure if it's a CCW or a CHL specifically though. There is a difference between those right?
 
concealed handgun licsense or concealed carry weapon permit. both are basically the same.

in indiana you can be 18 to apply for a ccw.
 
As an 18 year old with a handgun in your possession, in the offchance that you were stopped by the police in Texas, your position would not be enviable. It would probably involve bending over, handcuffs, a ride in a police car, a short stay in county jail, posting bail, hiring an attorney, a fine and/or probation.

Take a parent, uncle or other responsible adult (without a felony or family violence misdemeanor conviction) with you who can claim possession of the handgun, if necessary, and you should be fine.
 
I'm in the PRK and here the buyer of a handgun must be 21 years old to purchase(Fed. law). However an 18 year old can bring a firearn to a shooting range, as he is a legal adult. There is nothing in the books about borrowing a parents or friends handgun, unless that firearm is a California registered "Assault Weapon" then the only person that can legaly transport it is the registered owner. :mad:

With all the restriction we have here in Ca. I'm surprised that would even be an issue in Texas.
 
You’re fine to take the gun to the range at 18 here in Texas. When my buddies and I were that age we did it all the time. If you want to make sure that you don’t run into any problems put the gun in your trunk like you said. Or even more safe, don’t do something that would cause a cop to stop you; you know like speeding, rolling through a stop sign, stuff like that.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no age limit on firing or possessing a firearm in Texas as long as the parent or guardian consents for those under the age of 18. Various municipal ordinances or range rules might however, prohibit you.
 
thanks for the responses everyone, now when there's times my dad doesn't want to go shooting I feel confident going alone. Thanks again
 
you can transport a firearm if you have it locked and seperated from the ammunition. but if your still not sure i would say to ask a "credible" and smart ffl dealer or the range master. most cops dont know alot about firearm laws but enough to preform their duty and make sure they make it home at night
 
you can transport a firearm if you have it locked and seperated from the ammunition.
Click to expand...

Texas law does not differentiate between loaded and unloaded firearms and anyone may have a loaded gun "on or about their person" if directly enroute to or from a firing range.

I am uncertain about how age may be a factor.
 
ahh c i didnt know that. i just said that to be on what i thought was the safe side. like i said earlier i really dont know much about texas state laws as i focus on the laws that affect me here in the good ole hoosier state of Indiana
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top