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The way I interpreted the law was that it was legal for me to carry it on my person concealed and without a licence only if:

You're at home or on your property. Leaving your home and going directly into your vehicle. Inside your vehicle. Leaving your vehicle to go directly into your business or property under your control. Leaving your business or property you control to go directly to your vehicle. And finally leaving your vehicle to go back into your home or property. Other than that it's illegal to carry your gun on you. What confused me was why it's illegal to pump gas with a gun on your person? You're still at your vehicle and not going inside anywhere. Your only exiting your vehicle to pump gas and getting directly back in your vehicle to leave. So in many ways this doesn't make sense. Which is why I thought it was still legal to have it on my person. I wasn't going into the gas station with it and I wasn't going anywhere else with it. Basically I stood right next to my vehicle the whole time and my vehicle is my property. Then I got back in my vehicle and left. And since open carry was legalized I also thought you didn't have to conceal your gun anymore when driving. I thought open carrying a pistol would be legal but now I see that only applies to licensed carriers. These laws are confusing and need to be written with more details.

I actually talked to some guys at a local gun shop today when picking up some ammo for the range this weekend. None of them recommend open carrying my rifle or keeping it inside my vehicle without out it being concealed in a case or bag. Basically it makes all gun owners look bad to do that like we're not being responsible with our firearms. I have to agree because like I mentioned before I've never seen anyone in my area or the surrounding Houston area open carry a rifle. I've seen some guys open carry their pistol but for all I know they were off duty law enforcement and not licensed carriers. Most CHL or LTC holders prefer concealing their weapon is what I was told.

I guess when I finally get my license I will need to look into some different carry options. I did want to open carry my pistols using OWB holsters but that probably isn't a good idea either. Maybe I'll look into shoulder holsters and just wear a jacket when carrying? I always thought most detectives or FBI agents who wore suits and shoulder holster looked pretty cool. That would probably also be my best bet since I only like mid size and full size pistol frames. I can shoot compact guns ok but not as good as a full size pistol. My groupings are a lot better when using a full size pistol. I'm just more use to the longer sight radius because that's all I've practiced with most of my life. I might purchase a compact in the future though to start getting more experience shooting smaller guns. The smallest pistol I own is a Walther PPS in .40 s&w and bought a Comp Tac IWB hoster for it but I don't like using it because it's just too uncomfortable. I purchased those items years ago when thinking about getting my CHL but never got around to starting the licensing process. I was probably too content just carrying my full sized pistols in my operator style bag. Guess I will need to do some research and go shopping after getting my license.

Definitely won't argue with that logic! That day I was already inside the gas station with my kid paying for gas and getting snacks and drinks. The usually stuff most people do at the gas station. Those guys showed up after the fact and that's when I noticed the one who walked in the gas station and the other 3 guys were outside hanging around the parking lot. It was like a bad scene from a movie. lol That's when I got a bit nervous. It almost felt like they were going to rob the place for a minute. Then again I might have just judged them based on their appearance. I did notice and recognize the tattoo on one of the guys forearms so I can't really blame myself for questioning their motives. Once I paid for my gas and items I walked out of the store and back to my vehicle. That's when I noticed one of them staring at us in a weird way. I think some people call it mean mugging. At that point I made my kid get back inside the vehicle and started pumping gas. I used the handle so gas would pump by itself. Then I sat down in my seat and grabbed my 1911 and put it inside my pants to Mexican carry it. Then that stupid handle thing disengaged an I had to get out to reset it to continue pumping gas. The whole time I was scanning the area too just to make sure nothing was about to happen. Luckily I was only filling up $20 bucks worth of gas so it didn't take very long.

In the end I probably only illegally carried my pistol outside of my vehicle for a total of a minute or so. Sure that's long enough to still be a crime but I honestly didn't know that. I definitely won't be doing it again but I had to do what I had to do! Also, I do agree with you with the open carrying of a rifle! I've literally never seen anybody do it in the Houston area but at the same time it's better safe than sorry in some situations. With that said if everyone open carried a rifle then it would look like a war zone around here but then again every time you turn on the news in Houston it looks like we're in a war zone anyways! lol I think a rifle will be everyone's best best to stop criminals and even deter crime nowadays but at the same time I also feel that carrying a rifle makes you a target to get killed by the police! I wish people didn't have to run around carrying firearms but the world is crazy and Houston is a really bad city full of crime. With that said I'll probably just keep mine in my vehicle but in a spot that I can get to it quickly. That is also why I agree with you about not going into bad areas and just leaving. I mainly stay at work or at home nowadays anyhow. It's just too crazy out there!!!

