Houston cannot enact local firearm ordinances — Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 preempts municipal regulation of the transfer, ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms and ammunition. Carry, purchase, and possession rules are uniform statewide under state law.
Section 229.001 of the Texas Local Government Code, originally enacted in the 1990s (as former Sec. 215.001) and amended into its current form, prohibits a municipality from adopting regulations relating to the transfer, private ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms, ammunition, or firearm supplies. Houston retains a narrow set of powers: it can regulate the discharge of firearms within city limits (other than at a permitted sport shooting range), apply generally applicable zoning, land-use, fire-code, and business ordinances to firearms dealers like any other business, regulate firearm carry by minors in certain public places, and restrict carry at city parks, government meetings, political events, and non-firearm-related sporting events for persons without a Texas License to Carry. State carry, purchase, age, and background-check rules — including permitless (constitutional) carry of handguns under HB 1927 (2021) — apply uniformly inside Houston.
Any Houston ordinance that conflicts with Section 229.001 is void and unenforceable. Since 2021, the Texas Attorney General can also investigate and sue cities that adopt or enforce regulations preempted by state firearms law, and individual gun owners have a private right of action to challenge them.
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