Young adults who live in Texas are now eligible to obtain concealed carry licenses that will allow them to bear arms in certain businesses and at public universities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In January, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) stopped enforcing a law barring 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds from carrying handguns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The change was prompted by a federal district court case<\/a> that struck down the law as unconstitutional. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of two plaintiffs who were adults under the age of 21 and, therefore, were prohibited from bearing arms under Texas Penal Code 46.02<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman issued his ruling in the case, finding that the age limits in the statute were in violation of the 2nd Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “[The statute] prohibits law-abiding 18-to-20-year-olds from carrying handguns for self-defense outside the home based solely on their age, this statutory scheme violates the Second Amendment, as incorporated against the States via the Fourteenth Amendment,” Pittman wrote in his decision<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe applaud Texas for doing the right thing and accepting the district court\u2019s ruling against its law prohibiting 18-to-20-year-old adults from carrying firearms in public,\u201d said FPC attorney Cody J. Wisniewski in a statement on the FBC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legal battle over the law began in November 2021 when the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), a pro-gun organization, filed suit, following the passage of constitutional carry in Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSEE ALSO: Shoot Long Range with Swaggers SFR10<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n