Texas Gun Laws: In-Depth Comprehensive Guide (2025)

How We Calculate Gun Friendliness Scores

The Gun Friendliness Score ranges from 0 to 100 and represents how favorable a state's laws are toward gun ownership and use. We evaluate each state across 50 key gun policies, assigning points based on how these policies affect gun owners:

• Policies that support gun rights, reduce restrictions, or expand legal protections for gun owners receive positive points
• Policies that restrict firearm ownership, limit purchase options, or add regulatory burdens receive negative points

Texas's outstanding score of 96 reflects the state's constitutional carry laws, minimal restrictions on firearm types, strong preemption laws, and comprehensive self-defense protections.

State requires any firearm sale to go through a licensed dealer (FFL) and be subject to a background check. (Federal law requires those "engaged in the business" of buying/selling firearms to perform a background check during a sale). A private sale or transfer of any firearm between individuals (non-family members) must be also conducted through an FFL.

All handgun sales and most transfers are subject to a background check. Private sales of handguns between individuals (non-family members) must be conducted through an FFL.

State will halt the transfer of a firearm if a background check is delayed. Some states will halt the process indefinitely, some for a set amount of time.

The firearm dealer (or state agency conducting the background check) has a responsibility to notify local law enforcement of a failed background check.

Most firearms–including rifles, shotguns, and handguns–cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 21. (Federal laws permit long guns to be sold to those over the age of 18.)

State requires a permit (single-use or renewable) for all firearms or specifically for handguns. States typically charge a fee for the permit and a background check is performed during the application.

Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must wait a specified period (typically between 3-14 days) between initiating the purchase and taking possession of the firearm.

State has a licensing system for firearms merchants above and beyond the federal (FFL) system.

State officials able to block sales of firearms if the purchaser is deemed to be a threat to themselves or to public safety (according to the judgment of the official)

State controls what make and model handguns are sold; according to their own criteria. Often, this involves a "roster" of approved handguns with the right "safety" features, such as a loaded chamber indicator, or even the amount of metal in the firearm (Maryland). Often, LE are exempt from these requirements.

State sets a lower threshold for unfinished frames and receivers (beyond ATF rule 2021R-05F). Includes ban on 3D-printing of these parts in some states.

Several states require a permit just to possess: a handgun (New York); any firearms or ammunition (Illinois).

State keeps a record of every firearm or handgun sold. Includes states with a permit to purchase and states that keep records of purchases.

Prior to purchasing a firearm, an individual must prove they completed the state ordered training. Often, this is part of the application process for a Permit to Purchase.

Gun owners must lock up firearms in the home (or anywhere else a minor or prohibited person may have access).

State limits magazine capacity for some or all firearms.

Magazine fed, semi-automatic, centerfire rifles cannot have other "features" (pistol grip, flash hider, etc.) or they are considered "assault weapons." New guns cannot be registered as "assault weapons." Possession is prohibited with limited exceptions.

State has a law banning the sale of a new pistol unless its firing can imprint its serial number somewhere on the cartridge case during firing. This technology is make-believe at present, but these laws will effectively ban the sale of new handguns in the state if/when they become effective

Gun owners must report the loss or theft of firearms–usually within several days of the incident or first discovering the loss–or potentially face a criminal penalty.

State requires a permit to carry a concealed pistol. This includes all states that "may issue" a permit (where officials may deny a permit for subjective reasons).

State allows the carry permit officials to deny an application based on the state's own criteria.

State restricts open carry to rifles and shotguns or bans open carry completely unless you are LE or special permit holder.

State has not passed a blanket law permitting concealed carry on college campuses.

State limits or bans any type of carry in and around government facilities (state, county, municipal) and/or limits carry of firearms in parades and demonstrations

State prohibits carry inside bars or consumption of alcohol while carrying.

Only LE (and in some states, specially licensed school officials) may carry on school property.

State doesn't consider concealed carry permits from other states valid

State has a law prohibiting felons from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.

State has a law prohibiting fugitives from justice from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this.

State has a law prohibiting those who have been involuntarily committed (to a psychiatric hospital or mental institution), or those found to be a danger to themselves or others from owning guns and ammo. Federal law already prohibits anyone found to be mentally defective or committed to a mental institution at 16 years or older.

State will take away firearms, deny future possession, or at minimum deny future purchase of firearms for certain misdemeanor crimes of violence (besides domestic violence violence).

State has a law prohibiting those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning guns and ammo, even though federal law already does this

State has either made stalking a felony (instant prohibitor) or makes an individual convicted of misdemeanor stalking a prohibited person.

Law enforcement (and others, depending on the state) is allowed to request that firearms be taken away from others with limited due process.

Similar to a red flag law, state will take away guns before an actual conviction. This is often during domestic disputes, before a restraining order takes effect, and in similar situations.

State will take away all firearms from an individual in response to a misdemeanor hate crime conviction.

State will quickly respond when an individual's status changes to prohibited and take away all firearms belonging to that person.

State will quickly respond to take away firearms from an individual if they are convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.

State will take away all firearms from anyone who is subject to a restraining order, even though federal law already does this.

State imposes a "duty to retreat" before using force or requires "proportional force" when responding to an attack or dangerous situation with force.

State maintains records of anyone that has been committed or involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals. They send this information to the FBI for use by the NICS (or when conducting a state background check, if applicable).

Teams of mostly school officials are empowered by law to refer children for mental health assessments or take more drastic action if they believe the child poses a threat to themselves or others.

Law enforcement must use either a state system or the federal firearm tracing system to research any firearm recovered from a crime scene or used in a crime.

Some states never passed (or passed and later repealed) a set of basic protections for public safety officers. These protections vary by state. They often include the right to engage in political activity and run for public office, and the right to refuse a lie detector test, among other things.

State laws severely limit the discharge of firearms to apprehend criminals, including against individuals suspected of murder or fleeing a felony in many cases.

Law enforcement agencies are required to report any officer-involved shootings that result in serious injury or death. Monthly or annual reports are compiled using this data and made available to the public.

In civil court, LE officials may not use a defense of qualified immunity if they are accused of certain civil rights violations. This includes situations in which a firearm was used.

Some states have passed legislation creating gun violence prevention offices that target "community gun violence." Taxpayer funds are used to support these programs, which may have little to no effect on violent crime.

Some states maximize the use of federal money intended for victims of violent crime by increasing pool of eligible claimants. Money is paid out to families of convicted felons in many cases.

Local governments are free to pass their own gun control laws in addition to any existing laws at the federal and state levels. Some states prohibit local governments from passing laws about specific things-including guns. This is known as preemption.