TexasCHLforum.com

Is it legal to carry at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)?

Thanks for the help.

It is legal for a holder of a Texas CHL, or a CHL from another state that Texas recognizes, to carry concealed handgun(s) at a Texas DMV office.

What's the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles?

I've heard of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Transportation.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:What's the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles?

I've heard of the Department of Public Service and the Department of Transportation.

- Jim

I thought he was asking about the Dallas Morning Vomit...

It is what someone from out of state is used to calling the Department of Public Safety.

Purplehood wrote:It is what someone from out of state is used to calling the Department of Public Safety.

Probably because just about every other state has it's own, separate, Department of Motor Vehicles

However, Native Texans, you're not missing anything.
Having it as a separate department doesn't make it any better, the lines any shorter, or the people any less rude. The only difference is in the name IMO

I thought he was asking about the Dallas Morning Vomit...

Actually, I was referring to the Digit Most Volunteered, a salute of sorts, if you get my drift...

Just be aware that some DL licensing offices in Texas share space inside court buildings, in which case you would not be legal to carry.

If it's the place for license plates, then that's the county tax assessor/collector.

nuparadigm wrote:... county tax assessor/collector.

Which is often in a courthouse.

I think all of Galveston County's are. All the ones that I have been to are.

- Jim

Seems like that here in Fort Bend County also.

I realize that this was not prominent in most of your legislative tracking this year, but Texas now has a DMV (well, effective Sep. 1). Some of the functions of the Department of Transportation got moved into a new Department of Motor Vehicles. I believe they will take over the registration and titling functions from TxDOT, but I am not up on exactly which functions are being moved.

I think DPS kept the Driver's License section also, but I expect it to be moved soon too.

srothstein wrote:I realize that this was not prominent in most of your legislative tracking this year, but Texas now has a DMV (well, effective Sep. 1). Some of the functions of the Department of Transportation got moved into a new Department of Motor Vehicles. I believe they will take over the registration and titling functions from TxDOT, but I am not up on exactly which functions are being moved.

I think DPS kept the Driver's License section also, but I expect it to be moved soon too.

Interesting info, Steve. Appreciated. What impact, if any, could we expect if DLs are moved to this new DMV while CHLs (I'm assuming) stay with DPS? Seems sort of convenient for all of us (especially when we have to do address changes in 30 days) to have DL & CHL under one roof.

They are still trying to figure out a lot of the stuff that is going on. Apparently we implemented the new DL system without having the back end set up to accommodate the changes. I don't think that the everything was thought about at length.

Austinrealtor,

I am not sure exactly how the transfers away from DPS would affect us. Eventually, the CHL will move also, as there is a slowly gaining movement to have all law enforcement at the state level under DPS and have them only do law enforcement. When (and if) this happens, it could get confusing for a while. The new DMV will probably end up with driver's licenses but the but the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation would likely get CHL's (more of an occupational style license than a vehicle related one). Since the move would require all of the CHL rules being rewritten (or at least amended) to get them out of the DPS section of the government code, almost anything could happen.

But remember that this is all speculation right now. I know the DMV bill passed but it was so long I did not read it all the way. I know DPS passed their sunset review, and I don't think any functions were taken away or added. For now, the DMV was just one of the swings taken att the TxDoT that landed. The special session (and there will be one IMHO) could redo it or do anything. TxDoT still needs to get their sunset review passed, so lots of changes are still possible.