Places off-limits when carrying:

Schools	Includes physical premises* of public, private, colleges and universities.  Prohibition extends to school transportation vehicles and grounds where school-sponsored activities are taking place. See footnotes for definition of "physical premises."
Polling Places	Physical premises* of polling places (voting), even during early voting.
Courts, Offices of the Court	Physical premises* of any court, including municipal, Justice of the Peace, county or federal.  Be careful, as certain government buildings, such as police stations or city halls, may contain courts or court offices and are effectively off limits.
Racetracks	Physical premises* of racetracks where pari-mutuel betting takes place
Secured Areas of Airports	This area is usually defined as the TSA Security Checkpoint leading to the gates, but may be subject to change based certain security factors.
1,000 feet of an execution	Within 1,000 feet of the physical premises* of an execution on the day of execution.
Correctional Facility	Physical premises* of correctional facilities; includes state/federal prisons, city and county jails.  Also includes any secured areas of these facilities.
Bars (51% businesses)	The law specifically prohibits handguns from businesses where alcohol is sold if more than half of their revenue is from the sale of alcohol for on premises consumption.  A 51% sign should be conspicuously posted.
Sporting Events	High school, college, professional sporting or interscholastic events
Effective Notice under Section 30.06	Private property** where the license holder has been effective notice (oral or written) stating he cannot enter or remain on the property with a concealed handgun.  Written notice must contain the following language:  "Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by holder of license to carry a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (concealed handgun law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun." Signs must be posted conspicuously in both English and Spanish, minimum one inch block lettering in contrasting colors.  Written notice may also be in the form of a card or document, and in this case the verbiage must exact, but the size, color and English/Spanish requirements do not apply.  There is argument that all entrances must be posted, but this is not stated in the statute and I am unable to cite applicable case law to that effect.
Hospitals, Amusement Parks, Places of Worship, Government Meetings (with proper notice)	Hospitals, Amusement Parks, Places of Worship, Government Meetings are only off limits if the license holder has been given effective notice under Section 30.06.
Federal Property	Most Federal Property is off limits.  Do not carry in post offices, IRS offices, etc.  As of this printing, national parks are not off limits.

*As applicable to TPC Sections 46.03 and 46.036, the term “physical premises” is defined as a building or portion of a building, and does not include streets, sidewalks, walkways, parking lots or garages.
**TPC Section 46.035 creates an exception to the private property requirement of Section 30.06.  For example, government meetings on government property and government hospitals may post 30.06 signs.

 

Places NOT off-limits, but commonly mistaken for off-limits places:

Banks	With the exception of the Federal Reserve and the few banks posting 30.06, banks are not specifically off limits.
School Property	The definition of “premises” allows a CHL holder to leave the handgun locked in their car in the school parking lot.
Churches	Perfectly OK as long as you haven’t received effective notice under 30.06
Government Property	The general term “government property” is often misused.  Texas Penal Code specifically prohibits carry in courtrooms, offices of courts, secured areas of police stations (if posted and a secure storage area provided), government meetings (30.06 notice required), physical premises of public schools, and a few others.  Federal property is nearly always off limits.
Within 1000 feet of school property	In 1990, a federal "gun free school zone" law was passed, making it a criminal offense to posses a firearm within 1000 feet of school grounds. It was overturned in 1995 (United States v. Lopez) when the SCOTUS ruled that the Congress lacks the authority to pass such a law. They then passed a new version that basically said "Oh yes we do!" CHL holders are an exception to this law, unless you're engaged in illegal activity. Texas Penal Code includes a statute that elevates a criminal offense to the next higher level if an offense is committed within 300 feet of school grounds with a firearm.

 

The information contained in this guide is intended for reference only, and isn’t intended as legal advice.  Please refer to Texas Penal Codes for complete and detailed information on concealed carry.  If you believe any of this information to be in error, please email me with citations to support your opinion. We strive to provide the most accurate and current information possible. Updated 12/19/2009.