Texas gun laws: a plain-English guide for buyers

Texas has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country. There is no permit to purchase, no registration, no state waiting period and no limit on magazines or semi-automatic rifles, and since 2021 most adults can carry a handgun without a license. That does not mean there are no rules. This guide covers buying, owning, carrying and transporting firearms in Texas as of September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice; when in doubt, read the statute or ask a Texas attorney.

Buying from a licensed dealer

Every firearm you order from us ships to a federally licensed dealer (FFL) that you pick at checkout. At the counter you show a valid photo ID, fill out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check. Federal law sets the dealer minimum age at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. Texas adds no purchase permit, no firearm owner ID card and no registration with any state or local agency.

There is also no state waiting period. Once the NICS check comes back as proceed, you can take the gun home that day. If the check is delayed, federal rules apply and many dealers wait for a final answer before releasing the gun. The Texas Department of Public Safety notes that a valid Texas License to Carry can serve as an alternative to the NICS check, which can speed things up at the counter.

Private sales

Texas does not require a background check when one Texas resident sells a gun to another in a private sale. The rules that do apply:

Prohibited buyers: it is a crime to sell or transfer a firearm to someone you know is barred from having one.
Minors: Texas Penal Code Section 46.06 makes it an offense to sell or give a firearm to a child under 18 without the written consent of a parent or guardian.
Out-of-state buyers: federal law requires sales between residents of different states to go through a licensed dealer.

Many private sellers still meet at a dealer and pay for a background check because it protects both sides.

Age rules

At a dealer, you must be 21 for a handgun and 18 for a long gun. Carrying a handgun without a license is limited to adults 21 and older. For the License to Carry, the statute says 21, but after a federal court ruling in 2022 the Department of Public Safety no longer denies applications solely because an applicant is 18 to 20 years old. See our Texas License to Carry guide for details.

What Texas does not regulate

Texas has no assault weapon ban, no magazine limit and no gun registry. Under Local Government Code Section 229.001, cities may not regulate the transfer, ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing or registration of firearms or ammunition, so Waco, Hewitt, Austin and Houston all follow the same purchase rules. Cities can still regulate discharging a firearm inside city limits, except at sport shooting ranges.

Changes from the 2025 session

The Texas Legislature meets in regular session every other year. Four gun bills from the 2025 regular session took effect on September 1, 2025:

Senate Bill 1362 bars Texas courts and officials from recognizing, serving or enforcing extreme risk protective orders, often called red flag orders, and creates a criminal offense for trying to enforce one.
Senate Bill 1596 removed short-barrel rifles and shotguns from the Texas list of prohibited weapons. Federal registration rules for those firearms still apply.
House Bill 3053 bars cities and counties from organizing, sponsoring or joining gun buyback programs.
Senate Bill 706 says a valid handgun license from any other state is recognized in Texas.

There is no regular session in 2026; the next one starts in January 2027. Watch for new bills then, and check the Texas Legislature Online site for anything passed in a special session.

Carrying a handgun

House Bill 1927, the Firearm Carry Act of 2021, lets adults 21 and older who may legally possess a firearm carry a handgun without a license, concealed or openly in a holster. People convicted in the past five years of certain offenses, such as assault causing bodily injury, deadly conduct, terroristic threat or disorderly conduct involving a firearm, may not carry away from their own property or vehicle. Some places stay off-limits for everyone, including schools, polling places, courts, racetracks, secured airport areas and businesses that earn 51 percent or more of their income from on-site alcohol sales. Private property owners can bar carry with signs that meet state law. The full list is in the License to Carry guide.

Transporting firearms

In Texas you may keep a handgun in your own vehicle or boat as long as it is concealed or in a holster, and you are 21 or older or hold a License to Carry. Rifles and shotguns ride in trucks across the state every hunting season. When you travel through other states, the federal safe-passage law protects you only when the gun is unloaded and locked out of reach, so check the laws of each state on your route. Airlines require firearms to be unloaded, locked in a hard case and declared at the counter.

Storage and children

Texas Penal Code Section 46.13 makes it an offense to leave a loaded firearm where a child younger than 17 can get it, if the child gains access. A safe, a lock box or a cable lock is the simplest way to stay on the right side of that law, and the Department of Public Safety publishes safe storage material on its website.

Hunting

Hunting firearms are regulated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department rather than the Penal Code. Rimfire ammunition is banned for deer, and each county has its own seasons and bag limits. Read our Texas deer season and rifle guide and our feral hog hunting guide before you head out.

Buying online from us

Browse the catalog, pick a dealer near you at checkout, and we ship your firearm there. The dealer runs the check and hands it over with no waiting period. Ammunition, optics and most parts ship straight to your door. For local details around our namesake town, read the Waco gun buying guide, or find your town in the Texas gun shop directory, including Waco, Temple and Austin.

General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.