Do I need to take Texas CHL class?

[damoreja]

I recently relocated to Texas from South Carolina which is a state that holds reciprocity with Texas.
In South Carolina I've taken the CHL class and received my South Carolina resident concealed handgun license. I still have it and it's still valid.
I also took the NRA certified instructor course to be an instructor of the CHL class. My certificate is still valid.
Upon moving to Texas and becoming a Texas resident, I want to obtain a Texas CHL. The requirements on the state website say I must first take the CHL class by a certified Texas CHL instructor.

My question is: Do I really need to take this class when I'mention already certified to teach it? Plus I hold a SC CHL that has reciprocity with Texas? I tried calling the Dept of Public Safety to ask but they never answer the phone... like ever... and they haven't responded to any of my emails either. I'm sort of not sure what to do at this point. Can anyone help? Thanks.

[infoman]

Yes, you must take the CHL course here in Texas in person.

[jmra]

I recently relocated to Texas from South Carolina which is a state that holds reciprocity with Texas.
In South Carolina I've taken the CHL class and received my South Carolina resident concealed handgun license. I still have it and it's still valid.
I also took the NRA certified instructor course to be an instructor of the CHL class. My certificate is still valid.
Upon moving to Texas and becoming a Texas resident, I want to obtain a Texas CHL. The requirements on the state website say I must first take the CHL class by a certified Texas CHL instructor.

My question is: Do I really need to take this class when I'mention already certified to teach it? Plus I hold a SC CHL that has reciprocity with Texas? I tried calling the Dept of Public Safety to ask but they never answer the phone... like ever... and they haven't responded to any of my emails either. I'm sort of not sure what to do at this point. Can anyone help? Thanks.

As infoman stated you must take the class. And just to note, being a NRA certified instructor does not mean you are certified to teach the Texas LTC class. Whole different ball game in Texas to become a LTC instructor.

[thetexan]

I recently relocated to Texas from South Carolina which is a state that holds reciprocity with Texas.
In South Carolina I've taken the CHL class and received my South Carolina resident concealed handgun license. I still have it and it's still valid.
I also took the NRA certified instructor course to be an instructor of the CHL class. My certificate is still valid.
Upon moving to Texas and becoming a Texas resident, I want to obtain a Texas CHL. The requirements on the state website say I must first take the CHL class by a certified Texas CHL instructor.

My question is: Do I really need to take this class when I'mention already certified to teach it? Plus I hold a SC CHL that has reciprocity with Texas? I tried calling the Dept of Public Safety to ask but they never answer the phone... like ever... and they haven't responded to any of my emails either. I'm sort of not sure what to do at this point. Can anyone help? Thanks.

As infoman stated you must take the class. And just to note, being a NRA certified instructor does not mean you are certified to teach the Texas LTC class. Whole different ball game in Texas to become a LTC instructor.

The NRA instructor rating does not factor in for the Texas LTC. To get your Texas LTC you will have to be a Texas resident for 6 months, meet all of the other qualifications, take and pass a certified course, and apply and be accepted with the DPS.

Then later if you want to be an LTC instructor your NRA rating, if still valid, will be required (or other acceptable instructor certification) to apply for and take the Texas DPS LTC instructor course.

tex

[Pawpaw]

The 6 months residency requirement effectively no longer exists:

GC §411.173. NON-RESIDENT LICENSE.
(a) The department by rule shall establish a procedure for a person who meets the eligibility requirements of this subchapter other than the residency requirement established by Section 411.172(a)(1) to obtain a license under this subchapter if the person is a legal resident of another state or if the person relocates to this state with the intent to establish residency in this state. The procedure must include payment of a fee in an amount sufficient to recover the average cost to the department of obtaining a criminal history record check and investigation on a nonresident applicant.

[thetexan]

That looks accurate. Hummmmm!

[Keith B]

As others stated you must take the Texas LTC course to get a Texas license. To be a Texas LTC instructor your NRA pistol instructor will make you eligible to sign up for hte instructors course from DPS, but you must attend that to become an instructor. Also, once you establish residency in Texas, your SC license will only be valid if you still own property in SC. Otherwise, you will not be valid any longer. You will need to contact the county assessor in the county where you own property and fill out the form showing you own the property and send it in to get you license changed to a SC non-resident license.

[RoyGBiv]

A word of caution. Your understanding about your South Carolina license may not be correct.

