Before discussing all the facets of acquiring a CHL you need to know if you are even eligible.
TEXAS CONCEALED HANDGUN LAWS GC §411.172. 3***ELIGIBILITY
(a) A person is eligible for a license to carry a concealed handgun
if the person:
(1) is a legal resident of this state for the six-month period
preceding the date of application under this subchapter or is otherwise
eligible for a license under Section 411.173(a);
(2) is at least 21 years of age;
(3) has not been convicted of a felony;
(4) is not charged with the commission of a Class A or Class B
misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code, or of a
felony under an information or indictment;
(5) is not a fugitive from justice for a felony or a Class A or Class
B misdemeanor;
(6) is not a chemically dependent person;
(7) is not incapable of exercising sound judgment with respect to
the proper use and storage of a handgun;
(8) has not, in the five years preceding the date of application, been
convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or an offense under
Section 42.01, Penal Code;
(9) is fully qualified under applicable federal and state law to
purchase a handgun;
(10) has not been finally determined to be delinquent in making a
child support payment administered or collected by the attorney
general;
(11) has not been finally determined to be delinquent in the
payment of a tax or other money collected by the comptroller, the tax
collector of a political subdivision of the state, or any agency or subdivision
of the state;
(12) has not been finally determined to be in default on a loan
made under Chapter 57, Education Code;
(13) is not currently restricted under a court protective order or
subject to a restraining order affecting the spousal relationship, other
than a restraining order solely affecting property interests;
(14) has not, in the 10 years preceding the date of application,
been adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct violating a
penal law of the grade of felony; and
(15) has not made any material misrepresentation, or failed to
disclose any material fact, in an application submitted pursuant to
Section 411.174 or in a request for application submitted pursuant to
Section 411.175.
if the person:
(1) is a legal resident of this state for the six-month period
preceding the date of application under this subchapter or is otherwise
eligible for a license under Section 411.173(a);
(2) is at least 21 years of age;
(3) has not been convicted of a felony;
(4) is not charged with the commission of a Class A or Class B
misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code, or of a
felony under an information or indictment;
(5) is not a fugitive from justice for a felony or a Class A or Class
B misdemeanor;
(6) is not a chemically dependent person;
(7) is not incapable of exercising sound judgment with respect to
the proper use and storage of a handgun;
(8) has not, in the five years preceding the date of application, been
convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or an offense under
Section 42.01, Penal Code;
(9) is fully qualified under applicable federal and state law to
purchase a handgun;
(10) has not been finally determined to be delinquent in making a
child support payment administered or collected by the attorney
general;
(11) has not been finally determined to be delinquent in the
payment of a tax or other money collected by the comptroller, the tax
collector of a political subdivision of the state, or any agency or subdivision
of the state;
(12) has not been finally determined to be in default on a loan
made under Chapter 57, Education Code;
(13) is not currently restricted under a court protective order or
subject to a restraining order affecting the spousal relationship, other
than a restraining order solely affecting property interests;
(14) has not, in the 10 years preceding the date of application,
been adjudicated as having engaged in delinquent conduct violating a
penal law of the grade of felony; and
(15) has not made any material misrepresentation, or failed to
disclose any material fact, in an application submitted pursuant to
Section 411.174 or in a request for application submitted pursuant to
Section 411.175.
Why & Why Not
The majority of people do not see a need to be armed. They feel it is dangerous, that it invites aggression, & that it is unnecessary because of who they are or where they live. Well those people are absolutely RIGHT. Yes I said right, carrying a firearm does invite trouble because the carrier is more willing to confront a situation than if unarmed. Guns are dangerous & many innocent family members are shot do to poor holstering & improper securing.
I carry a gun because of one simple fact; I want to live. No one besides my mom is going to give their life for me. No one is going to come to my rescue. The only person who has the ability to save my life is me. I will do everything in my power to protect myself & anyone that i'm with from serious injury or death. Carrying a firearm is insurance. One may never use it but if u don't have it & need it...well, your life maybe over.
