Has then been approved, or where do we stand on this now? My son, who is out of state (in Kansas) in college, is turning 19 this week. We were starting to talk about this.

My FIL teaches the class in Killeen and my son (19) is going there this summer to get his.

He lives on campus at TAMU and could have gotten it earlier. TAMU has published rules about it (it is written as a guide on what is legal, not an attempt to stop it) and is fully compliant with Texas laws.

My daughter, also at TAMU, needs to get her LTC. Any recs for good instructors in north Dallas?

Most 18-20 year old's are not mature enough to posses a LTC. There are exceptions though.

'Most 18-20 year old's are not mature enough to posses a LTC.' BS. Chad, where is he at school? Ks has reciprocity with Tx. but has some kinky no-carry rules. Travel for the kids isn't as safe as it was at one time. There is a storage problem for some campuses. Auto is NOT the place.

Tell that to the US government and military’s around the world.

Apples and oranges. We are talking about an LTC not military service. That environment is extremely controlled when it comes to weapons.

If they are not mature enough to protect themselves, then they are not mature enough to vote, enter into legal contracts, get married, serve in the military, etc. They are either kids or they are adults. The 2nd ammendment applies to all adults old enough to serve in the militia.

Okay, then they are kids and should not have any of those rights. I have a 22 YO and a 20 YO and if I had to pick, they're kids as are 99% of people under 25.

Chad - https://www.k-state.edu/policies/ppm/3700/3770.html
Gun policy of KSU, similar to Regents policy.

I could see restricting their rights if we change the laws and make them kids all the way to 21. I may disagree, but I can see the point. I'm really not OK with restricting some, but making them adults on others.

at 22 years old I was married, owned my own business, lived on my own and provided for myself and my then wife. I was a grown-azz adult.


Was I as mature as I am today? No, but in 20 years I'm sure I'll have a different attitude and understanding than I do today, just as I do looking back on the 20 something me.


A 21 year old is an adult. We need to stop selling the idea that they are not.

If your old enough to vote or join the military, your old enough to do anything imo.

If as a society we are calling 18 year olds adults they should be able to drink in a bar, carry guns, and do anything every other adult does. Voting is much more dangerous than having a cold beer. In my opinion if you pay $0 in taxes or don’t serve you shouldn’t be allowed to vote. No skin in the game, you don’t get any representation.

I also support the government maintaining roads and keeping a strong military. Other than that keep your hands out of my pocket!

You are using an arbitrary number (age to vote or serve) that was made up by politicians to justify a meta-physical question. I too was married at age 22 and I am still married to the same woman after 27 years. I have worked since I was 15. I have had the same job for six weeks short of 23 years. None of that means I should have been packing heat at age 20 nor that a current 20 year old needs to be carrying either. Most of us were not kids in the internet era. That has really stunted their brains.


The Constitution allows 18+ the right to vote but doesn't define 18 as the age of adulthood. If you wanna take laws literally, we gotta take them literally. "The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age" does not go on to say "because those 18 years of age are adults".

The voting age was 21 for a lot longer than 18. We should remember that.

Drinking age is 21
Smoking/chewing age is 21

All made up by politicians but an alternate argument all the same.

'LTC not military service'. Actually not much difference. Military uses armories to prevent 'loss' of US property, been doing that since 1776. Issue when needed. Normal rules for gun handling/storage the same. As for youth, were you concerned the first time you gave the kid the car keys? What was the result?

If I had noticed this thread I could have saved a lot of typing.

US District Judge Mark T. Pittman ruled that 18 to 20 year olds must be allowed to carry a handgun outside the home in Texas. He allowed this to be done by letting them get a Texas license to carry. The Texas Department of Public Safety will now issue a LTC to anyone that is at least 18 years old. On Jan. 10, 2023, the Office of General Counsel sent a memo to DPS offices directing them to no longer enforce the state law that bars adults under 21 from carrying handguns in public.

Texas initially appealed the ruling, but after the conservative backlash, they pulled the appeal.

The OP's 19 year old son should contact the DPS if they have any doubts or questions.

If you're going to quote something then learn to use the "quote" button so your message is conveyed correctly.

Again...this thread is talking about an LTC and NOT military service. I'm a veteran and do know how the military stores and issues weapons.

As far as gun storage goes you would be surprised. Most on this forum think that storing a firearm in your locked vehicle is safe storage.

My daughter wanted to wait until she was 18 to get her license and even then she was very cautious when she drove. No, I was not worried because she was mature enough to handle the responsibility of driving.

I posted the KSU gun rules for Chad, same as Kansas regents rules for all univ. - Ks recipricates LTC with Texas. Ok also OK. LTC not the same as Miltary? Gun handling and storage ARE the same. 1963, San Diego - armed sentrys on 3 destroyers taken out by 'friendly' sentry fire, until the friendly taken out. Fortunately there was another armed person around. Stuff happens.

I'm not exactly certain what your trying to state above.

Let me put this another way...NO, an LTC is NOT the same as military service.

What training does one get with an LTC? Hardly none these days. Instructors teach basic (4-5 hours) laws with regards to carrying a firearm. They do NOT teach maturity, responsibility, gun safety (handling & storage), shooting techniques, or firearm maintenance. They don't even have shooting proficiency in TX any more. Case in point, my neighbors moron kid (25 years old) had .380 ammo in his Glock 19 and when I called him out on it he wanted to argue with me. His Dad put him in his place with a quickness!

What training does one get from military service? In Basic Training (3-4 months) they are taught discipline, responsibility, team work, shooting skills, safe weapons handling and storage, and they demonstrate weapons competency and proficiency.

Now if they are in the 18-20 age range and active duty, reserve or a veteran then I would say they are probably mature and responsible enough to obtain an LTC if they meet the requirement. As I stated above, there are some exceptions.

Hey Dude, at the time training was in boot with Garand. I got to carry the carbine on occasion, never even checked if on safe or loaded (per orders- don't play with it). Worst on was orders - shoot to kill anyone in the building, no questions asked - cause they will try to kill you - very high security area. I was 18. Point was - somebody on booze or drugs or bad attitude can cause bad stuff. Trained or NOT.

So at what age should a person earn the right to defend themselves?


When are they deemed “mature” enough to be able to protect persons and properties?

They can vote, purchase real estate, get married…but they are too young to carry a handgun? Really?



The minimum age for drinking and tobacco being 21 is stupid too.

We all know what tobacco does and the dangers of drinking. Ridiculous to think you can cast your vote to change the trajectory of a nation but too young to purchase a pack of camels or buy a beer at the lake.

The age is still 21 for an LTC. It's 18 with a special hardship that must go through the courts and be granted by a judge.

That was ruled unconstitutional. See my post above.

The state of Texas allows for open carry of handguns without a license, and concealed carry with a license. To obtain a license to carry a handgun in Texas, you must meet certain requirements, including being at least 18 years old (new rule since 01/2023), having no felony convictions, and completing a handgun proficiency course. Additionally, you must provide certain documents when applying for a license a valid form of identification and a completed application form.

https://texascarrycourse.com/18-and-up-license-to-carry

Depends on who you are talking about. I have a 16 year old that is more mature than most men and would be mature enough to posses an LTC.

Thank you for posting this.