Yes sir! I will be trying to get my license asap!!! Until then I'm going to leave my pistol inside of my vehicle concealed at all times. And until I get my license I'm just going to start open carry my rifle and keep it in my vehicle when driving. Both my AR and AK has a folding stock so I can easily carry it around and keep it hidden inside of my vehicle if I need to leave it there. I probably won't open carry it everywhere but I think it's time that I keep a rifle close by when I leave the house. Crime is getting crazy in my area and I'm not trying to get out gunned anyways! Most of the time there's more than one of these criminals committing these crimes and a handgun is starting to feel very inefficient for self defense in some of these possible situations.

And yes I do want to do some tactical training and maybe even 3 gun competition stuff. I only get to shoot my guns at the range at paper targets but that's starting to not be so much fun anymore. I'd love to find a range somewhere that has steel targets. That ding sound when you get a hit is awesome! But yeah I've played many paintball and airsoft games for many years so I have some experience with tactical training. I know it's not the same but the concept is for being in a gun fight. lol

On another note I'm actually looking into buying a new vehicle that has better security features. I hate leaving my weapons inside of my vehicle when I can't legally carry them. Especially my rifles since they cost a lot of $$$. I need to get a vehicle with an alarm system and compartments that can be locked up. Maybe I'll look into installing a vehicle safe or buying one of those anti-theft Pac Safe locks to secure my things when I need to leave them inside of the vehicle. I definitely don't want criminals to get a hold of my guns.

apostate wrote: ↑Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:03 pm If you're worried about getting into trouble obeying the law, imagine the trouble you could get into breaking it.

Remember that UCW upgrades to a felony on TABC licensed premises like a convenience store that sells beer.

Yep! I've never brought my gun inside of any store whether it was legal or not. Especially a gas station or a place that sells alcohol because I know that's illegal with the 30.06 and 30.07 signs. But I did make this post because going to gas stations seems to be one of the worst places you can be sometimes. A lot worse than just grocery shopping. I literally never feel the need to be armed while grocery shopping or going to most other stores. Gas stations are different for some reason. I'm sure a lot of people feel they need to be armed while pumping gas. Do most of you CHL holders just use a debit or credit card to fill up gas since you can't go into the gas station armed either? That would literally have to be a pain in the butt to remove your gun from it's holster every time you needed to go inside of a gas station. Then put it back in while filling up. I'm probably just going to use my card to fill up gas from now on and avoid going inside altogether. And since my gun will be left inside of my vehicle I'll at least be able to get to it if needed. That will be harder if I'm inside the store and something happens. I'll just get my drinks and snacks at a local grocery store from now on since it's a lot safer.

I would love to carry one of my rifles everywhere I go! It definitely makes me feel safer than just having a pistol. I prefer it over anything else for defense of my home or place of business. With that said I don't think it's a good idea where I live or anywhere else in the Houston area. I've lived here for a long time and have literally never seen anyone open carry a rifle that wasn't law enforcement. There's too many anti-gun and anti-American leftists around here that would for sure report me to the police for open carrying. I know it's legal but I also know for a fact I'd get reported if I open carried my rifle. What scares me the most is what these anti-gun leftists would say to the police when reporting me. They would probably make something up just to try and get me in trouble. The last thing I'd want is to have several officers surround me and draw their weapons on me because some Leftist reports a false threat to the police for me carrying. Just saying it would probably happen. I'd even bet $ on it. So watch out Texas! The fake liberals are coming!!!

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely going to try and put some time aside to get all of the information I'll need to fill out the paperwork. I'll try to do it soon but may have to wait until this coming holiday season to get that time. I'm pretty busy working during the day and usually always have a lot on my plate. Driving downtown and waiting in line to ask for my juvenile records already feels like a major hassle but it will be worth the time if I can start carrying legally on my person in the future. Plus that time will be better spent waiting than time behind bars for violating the law! Until then I'll just keep my handgun in my Maxpedition bag. Or maybe even start open carrying my rifle. I have yet to experience all the weird looks I'll probably get in my town. I've literally never seen anyone open carry a rifle around here. Maybe I should be the first! Can't we just get Constitutional Carry already!!! Sheeesh!!!

Thanks for the link Flightmare. I'll definitely check it out since I like listening to podcasts while working. I live in Katy, Texas which is just West of Houston in Harris County.

Does anyone know a lawyer or anyone that specializes in CHL's in my area? I may need some help applying for my CHL. Not sure what I need exactly but a lot of this stuff is a bit confusing and I don't want to fill out the paperwork incorrectly. Mainly I need help accessing my juvenile records because I was arrested a few times before I turned 18 but don't remember the exact caliber of those charges and when exactly those charges happened since it was a long time ago. I'm 37 years old now. Some of those mistakes might not even be on my record but I don't remember. This is also another reason why I never bothered trying to get a CHL because it seems like a lot of paperwork and some of the information needed has been forgotten.

I went through the list to see if I'm eligible to get my license and it looks like I will qualify but also read that I need to include all information accurately or be denied! That's going to be a problem because I really don't remember a lot of those details and neither does anyone in my family. I don't even know where to start to access that information.

