Concealed Carry

Concealed carry is defined in Texas as “concealed handgun,” the presence of which is not openly discernible to the ordinary observation of a reasonable person. Texas Senate Bill 11 allowed only concealed carry on public college and university campuses.

Open Carry in Texas means you do not need to conceal your handgun as it is “open” or visible for the public to see. Texas House Bill 910 became law on Jan. 1, 2016 and makes it legal for LTC holders to carry visible handguns in the state of Texas. Open carry will not apply to public colleges and universities, including Collin College.

According to the new policies, handguns are prohibited in the following locations: childcare facilities; college facilities that are being used as early voting or election day polling locations; rooms where a governmental entity is meeting, if the meeting is an open meeting subject to Texas Government Code Chapter 551; high hazard laboratories and health science education facilities where materials or operations create a significant risk of catastrophic harm due to a negligent discharge; a designated meeting room at each campus in Student and Enrollment Services that can be used, as needed, for disciplinary meetings or counseling meetings; facilities where professional, high school, college sporting or other interscholastic events are in progress; and locker rooms where individuals change clothes, including those at athletic facilities and health science education facilities. The policy also allows the district to make any location or facility of the college a temporary exclusion zone, as directed or approved by the district president as necessary for campus safety. One example given was a college facility where alcohol is being served for a special event. Signage will be posted identifying locations where concealed carry is prohibited.

Last month, Collin College acquired the Century Court Apartments on the Spring Creek Campus. As permitted by Tex. Gov’t Code § 411.2031, the District President has amended Collin College’s rules and regulations to designate Century Court Apartments as an exclusion zone, meaning that handguns may not be carried or stored on its premises. This decision is necessary for campus safety and maintains the pre-existing Century Court policy until the Board of Trustees is able to establish provisions in accordance with Tex. Gov’t Code § 411.2031. 

Please note that this decision does not impede the right of a concealed handgun license holder to store or transport a firearm or ammunition in a locked, privately owned or leased vehicle in a parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area located on campus.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Concealed Handgun Law sets out the eligibility criteria that must be met. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age (unless active duty military) and must meet federal qualifications to purchase a handgun.  A number of factors may make you ineligible to obtain a license, such as: felony convictions and some misdemeanor convictions, including charges that resulted in probation or deferred adjudication; pending criminal charges; chemical or alcohol dependency; certain types of psychological diagnoses protective or restraining orders, and defaults on state or city taxes, governmental fees, or child support. Eligibility requirements can be found in GC §411.172. You must also submit a completed application, pay the required fees and submit all of the required supplemental forms and materials.