Texas Crime Rates
201025,145,561 Residents
113, 231 Violent Crimes
951,246 Property Crimes
1,249 Murders
7,622 Forcible Rapes
32,843 Robberies
71,517 Aggravated Assaults
228,597 Burglaries
654,626 Larceny Thefts
68,023 Vehicle Thefts
Steps to get a CHL
The first step is to go to https://txapps.texas.gov/txapp/txdps/chl/ & submit an application. If you are active military the application is free. If you're a veteran with an honorable discharge then you only pay $70. Everyone else pays $140. The application will ask you for your social security number, drivers licence information, current address, employment, email, & credit card. All fees are non-refundable.
Once the application is finished, you'll be directed to make an appointment with L-1 Services. The state of Texas no longer accepts fingerprint cards so L-1 handles them electronically. The fingerprinting takes about 2 minutes & there are hundreds of locations. The cost is roughly $11.
The reason I recommend taking the class after the online application is that a lot of CHL training centers provide the rest of you're stuff in the price of the class. I went to & highly recommend (DFW) Texas Handgun Academy for my CHL & they provided the:
2 passport photos.
passport photos holder.
Certificate of Completion (Form CHL-100).
Photo Holder/ID Signature (Form CHL-6).
Large brown envelope to mail forms to DPS.
They also go over everything to make sure that everything is correct.
At the Range
The class is roughly 8 hours of reading & videos. You may also hear 911 tapes of people getting murdered. The majority of stuff may be common sense but its that little bit that you didn't know that could keep you out of jail. Remember, killing someone is murder no matter the reason. The class also includes time for you to qualify on the firing range. If you test with a revolver then you will only be able to carry a revolver. If you test with a semi-automatic (Glock, 1911) then you can carry any handgun including revolvers. You need to bring an unloaded handgun that is at least able to fire a .38 caliber, so 9mm & 45's are welcome. If you don't have a firearm then you can bring a friends or rent one from the Trainers. Also needed is 50 rounds to qualify with.
From a distance of 3 Yards:
From a distance of 7 Yards:
From a distance of 15 Yards:
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The range time is to make sure that you can fire safely & accurately at different distances.
Waiting Game
Once the class is completed, then everything is mailed to the DPS where it can take from 30 to 120 days. It all depends on how accurate the initial application is. Any errors can double the time. I received min in 62 days & thats because of multiple holidays. I now people who had to wait over 4 months for theirs. The DPS website can track the progress but it is usually 2 weeks behind. It may say processing & the CHL is in your mailbox. It is very frustrating but you can always call the DPS & get an accurate status. This is a great time to figure out what type of gun holster you're gonna need. You will probably go through several before you find the one that combines great concealment, accessibility, & comfort.
I GOT IT, now what?
Now you can legally carry as many handguns as your body will let you! Just some things to remember, printing is not a crime but it is a "concealed handgun license". If a reasonable person can decipher that you have a gun then you may need to rethink your gun placement. This does not mean if a police officer or fellow CHL holder sees it. Police officers have been trained to spot weapons & fellow carriers have walked in your shoes & remember the obstacles. I personally carry in a pocket holster or my belly band.
Where Can't I Go?
Schools or school buses
Government buildings or meetings
Polling places, courts, & court offices
Race tracks, high school, college or professional sporting events.
Airports (except when checking firearm for travel).
1,000 feet of the premises of a facility carrying out an execution on the day of an execution.
Where alcohol is sold, if more than 51% of their revenue is from alcohol consumption.
Hospitals or nursing homes
Amusement parks
Places of worship
Anywhere you see this sign in 1" bold type against a contrasting background, in both english & spanish, & must be located at all public entrances:
"CONFORME A LA SECCIÓN 30.06 DEL CÔDIGO PENAL (TRASPASAR PORTANDO ARMAS DE FUEGO) PERSONAS CON LICENCIA BAJO DEL SUB-CAPITULO H, CAPITULO 411, CODIGO DE GOBIERNO (LEY DE PORTAR ARMAS), NO DEBEN ENTRAR A ESTA PROPIEDAD PORTANDO UN ARMA DE FUEGO."
Links
Texas Handgun Academy
http://www.texashandgunacademy.com/chl.html
CHL FAQ's
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/chlfaqs.htm
DPS CHL Application
https://txapps.texas.gov/txapp/txdps/chl/
Concealment Clothing
http://www.blackhawk.com/catalog/Apparel,22.htm
http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Tactical_Concealed_Carry_Clothing.shtml
L-1 Identity Solutions
http://www.l1id.com/
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