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.
Harris County, TX
House Bill 1927 (2021) lets most Texans 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit anywhere in Harris County. The optional License to Carry thro...
Harris County, TX
Texas Government Code chapter 236 bars Harris County Commissioners from regulating firearm ownership, transfer, transport, or carry. Government Code section ...
Harris County, TX
Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1), the Motorist Protection Act expanded by HB 1927, lets any adult legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun in...
See how Harris County's open carry rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.