Texas allows open carry of holstered handguns by adults 21 and older without a permit. House Bill 1927 (2021) ended the License to Carry requirement. Long guns may also be openly carried. Harris County adds no local rule; state sensitive-place limits still apply.
Open carry of a holstered handgun has been legal in Texas since 2016 with a License to Carry, and HB 1927 (2021) extended permitless open carry to most adults 21 and older under Texas Penal Code 46.02. Long guns may be openly carried by adults absent disqualification. In Harris County, no county ordinance restricts open carry on public sidewalks, in vehicles, or at most public places. State sensitive-place limits in Penal Code 46.03 and 46.035, including the courthouse, jail, schools, polling places, and 51-percent alcohol establishments, still apply. Posted private property under Penal Code 30.07 can exclude open carriers. Disorderly conduct under Penal Code 42.01 covers display calculated to alarm.
Disorderly display of a firearm under Penal Code 42.01 is a Class B misdemeanor; carrying in posted or prohibited locations is a Class A misdemeanor or felony with fines up to four thousand dollars and possible jail time.
See how Bellaire's open carry rules stack up against other locations.
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