Getting a CCW in Texas (2026)

Data verified 2026-10-13 · general legal information, not individualized advice · facts cite official sources (see verification dataset)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a Texas concealed carry permit · Updated October 13, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-13.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-13):

• Permit type: Shall Issue — the Texas License to Carry (LTC), issued statewide by DPS.
• Constitutional carry: Yes. Since HB 1927 took effect September 1, 2021, most eligible adults 21+ may carry a handgun without a license. The LTC is still widely used for reciprocity and other benefits.
• Minimum age: 21 for an LTC. Members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces (including reserves/National Guard) may apply at 18–20 under Tex. Gov't Code § 411.172(g).
• Duty to inform: No — no duty to inform proactively or when asked (Gov't Code ch. 411 post-HB 1927). LTC holders who are carrying must display the license on demand of a peace officer (Gov't Code § 411.205) — a display duty, not a disclosure duty.
• Open carry: Allowed for law-abiding adults (handgun in a holster), per the site's reciprocity data.

Who can apply

Under Tex. Gov't Code § 411.172 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov, accessed 2026-10-13; also reprinted in DPS form LTC-16), an applicant must:

• Be a Texas resident for the six months preceding application, or otherwise qualify as a nonresident under § 411.173;
• Be at least 21 years of age — or 18–20 if a member or veteran of the U.S. armed forces, including reserves or National Guard, discharged under honorable conditions if discharged (§ 411.172(g)); an additional 18–20 path exists for applicants protected by an active protective or magistrate's emergency order (§ 411.172(i));
• Not have been convicted of a felony;
• Not be charged with a Class A or Class B misdemeanor (or equivalent), a § 42.01 Penal Code offense, or under a felony information or indictment;
• Not be a fugitive from justice for a felony or Class A/B misdemeanor;
• Not be a chemically dependent person;
• Not be incapable of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun;
• Not have been convicted of a Class A or B misdemeanor (or equivalent), an offense under Penal Code § 42.01 (disorderly conduct) or a federal/other-state equivalent, in the five years preceding application;
• Not be delinquent in making child support payments (two or more months or $1,200+ past due) or delinquent in taxes or other money collected by the Texas comptroller;
• Not be the subject of an active protective order or magistrate's emergency protection order (with limited statutory exceptions);
• Not have been adjudicated for delinquent conduct constituting a felony within the 10 years preceding application;
• Not have made a material misrepresentation in the application;
• Be fully qualified under applicable federal and state law to purchase a handgun.

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Handgun Licensing program — a statewide agency, not a county sheriff.

1. Complete training first (see "Training requirement") with a DPS-certified LTC instructor and obtain your Certificate of Training (form LTC-104, which replaced the LTC-100/LTC-101 certificates effective April 14, 2025).
2. Apply online through DPS's RSD Connect portal (linked from the DPS Handgun Licensing page), or download and mail a paper application. Pay the application fee.
3. Schedule fingerprinting with IdentoGO (the FAST program) using the Service Code DPS sends you after your application is in. Appointments only — walk-ins are not accepted (DPS LTC Fingerprint and Photo Information).
4. Background check: DPS runs a fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal-history check (required for original and renewal applicants alike).
5. Receive your license by mail. DPS's stated processing target is about 60 days for an original application and about 45 days for a renewal (DPS Application FAQs, accessed 2026-10-13).

Costs

All figures from the official Texas LTC Fee Table (DPS, accessed 2026-10-13) unless noted:

• Original application fee: $40 (standard condition, GC § 411.174).
• Renewal application fee: $40 (standard); $35 for senior citizens.
• Discounts/exemptions (examples from the fee table): active military and active Texas military members $0; honorably discharged veterans $25; several active/retired peace-officer and public-safety categories $0–$25.
• Fingerprinting: IdentoGO/FAST charges a vendor service fee. DPS's own fee table does not publish a fingerprint amount; the FAST Pass instructions document $9.95 plus a $31.50 state/FBI criminal-history fee ($41.45 total), but DPS defers to identogo.com for current pricing, so confirm the exact charge when you book. UNVERIFIED: the exact current fingerprint total as applied specifically to LTC applicants (the $41.45 figure comes from a legacy FAST Pass instruction sheet; IdentoGO's live price is not published on an official DPS page).
• Training: set by the instructor; DPS does not set the price.
• An alternative ink-card process exists for some rural applicants; a law-enforcement agency may charge up to $10 for rolled-ink prints (DPS fingerprint page).

Training requirement

Yes — for the LTC. Before applying you must complete a DPS-approved handgun licensing course: 4–6 hours of classroom instruction plus a written examination and a handgun proficiency (range) demonstration, taught by a DPS-certified LTC instructor (Gov't Code § 411.188; DPS Handgun Licensing FAQs, accessed 2026-10-13). The classroom portion may be taken online; the proficiency portion is done in person. Accepted documentation is the LTC-104 Handgun Training Certificate issued by your instructor — DPS discontinued the older LTC-100 (in-person) and LTC-101 (online classroom) certificates effective April 14, 2025, though forms issued before that date remain valid for two years from completion (DPS Instructor Updates, accessed 2026-10-13). No training is required simply to carry under Texas constitutional carry — the training requirement applies to the license.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: ~60 days for original applications, ~45 days for renewals (DPS Application FAQs, accessed 2026-10-13).
• Validity: an initial LTC is valid 4 years; renewal licenses are valid 5 years (Gov't Code § 411.183; DPS FAQs).
• Renewal: apply online via RSD Connect on or before the first anniversary of expiration (Gov't Code § 411.185). Although state law requires a fingerprint-based state and FBI check for both original and renewal applications, renewal applicants do not submit new fingerprints — DPS resubmits the prints already on file and reuses the existing photo (DPS fingerprint page).

Where to apply

• DPS Handgun Licensing (official starting point and online application): https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing
• Fingerprint scheduling: https://www.identogo.com (DPS Service Code required)

Sources

• Texas Gov't Code §§ 411.172, 411.173, 411.174, 411.183, 411.185, 411.188, 411.205 — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.411.htm (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas Penal Code § 46.02 (constitutional carry; HB 1927, eff. 9/1/2021) — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas DPS Handgun Licensing — https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas DPS LTC Application FAQs — https://dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing/faq/application-faqs (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas DPS Training Requirements FAQ — https://dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing/faq/training-requirements-faq (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas DPS Instructor Updates (LTC-104 replaces LTC-100/LTC-101) — https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing/instructor-updates (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas LTC Fee Table (PDF) — https://dps.texas.gov/RSD/ltc/documents/LTCFeeSchedule.pdf (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Texas DPS LTC Fingerprint and Photo Information — https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/handgun-licensing/ltc-fingerprint-and-photo-information (accessed 2026-10-13)
• DPS Form LTC-16, Texas Eligibility Statutes (Gov't Code § 411.172) — https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/getForm.ashx?id=LTC-16.pdf (accessed 2026-10-13)
• FAST Pass fingerprint instructions (fee breakdown) — https://www.txcourts.gov/media/838741/GCB-FAST-Pass-In-TX.pdf (accessed 2026-10-13)