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So, your CHL Application has been filed and the clock has slowed to a crawl - tell us about it!

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TopCat
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New to Forum

#1

Post by TopCat »

Good morning all, I am new to this forum and I am going to apply for my Texas resident LTC in September after the fee's decrease. I have research a lot online about the process and found some ambuguity in the advice as to what to do first in order to speed things up. Any info or insight would be greatly appreciated!
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Liberty
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Re: New to Forum

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Post by Liberty »

TopCat wrote:Good morning all, I am new to this forum and I am going to apply for my Texas resident LTC in September after the fee's decrease. I have research a lot online about the process and found some ambuguity in the advice as to what to do first in order to speed things up. Any info or insight would be greatly appreciated!
Welcome aboard, I think you will find a lot good information on this forum, lot of good people mostly very polite and informed.

Take the class now!! so you will be ready to send the info on the 1st of Sept. Unfortunatly I believe there is ging to be a rush of applications in September. May it will be worth it to pay the extra and get ahead of the line.
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"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." John F. Kennedy

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TopCat
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Re: New to Forum

#3

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Hello Liberty! I was thinking of going ahead and taking the class first for the reason you stated. Thank you for the advice and confirming my suspicion. I may go ahead and apply before Sept. but funds are a little tight, and every little bit helps. Also, being new to this whole thing, I have a dumb question that I'm sure other posts have addressed that I am just unaware of or are not current. I understand that some folks apply for a Virginia non-resident LTC because it is said to be much faster and you can attain one while waiting on the application backlog in Texas to catch up. The laws seem to be reciprocal, but how is that looked upon by Texas LEO's and effect other practicalities of concealed carry? Not looking forward to the wait, but at least I can talk with others in the same boat. Thanks again Liberty.
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bblhd672
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Re: New to Forum

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Post by bblhd672 »

Welcome to the forum.

As Liberty said, take the LTC class now, then be ready on September 1st to apply online and submit required paperwork. Then be patient. The length of time is going to be dependent upon how much work DPS has to do on your background check, and the number of new applications that they receive on 9/1.

At least here on the forum I don't recall any of the instructors saying their classes are busier than normal, so it's possible that the rush of applications will be after the media reports about the fee reductions going into effect that day. I'd bet that the LTC classes are going to get fuller the closer it gets to September 1st, so get it over with as soon as you can. Check Groupon for deals.
The left lies about everything. Truth is a liberal value, and truth is a conservative value, but it has never been a left-wing value. People on the left say whatever advances their immediate agenda. Power is their moral lodestar; therefore, truth is always subservient to it. - Dennis Prager

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TopCat
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Re: New to Forum

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Thank you sir, will do. I appreciate your input.
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Liberty
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Re: New to Forum

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TopCat wrote:Hello Liberty! I was thinking of going ahead and taking the class first for the reason you stated. Thank you for the advice and confirming my suspicion. I may go ahead and apply before Sept. but funds are a little tight, and every little bit helps. Also, being new to this whole thing, I have a dumb question that I'm sure other posts have addressed that I am just unaware of or are not current. I understand that some folks apply for a Virginia non-resident LTC because it is said to be much faster and you can attain one while waiting on the application backlog in Texas to catch up. The laws seem to be reciprocal, but how is that looked upon by Texas LEO's and effect other practicalities of concealed carry? Not looking forward to the wait, but at least I can talk with others in the same boat. Thanks again Liberty.
These days Texas LEOs will accept a non-resident LTC without much thought. Remember the most like place you will be asked for an ID is at a traffic stop, and concealed carry in your car is legal under the MPA. The advantages of the Texas LTC are:
You are allowed to carry into a gun free zone near schools.
The dealer can skip calling into the Feds NICS system when purchasing a gun from a dealer.
The Texas LTC has the most widely accepted reciprocity among other states.

MY unsupported opinion is that, while almost every LEO will not reflect on an out of state LTC negatively. Most officers will view a Texas LTC almost as a good guy badge.
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"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." John F. Kennedy
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RPBrown
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Re: New to Forum

#7

Post by RPBrown »

Welcome to our "little" family here. Lots of great folks and lots of knowledge.
As others have said, take the class now.
But above that, go ahead and figure out what and how you want to carry. Use the time from now until your plastic comes to carry around the house to (1) find out what works best for you (2) get comfortable with your carry option and with the extra weight and (3) get used to having it on so it becomes second nature and you are not quite as nervous when you go out.
The above suggestions will get you a head start on your empty holster drawer :mrgreen: . Don't laugh, we all have them, or at least those of us that have been carrying a while.
A member of this forum gave some pretty sound advice. "Carrying a weapon is not supposed to be comfortable but is supposed to be comforting".
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RogueUSMC
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Re: New to Forum

