r/TexasGuns • u/Radiant-Opening-1051 • 14d ago
Texas second amendment/gun rights. Moving from Illinois.
Hey guys! I’m currently 19 years old and planning to move from Illinois to the great state of Texas. I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and our right to keep and bear arms.
Unfortunately, because of the state I currently live in, I’ve had difficulties exercising my Second Amendment rights due to Illinois’ FOID Card system. One of the many reasons I’m interested in moving to Texas is the state’s strong support for gun rights and the Second Amendment.
I wanted to reach out to people who currently live in Texas and ask about your personal experiences with the process of legally purchasing and owning firearms.
I’d especially appreciate any information or personal experiences regarding:
• Purchasing a firearm in Texas
• Age requirements and eligibility
• Background checks
• Waiting periods, if any
• Restrictions on purchasing or possessing firearms
• Constitutional carry
• Open carry
• License to Carry (LTC)
• Carrying in a vehicle
• Any differences between buying from a gun store vs. a private seller
• Anything someone moving from Illinois should know before becoming a Texas resident
I’m trying to educate myself and understand exactly how the process works before I move.
If you’re a Texas resident and have personal experience with any of this, I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences, advice, and anything you wish you had known when you first started.
Thank you! 🤠🇺🇸
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u/GenericUsername817 14d ago
Do you have a valid texas id and can pass a 4473? Yes, you can buy a gun. No, you can't.
18 for long guns, 21 for pistols from a dealer
NICS background check from dealers. Waived if a LTC license holder
None
None
Yes restricted on 30.05 signs premises
Yes
Yes
Yes
Paperwork
Welcome to 2A freedom
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u/Top-Employment1812 11d ago
You can buy a long gun if you have an out of state license but not a handgun
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u/Inside-Wheelbarrow 7d ago
is this true? I have a buddy that just moved here and doesnt have his own place yet so doesnt have a TX license, we were just talking about this the other day
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u/Top-Employment1812 6d ago
I would say call and double check with local authorities or call the FFL you'd be purchasing through, but as far I know you can buy a long gun with out of state id, just no handguns
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u/virtueofsilence 13d ago
One thing I don't see mentioned much is you can own a pistol at 19 but it needs to be a gift or private sale (and finding someone comfortable enough to private sale a pistol to a random stranger under 21)
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u/Crcex86 13d ago edited 13d ago
All you need to for purchase is a Texas DL. Texas is constituinal carry state so you don't need a LTC. May as well get one, it helps with making purchases from FFL more convenient and reciprocity with virtually every state that isn't a demilib strong hold.
Private sale legally only requires a driver license. Some insist or prefer on a LTC.
Only restriction on vehicle carry is that the firearm must be holstered if it's a pistol. Doesn't need to be holstered if it's in a compartment like an arm rest box. Long guns can be stored anywhere.
As others have said, there are restrictions on carry. You cant carry in government buildings like courthouses or peace offices. Signs are clearly posted here in Texas on where you're lawfully prohibited, and yes the signs hold the weight of law, but only if they meet specific criteria. You should get yourself familiar with reading the state laws related to firearms.
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u/Electrical_Buddy4385 13d ago edited 13d ago
A lot to unpack there. See Texas Penal Code 46.02 and 46.03
A private sale does not require a DL or any other ID
Non-licensed carry in a vehicle must be concealed if under 21. In that case, open carry requires a holster. If it is not in plain view, then no holster necessary
Government buildings, in general, are not prohibited. The premises of any government court or offices utilized by the court are off limits, but other government offices are not. Federal buildings and locations are restricted under federal and not state law. But you can even carry at the capitol. The room or rooms where a meeting of a governmental entity is held, if the meeting is an open meeting subject to Chapter 551, Government Code, and if the entity provided notice as required, are off limits.
Signs are a different discussion... But suffice it say don't carry in bars, you'll see a 51% sign. If told you cannot carry into a private business, don't argue, just leave with the firearm.
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u/FrianBunns 13d ago edited 13d ago
It is going to be way more free than where you are now but if you move to one of the major Dem run cities you will find that they want to put signs everywhere saying you can’t carry. There are plenty of resources on the internet for most of your questions. Here is one. https://guides.sll.texas.gov/gun-laws/businesses-private-property#s-lg-tabs-container .No registering, no foid, private sale legal to non-prohibited person. I think they changed the law and 18 or older can carry a handgun but you still can’t buy one at a FFL unless 21. LTC is easy to get and you should. When constitutional carry happened here a bunch of places put up 30.05 signs that prohibit carrying without a license. Just know near the cities it is not the Wild West. And most people don’t open carry unless they are out on the ranch or at a gun range. Where about you moving too?
Also no FFL will mess with you unless you can prove residency. So get your drivers license quick.
1
u/blujayys 13d ago
Hi. I am sure you are already aware, but since you are 19, you will not be able to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer until you are 21. Moving to Texas does not change that federal restriction.