If South Carolina issues a specific non-resident license and you have a Texas driver's license with a South Carolina resident license that combination is not valid in Texas. At least that is my understanding.

Texas views it this way, a Texas driver's license indicates that you are a resident of Texas. A resident of South Carolina license is not valid if you are in fact a resident of Texas and South Carolina issues different licenses for non residents.

Had a friend move here from WA and went round and round with DPS until they finally gave him that answer.

[RoyGBiv]

^^^ Following up on the above post...

According to http://handgunlaw.us/states/southcarolina.pdf , SC DOES have a specific non-resident permit, issued only to SC landowners who have a primary residence out of State...... It is my understanding, based on my friends discussions with TX DPS, that Texas will not recognize the combination of of a TX DL (indicating a primary residence in TX) together with a RESIDENT permit from any other State. The feedback he received from DPS was that a RESIDENT permit from WA was null and void once he was no longer a WA resident..... He called WA to confirm that WA still viewed the permit as valid until it expired. But TX told him he'd be arrested if caught carrying with that combination (TX DL + WA Resident license).

It is my understanding that a non-resident permit from a State that TX recognizes + TX DL is ok...

Given that this is the internet and I'm not a lawyer, and that this is just second hand opinion, not legal advice.... If I were the OP I'd make a call to DPS to confirm and if they tell you something different than this I'd ask for it in writing. And of course let us know here as well.

[Vol Texan]

Good responses by the prior posters.

All that aside...while it's not a regularly occurring problem, please do remember that your out of state license does not provide protection from the GFSZ laws. You have to have an in-state license for that additional layer of protection.

If you ever plan to travel near any schools on your daily commutes, then that alone is worth getting the local, in-state license.

Welcome to Texas! (where in SC are you from?)

[damoreja]

Thank you all for your responses. This clears things up better for me. I no longer own my SC home nor own any property in the state . I will plan to take the Texas CHL class soon and then afterwards plan to use my NRA Instructor to take the Texas CHL instructor course.
Thanks again!

[SIRIT]

I recently relocated to Texas from South Carolina which is a state that holds reciprocity with Texas.
In South Carolina I've taken the CHL class and received my South Carolina resident concealed handgun license. I still have it and it's still valid.
I also took the NRA certified instructor course to be an instructor of the CHL class. My certificate is still valid.
Upon moving to Texas and becoming a Texas resident, I want to obtain a Texas CHL. The requirements on the state website say I must first take the CHL class by a certified Texas CHL instructor.

My question is: Do I really need to take this class when I'mention already certified to teach it? Plus I hold a SC CHL that has reciprocity with Texas? I tried calling the Dept of Public Safety to ask but they never answer the phone... like ever... and they haven't responded to any of my emails either. I'm sort of not sure what to do at this point. Can anyone help? Thanks.

As infoman stated you must take the class. And just to note, being a NRA certified instructor does not mean you are certified to teach the Texas LTC class. Whole different ball game in Texas to become a LTC instructor.

The NRA instructor rating does not factor in for the Texas LTC. To get your Texas LTC you will have to be a Texas resident for 6 months, meet all of the other qualifications, take and pass a certified course, and apply and be accepted with the DPS.

Then later if you want to be an LTC instructor your NRA rating, if still valid, will be required (or other acceptable instructor certification) to apply for and take the Texas DPS LTC instructor course.

tex

I've heard people getting it sooner than 6 months after becoming resident. I waited exactly six months to the day to apply but I wish I would have just tried day 1.

[RoyGBiv]

I've heard people getting it sooner than 6 months after becoming resident. I waited exactly six months to the day to apply but I wish I would have just tried day 1.

If you are referring to the 6-month waiting period before applying for a TX resident CHL, that requirement was changed for people relocating to TX a while ago. If you move here intending to establish residency you can apply for your resident CHL (LTC now) on the same day you get your TX DL. You can apply for your non-resident license before you move here, then switch to resident license for the cost of paperwork and a new card fee.

From TX GC 411.172...
(a) A person is eligible for a license to carry a handgun if the person:
(1) is a legal resident of this state for the six-month period preceding the date of application under this subchapter or is otherwise eligible for a license under Section 411.173(a);

.....
From TX GC 411.173 (emphasis added)
(a) The department by rule shall establish a procedure for a person who meets the eligibility requirements of this subchapter other than the residency requirement established by Section 411.172(a)(1) to obtain a license under this subchapter if the person is a legal resident of another state or if the person relocates to this state with the intent to establish residency in this state.