HB 2470

relating to the age at which a person not otherwise prohibited by
state or federal law from possessing a firearm may carry a handgun
or is eligible for a license to carry a handgun.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  The Legislature of the State of Texas finds that:
(1)  the Second Amendment of the United States
Constitution protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms,
to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to
use that firearm for traditionally lawful  purposes, such as
(2)  Section 23, Article I, of the Texas Constitution
secures for Texas citizens the right to keep and bear arms;
(3)  the United States District Court for the Northern
District of Texas in Firearms Policy Coal., Inc. v. McCraw, 623 F.
Supp. 3d 740 (N.D. Tex. 2022), recognized the right of responsible
individuals aged 18, 19, and 20 to carry a handgun outside the home
for self-defense and found that Texas's statutory scheme and the
prohibition imposed on these individuals under Section 46.02, Penal
Code, and Section 411.172, Government Code, infringed on rights
protected by the Second and Fourteenth Amendments to the United
(4)  to ensure clarity in the law and consistency with
constitutional principles, the eligibility criteria for carrying a
handgun in Texas without a license and for obtaining a license to
carry a handgun  should include responsible individuals aged 18,
19, and 20 who are not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law
(5)  persons who are currently prohibited from
possessing a firearm under state or federal law will not gain the
right to possess or carry a firearm under this legislation.
SECTION 2.  Section 411.047(b), Government Code, is amended
(b)  Such statistics shall be drawn and reported annually
from the Department of Public Safety computerized criminal history
file on persons 18 [21] years of age and older and shall be compared
in numerical and graphical format to all like offenses committed in
the state for the reporting period as a percentage of the total of
SECTION 3.  Section 411.172(a), Government Code, is amended
(a)  A person is eligible for a license to carry a handgun if
(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 18 [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 equivalent offense, or of an offense under
Section 42.01, Penal Code, or equivalent offense, 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 or equivalent offense;
(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
equivalent offense or of an offense under Section 42.01, Penal
(9)  is fully qualified under applicable federal and
state law to possess [purchase] a handgun;
(10)  has not been finally determined to be delinquent
in making a child support payment administered or collected by the
(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)  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
(13)  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
(14)  has not made any material misrepresentation, or
failed to disclose any material fact, in an application submitted
SECTION 4.  Section 411.179(a), Government Code, is amended
(a)  The department by rule shall adopt the form of the
license. A license must include:
(1)  a number assigned to the license holder by the
(2)  a statement of the period for which the license is
(3)  a photograph of the license holder;
(4)  the license holder's full name, date of birth, hair
and eye color, height, weight, and signature;
(5)  the license holder's residence address or, as
provided by Subsection (d), the street address of the courthouse in
which the license holder or license holder's spouse or parent
serves as a federal judge or the license holder serves as a state
(6)  the number of a driver's license or an
identification certificate issued to the license holder by the
(7)  the designation "VETERAN" if required under
(8)  any at-risk designation for which the license
holder has established eligibility under Section 411.184[; and
[(9)  if applicable, a protective order designation
SECTION 5.  Section 411.205, Government Code, is amended to
Sec. 411.205.  REQUIREMENT TO DISPLAY LICENSE.  If a license
holder is carrying a handgun on or about the license holder's person
when a magistrate or a peace officer demands that the license holder
display identification, the license holder shall display[:
[(1)]  both the license holder's driver's license or
identification certificate issued by the department and the license
[(2)  if the license holder's handgun license bears a
protective order designation, a copy of the applicable court order
under which the license holder is protected].
SECTION 6.  Sections 46.02(a) and (a-1), Penal Code, are
(a)  A person commits an offense if the person:
(1)  intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries
on or about his or her person a handgun;
(2)  at the time of the offense:
(A)  is younger than 18 [21] years of age; or
(B)  has been convicted of an offense under
Section 22.01(a)(1), 22.05, 22.07, or 42.01(a)(7) or (8) committed
in the five-year period preceding the date the instant offense was
(A)  on the person's own premises or premises
(B)  inside of or directly en route to a motor
vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the
(a-1)  A person commits an offense if the person
intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or
her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned
by the person or under the person's control at any time in which:
(1)  the handgun is in plain view, unless the person is
18 [21] years of age or older [or is licensed to carry a handgun
under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,] and the handgun
(A)  engaged in criminal activity, other than a
Class C misdemeanor that is a violation of a law or ordinance
regulating traffic or boating; or
(B)  prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
SECTION 7.  The following provisions of the Government Code
(1)  Sections 411.172(g), (h), and (i); and
SECTION 8.  A handgun license that bears a protective order
designation under former Section 411.1735, Government Code, as
repealed by this Act, and that is valid on the effective date of
this Act remains valid until the 22nd birthday of the license
holder, regardless of whether the license holder continues to be
protected under a protective order described by former Section
411.172(i), Government Code, as repealed by this Act.  A license
holder described by this section may apply for a handgun license
that does not bear the protective order designation by using the
renewal procedure under Section 411.185, Government Code,
regardless of whether the license that bears the designation has
SECTION 9.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An
offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed
by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of
this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of
this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.