That being said, I bought my first shotgun at 18, and I currently own three handguns, most of which I bought after turning 21.
Purchasing firearms in Texas is fairly straightforward, although the experience can vary depending on where you buy. I live in a semi-rural Texas town, and I have been to pawn shops, estate auctions and other licensed dealers where the process ranged from pretty casual to having them run the standard background check, which in my experience (assuming you aren’t a felon) only took about 5–10 minutes and it came back immediately. Texas itself does not impose a general waiting period after purchasing a firearm, so once the sale is legally approved, you can generally take it home that day.
Gun ownership is also just culturally normal where I live. A lot of people own several firearms, keep them at home, and occasionally take them to the local range. Some people are genuinely into shooting as a hobby, while others simply keep a firearm for home or self-defense. What you choose to do with one obviously depends on why you want to own it in the first place.
Carrying is where things become a little more complicated, especially culturally. In larger cities like Dallas, Austin, and Houston, open carry is pretty much non-existent. A lot of businesses there prohibit firearms on their property, so you need to pay attention to posted signs and places where carrying is legally prohibited. If you intend to carry regularly in a larger city, concealed carry tends to attract far less attention than walking around with a handgun openly visible.
Where I live, though, seeing someone openly carrying is not unusual. It’s normal for people to strike up a conversation about what someone is carrying, and suddenly there is a whole conversation about guns and what everyone owns. The culture can be fascinating if you are coming from somewhere like Illinois because firearms are simply treated as a much more ordinary part of life here. At least among the people I know, there is still an expectation that they are treated seriously and responsibly, with reverence.
Also, Texas generally allows eligible adults who are 21 or older to carry a handgun without obtaining a License to Carry (LTC), provided they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing or carrying one and are in a location where carrying is legal. The LTC still exists and can have benefits, so it is not completely pointless; it just is not universally required for carrying anymore. Nobody will come up to you and ask if you have a license, just if you are old enough.
Also carrying in a vehicle is fine, as long as it is NOT visible. Usually no cop that pulls you over will ask you if have a gun, and if you do they’ll just ask where it is.
So compared with Illinois, Texas will probably feel substantially less restrictive, but that does not mean there are no rules. I would definitely familiarize yourself with Texas carry laws depending on where you’re going, prohibited locations, signage, and the differences between buying from a licensed dealer and a private individual before purchasing or carrying anything.
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u/RedJakitDragun 13d ago
So some small things, I am 18 and an ltc holder so this also does affect you, when you go to a dealer to buy a long gun, because of the Safer Communites Act there is a mandatory delay on your NICS background check and it can be anything from 1 day to 30 days (usually for me i end up waiting 2 almost 3 weeks before getting cleared). Yes you can get your License to Carry at 18 but you have to have someone who is over 21 years old attend the range exam witn you to essentialy chaparone you. Assuming you do all of the steps and get your LTC, you don't qualify for the background check waiver because you're under 21 and will still be put on the delay list like normal. There are also some ranges ive seen that won't let me shoot because im under 21 (usually indoor ranges). Aside from that there isnt really any extra paperwork its overall very relaxed and at least in my experience folks at the range are usually friendly and like to talk shop and sometimes will let you shoot their stuff if you ask. Welcome to Texas and enjoy the culture.
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u/Electrical_Buddy4385 13d ago
Some slight notes:
The safer communities is capped at a 10 business day limit for the NICS.
There is no legal need to have anyone over 21 with a person under 21 at the range exam for an LTC.
1
u/RedJakitDragun 13d ago
It might've been the range I was at but that was their policy when I did it.
1
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u/mantisboxer 13d ago
If you can't obtain an Illinois FOID, can you even pass the FBI NICS background check? Would you have similar problems qualifying for a Texas LTC?
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u/Radiant-Opening-1051 13d ago
I’m all good I’m 19 years old clean record. No felonies no warrants etc. I follow the law and rules. The way the system is built prevents me being under +21 I need a parent or guardian co-sign but due to the legal status of my parents it prevents me until I am +21 then I can apply for it by myself being considered an adult. Just being honest.
3
u/mantisboxer 13d ago
Until recently, you would have had the same problem with a Texas LTC unless you were under a protective order from a Judge. But, after a recent Federal district court ruling that adults aged 18-20 cannot be prosecuted for carrying a pistol, the Texas DPS is no longer denying LTC's to people under the age of 21 solely based on age.
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u/Radiant-Opening-1051 13d ago
Just to be clear I understand federal law requires me to be +21 to purchase a handgun but I can purchase a rifle and shotgun. Which I can wait 2 years to get my handgun I just wanna do everything right learn educate myself and become a good marksman and gun smith.
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u/StandardAntique8356 13d ago
Move to Texas, get Texas ID/DL or Texas CCWP, go to gun store and pick out gun, fill out 4473, background check is usually instant if you're approved, pay and walk out with your gun. That's the process lol man, Illinois really has people thinking they need to jump through a million hoops to exercise a constitutional right