"Texas eliminating its state charge gives you zero protection from federal prosecution. The only thing SB 1596 actually did is remove the possibility of a state charge stacking on top of a federal charge."

This is the part that's going to get people in trouble if they skim the headline and stop reading. SBRs and SBSs still require the full NFA process — Form 4, $200 stamp, the wait. What changed is that a Texas DA can't pile a state charge on top of what the feds are already doing to you. That's meaningful if you're a registered NFA owner, but it's not a free pass to chop barrels.

"Texas already had some form of agreement with all but four states and several American territories before this bill passed. SB 706 adds to that framework."

If you hold a Texas LTC and travel with your carry gun, the reciprocity picture just got slightly better. Worth pulling up the current DPS list before your next road trip — reciprocity agreements can shift independent of what any bill says, and the receiving state's laws still govern what you can and can't do once you cross the line.

"HB 668 extends that deadline to the first anniversary of the expiration date — so if your license expired in March, you now have until the following March to renew without going through the full application process again."

This one's quiet but practical. Life gets busy — people let renewals slip, especially if they're relying mostly on constitutional carry day to day. A full year grace period means one less situation where someone finds out their LTC lapsed right when it actually matters, like driving into a campus carry scenario or crossing into a reciprocity state.

"College campuses are a special case — permitless carry does not apply there. Only LTC holders can carry concealed on public university and community college campuses."

This catches people off guard more than almost anything else in Texas carry law. Constitutional carry covers a lot of ground, but the moment you step onto a university campus, the LTC requirement kicks back in — and open carry is off the table entirely regardless of what's in your wallet. Worth knowing before move-in weekend or a football game.

For the Texas folks — have you run into any real-world friction at the LGS counter or range over the SBR/SBS change? Curious whether dealers are fielding a lot of questions from people who think SB 1596 means they can skip the Form 4.

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By The Boise Gun Club Team