Several new state gun laws went into effect Jan. 1. Most notably, handgun license holders can openly carry firearms, and concealed carry will be allowed on public university campuses starting Aug. 1.

While concealed carry allows license holders to have a handgun concealed somewhere on their person, open carry allows for carrying a handgun in a shoulder or belt holster. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, there were 825,957 license holders in the state as of Dec. 31, 2014. 

However, open carry does not mean that any individual with a handgun in a holster is allowed to legally carry a firearm, said Mike Holley, chief of the misdemeanor division for the Montgomery County district attorney’s office.

“There’s a great misconception that if you have a gun in a holster you can open carry, and that’s not the case—you still need a license,” he said.

Holley said another misconception stems from required signage in front of businesses that do not want handguns inside.

“Signage is required in a number of places, but having said that, if a person with authority directs you to leave the premises they can do that,” Holley said. “For example, a small business may not have signs up, but if the owner asks you to leave, you’ll be required to leave.”

Seeing individuals with a handgun displayed in a holster should not be a cause for alarming local residents, said Ryan Gable, Montgomery County Precinct 3 constable.

“However, if you see any suspicious activity associated with it, let law enforcement know,” he said. 

New state Senate rules resulted in many unclear new laws that require interpretation from the state’s attorney general. For example, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, asked the state in September to clarify whether handguns can now be openly displayed on public school district parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and walkways.

“There were a couple counties asking for guidance because in a number of places—Conroe being one—you do have a multiuse building where you have different organizations within the same buildings,” Holley said.

In Montgomery County, officials will continue to use existing security stations at several locations in downtown Conroe to screen for illegal weapons. The new law allows for handgun license holders to openly carry weapons in multiuse buildings, except in certain areas or buildings specified by the law, such as county courthouses.

All individuals entering a multiuse county building—including the Alan B. Sadler Building in downtown Conroe—which has a security station will be required to pass through the station unless they possess a valid handgun license, employee badge, or attorney badge.

Local law enforcement agencies and businesses spent the weeks leading up to Jan. 1 preparing to implement the new law.

“We’re trying to formulate our policy the best to take care of licensed carry holders, our general public and us as peace officers,” Gables said.

Texas Restaurant Association spokesperson Wendy Woodland said more than 100 restaurant owners attended a November webinar detailing open carry laws. Any establishment that draws more than half its business from alcohol sales must automatically ban firearms, Woodland said.

“So if you have 48 percent alcohol sales, you can choose to allow open or concealed licensed handgun holders,” she said.

H-E-B already permits concealed carry, but the Texas-based grocer will not permit open handgun carry, company spokesperson Leslie Lockett said.

Whole Foods Market has not allowed firearms since the company was founded, according to spokesperson Rachel Malish, and that policy will remain.

In August 2017, a law requiring community colleges—including Lone Star College System—to allow concealed handguns in campus buildings will go into effect. Existing law states individuals with a concealed handgun license can bring handguns onto campus, but not into buildings. Individuals must be 21 or older to obtain a concealed handgun license, which includes approximately 59 percent of the student population at LSCS.

In general, ownership of firearms requires a degree of responsibility, Holley said.

“People have to know the laws with regard to possessing firearms or using them,” he said. “They should be careful to secure them so they’re not available to children, for example, and they should know how to operate a firearm safely.”