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Post by RogueUSMC »

TopCat wrote:Good morning all, I am new to this forum and I am going to apply for my Texas resident LTC in September after the fee's decrease. I have research a lot online about the process and found some ambuguity in the advice as to what to do first in order to speed things up. Any info or insight would be greatly appreciated!
I really like the fact that you are doing homework before stepping off into it. I would love to see every responsible citizen armed but part of the 'responsible citizen' thing is having an understanding of what you are doing (which most people nowadays aren't in the habit of doing.)

Just as in life, learning doesn't stop when you leave the classroom...and also just like in life, if get to a point that you think you know everything, you just took a step backwards.

Welcome aboard! Stay safe and keep a round in the chamber.

Lee
A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.
- Napoleon Bonaparte
PFC Paul E. Ison USMC 1916-2001

flechero
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Re: New to Forum

#9

Post by flechero »

RogueUSMC wrote: keep a round in the chamber.
Yep- lets go ahead and get that into his mind from the start... but I'm hoping his research has already revealed that an unloaded gun is of little value when time is short!
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Vol Texan
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Re: New to Forum

#10

Post by Vol Texan »

Welcome to the forum! We're glad to have you aboard.

The following things will be recurring in most answers that you receive on this forum:
  • Yes, you'll have to learn to dress around your gun
  • Get a good holster. Holsters serve two purposes: keep the gun securely in place, and keep the trigger area protected
  • Yes, get a holster, even if you're going to pocket carry. See the last five words of the previous bullet
  • A good gun belt with a poor holster is better than a poor gun belt with a good holster
  • A .380 that you will carry is better than a .45 that you won't carry. Don't get talked into carrying something that you won't actually carry daily. That being said, I do have some smaller handguns that I carry when the occasion (and dress code) make it a better choice
  • On-body carry is better than off-body (e.g. purse, backpack) carry
  • Printing is not illegal
  • 30.06 and 30.07 signs can sometimes be described as 'invalid' or 'unenforceable', but rarely as 'illegal'
  • Sign up RIGHT NOW for www.Texas3006.com. Download the app on your phone. It's free of charge, but it's a very valuable tool for the LTC holder in Texas
  • Carrying is not meant to be comfortable, just comforting
If you live in the Houston area, you're welcome to join in one of our local CHLForum breakfasts. We have one on the first Friday of each month in Friendswood, and one on the third Saturday of each month in Katy.

If you live in the DFW area, they also have one on the third Saturday of each month.

If you live in the Austin area, I'm sure someone here on the forum can help you find a good realtor to help get you out of there :biggrinjester:
Your best option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
When those fail, aim for center mass.

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Liberty
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Re: New to Forum

#11

Post by Liberty »

and don't forget the Wally walk. It's the first thing to do when plastic arrives.
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"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." John F. Kennedy

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Re: New to Forum

#12

Post by rotor »

Virginia non-resident is $100 and seems to require a bunch of paperwork and fingerprinting which doesn't appear cheap if money is tight. A non-Texas permit should be fine and the only issue I would think is that carrying in a school zone is technically illegal unless you have a license in that state. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for this? I don't know and a lot of Texans have a gun in their car and drive through school zones every day.
Take the course, get everything else ready, I don't remember if you can do the fingerprint portion ahead of time as I had to do mine several times, research the gun you want and relax as the process seems to be much faster now than it used to be. On the other hand, if you were going to spend money on the Virginia license, go do Texas now, pay a bit more but be at the front of the line. I bet they really process fast right now with people waiting for 9/1 discount.
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Re: New to Forum

#13

Post by SewTexas »

Welcome~~~
~Tracy
Gun control is what you talk about when you don't want to talk about the truth ~ Colion Noir

crazy2medic
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Re: New to Forum

#14

Post by crazy2medic »

As mentioned in previous post a good gun belt and holster are the key to carrying, I carry a full size1911 15 rds 45 acp in the gun and a spare 14rd mag, the belt is the key to carrying and the holster is gonna be a learning process. Good luck and welcome to the forum
Government, like fire is a dangerous servant and a fearful master
If you ain't paranoid you ain't paying attention
Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here- John Parker
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Jnazee
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Re: New to Forum

#15

Post by Jnazee »

Welcome to the forum
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