General Eligibility:

Citizenship / Resident Status- must be a U.S. citizen, or at least a resident alien. However, does not have to be a resident of the State of Texas.

Taxes- must be not delinquent in the payment of state or city taxes

ATF Form 4473- must be eligible to purchase a handgun under Federal law.

Child Support- must not be in default on child support payments.

Concealed Handgun License Application- must be 100% truthful on the application form

Legal Eligibility:

Class A or B Misdemeanors- must not have received a conviction, plea bargain, deferment or probation for either of these offenses in the past 5 years.

• Noise Violations�makes an unreasonable noise in a public place
• Fights with another in a public place
• Uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place
• Makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place
• Exposes anus or genitals in a public place and is reckless about whether another may be present who will be offended or alarmed by his act
• Abuses or threatens a person in a public place in an obviously offensive manner
• Discharges a firearm in a public place
• Displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a public place in a manner calculated to alarm

Felonies- must not have received a conviction, plea bargain or probation for any grade of felony in your lifetime. However, students who have received deferred adjudication for non-Title 5 offenses (specifically, non- violent crimes) to apply after a period of 10 years from the final disposition of the court case

Charges Pending- must be not currently charged with a felony, Class A, Class B or Class C (for disorderly conduct).

Juvenile Records- must not have received a juvenile felony within the past 10- years.

Domestic Violence- must not have received a conviction, plea or probation for a crime of domestic violence

Fugitive- must not be a fugitive from justice. In other words, make sure there is not a warrant out for your arrest (i.e. unpaid parking tickets, etc.).

Protective Orders- other than property interests, is not currently under a court protective order affecting a spousal relationship

Chemical Dependency- the State of Texas views (2) DWI�s in a ten year period as being �chemically dependent�. In other words, if a CHL applicant has received (2) DWI�s within a ten year period, they would not be eligible for a license for a period of 10- years from the final disposition of the second DWI court case.

Psychiatric Eligibility:

Sound Judgment- must be capable of exercising sound judgment with respect to the proper use and storage of a handgun. Those deemed legally incapable are therefore ineligible to receive a license.

Psychiatric Disorders / Conditions- must not have been diagnosed by a licensed physician as suffering from a psychiatric disorder or condition that causes or is likely to cause substantial impairment in judgment, mood, perception, impulse control, or intellectual ability.

• Must not suffer from a psychiatric disorder or condition that is in remission, but is reasonably likely to redevelop at a future time
• Or, a psychiatric condition that requires continuous medical treatment to avoid redevelopment.
• Must not have been diagnosed at any time by a licensed physician that the person suffers or has suffered from a psychiatric disorder or condition consisting of or relating to schizophrenia or delusional disorder, bipolar disorder, chronic dementia (whether caused by illness, brain defect, or brain injury), dissociative identity disorder, intermittent explosive disorder or antisocial personality disorder
•  In order for a person that has previously been diagnosed as suffering from a psychiatric disorder or condition to apply for a CHL, they must provide the DPS with a certificate from a licensed physician, whose primary practice is in the field of psychiatry, stating that the psychiatric disorder or condition is in remission and is not reasonably likely to develop at a future time

Legally Incompetent- must not have been diagnosed by a licensed physician or declared by a court to be incompetent to manage the person's own affairs.

Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity- in criminal proceedings, must not have entered a plea of �not guilty by reason of insanity�.

Psychiatric Hospitalization- must not have a psychiatric disorder or condition that led to involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in the preceding five-year period or voluntary psychiatric hospitalization in the preceding two-year period.

Alcohol or Substance Abuse- must not have received inpatient or residential substance abuse treatment in the preceding five-year period or was diagnosed in the preceding five-year period by a licensed physician that the person is dependent on alcohol, a controlled substance, or a similar substance.