The castle law is what confused me about carrying to and from my home, vehicle, or place of business. I didn't realize that I needed to own the gas station in order to carry at my vehicle while at the gas station. I definitely feel dumb for making this assumption. I guess I've been very lucky in the past! This definitely won't happen again in the future!!! Time to start working on getting a CHL and learning more about these firearm laws! I thought I knew better but apparently I didn't!

Yes I'm aware of the downfalls of Mexican carry. I literally never Mexican carry any of guns (especially my Glock) but that day I had my 1911 and had the safety on. And apparently I won't be carrying any weapon on my person in the future until I get my license. I'm glad that I posted about this because I was truly unaware that doing what I did was in violation of the law. I figured that since I was at my vehicle at the time and having my weapon on my person then I was 100% legal as long as I didn't go into the gas station with it. My assumptions could have costed me so hopefully this post will help others too that didn't know.

I posted above a few reason why I haven't tried to get the license yet. Mainly because I never felt the need for it with my lifestyle. I'm either at work or at home where I keep my trusted AR close. I rarely ever feel the need to carry a handgun on my person except for the types of situations I just posted about like getting gas and being around sketchy people in certain areas when out in public. Those a very rare situations and the illegal carrying has occurred less than a few handful of times. However, it has happened and I was fortunate enough to not have to use my weapon to defend myself or any of my loved ones. It happens so rarely that I haven't thought about for years but since this incident happened last week I started to wonder. Which is why I posted!

Also, if it comes down to defending any of my loved ones or catching a charge then I would have chosen to take the charge if I was morally justified in using deadly force. Whether or not if I was legally carrying on my person, I would risk the DA charging me and getting sentenced by a jury of my peers if it meant saving a family members life. My life is another story. When I'm by myself I don't feel the need to carry a firearm on my person and feel safe enough just having it in my vehicle. I do however carry a knife 100% of the time and would opt to use that first if I couldn't get to my weapon inside of my vehicle. This of course would be to defend myself from being assaulted. If I was by myself and getting robbed then I would just give them whatever they wanted and hope they leave after robbing me. Sometimes if you get robbed it will be so unexpected that you won't have the chance to draw your weapon anyways. So having it on my person could be worthless in some situations. In those situations it's probably best to give them what they want and hope you don't get killed for it.

The main reason I unknowingly decided to be in violation of the law those times was because a family members life was possibly at risk and not just my life! I guess it's like that saying, "I rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." I had a family member with me that day and wasn't willing to take any chances that something could happen to them without me being able to stop it in time. With that said the only thing I was able to do to ensure the safety of my family was to keep my weapon on my person where it would be ready to use quickly if needed! Fortunately I didn't need to use it and we were able to leave quickly and unharmed. I do think that with everything said it will be a good decision to apply for my license. Even if I won't be carrying 24/7.

Yeah that is pretty scary C-dub. I would say that if that were to happen I would comply as best as possible to their demands and hope they don't shoot! Then I would sue the police department later! lol That is one of the main reasons I feel like open carrying my rifle isn't a good idea! A fear of being mistaken for a criminal or crazy person with a weapon and being shot and killed by the police. That would definitely be a nightmare! On the other hand I'm pretty sure that police kicking in the wrong persons door rarely happens. Chances of that happening are probably the same as getting struck by lightning. But then again what do I know? I've illegally carried unknowing quite a few times in my life. Police could be out there kicking in the wrong persons door all the time for all I know? I might actually go research that now because it sounds interesting. lol

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone. I never thought I needed a license because I'm usually at home or at work and never felt the need to physically carry a handgun on my person while at those places. While I'm working it would be very uncomfortable if not impossible to carry a handgun on my person 100% of the time. I also rarely ever have my handgun close by at home either because I prefer keeping an AR15 or shotgun close by in case I do get robbed. Especially for multiple criminals that have been committing violent home invasions. That actually scares me the most which is why I prefer having my rifle around when I'm at home. When I go to my business I will carry my handgun in that Maxpedition bag and keep it close. Maybe I should start carrying my rifle instead since that would be a better option for open legal carry? I thought this wasn't a good option because I don't want to look suspicious or even crazy for carrying a rifle everywhere I go. Too many anti-gun leftists out there that will probably report me for carrying it! lol

I will look into getting my CHL soon! I also might as well take some classes to get more training and information to learn how to better protect myself while following the law. Which is why I just joined this forum. I don't want to end up on the wrong side of the law.

Wow! I see now that I've been in violation a few times. This doesn't happen very often at all but it has happened which is why I wanted to clear some of those situations up. Guess I won't be doing that anymore. With that said....would I still be in violation to defend my life if the weapon was retrieved from my glove box or bag if I needed to use it? Obviously, the situation would determine if the DA would file charges or not but lets just say I was 100% justified for grabbing my weapon and using it to defend myself. Since the weapon wasn't being carried on my person would that change the legality?