Texas license to carry a handgun could be free if Senate bill becomes law
The bill passed the Texas Senate and now goes to the House.
A general view of the Texas Capitol during the 87th Texas legislature on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Austin. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
AUSTIN — The license to carry a handgun in Texas could soon become optional — and free.
The Texas Senate voted Friday to eliminate the $40 license fee in the hopes that more people would sign up for the permit. In addition to the fee, the licensing process currently requires people pass a background check, take a safety class and show they can shoot.