How buying a gun in Houston works
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Texas law allows.
Texas adds nothing to federal law. There is no permit to purchase, no registration and no waiting period. At the licensed Texas dealer you name at checkout, you show photo ID with your Texas address, complete ATF Form 4473 and pass the FBI NICS check, or present a Texas License to Carry in place of the check. Dealers require 21 for handguns and 18 for rifles and shotguns. Magazines of any capacity, threaded barrels and ammunition ship to your door.
Dealers in these communities all work for Houston-area buyers:
- Pasadena
- Katy
- Spring
- Humble
- Cypress
- Baytown
- Bellaire
- Tomball
Carrying a gun in Harris County
Since September 1, 2021, Texans 21 and older who may lawfully possess a handgun can carry it concealed or openly in a holster without a license. The optional License to Carry from the Texas Department of Public Safety is honored in more than 35 states, replaces the dealer background check and gets past 30.05 signs that stop permitless carriers. Businesses bar carry with 30.06 and 30.07 signs, and bars with a 51% sign are off limits. The Harris County Sheriff's office can point you to local certified LTC instructors.
Hunting near Houston
Texas Parks and Wildlife sets the seasons. The 2026-27 general white-tailed deer season opens November 7, 2026 and runs to January 3, 2027 in the North Zone and January 17, 2027 in the South Zone, with archery in October and special late seasons in many counties; mule deer seasons in the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos are shorter. Any centerfire rifle or handgun is legal for deer; rimfire is not. Feral hogs have no season or limit on private land. Check the Outdoor Annual for Harris County.
Houston hunters travel north to the Sam Houston National Forest and Piney Woods or southeast to coastal marshes for duck and goose hunting.
Shooters in Houston have access to ranges and stores throughout the metro, while hunters often venture north to the Sam Houston National Forest.
Public shooting ranges near Houston
Texas has few state-run ranges; TPWD lists public ranges it funds through its target-range grant program and the ranges on public hunting lands. Most Texans shoot at county, city and commercial ranges, which the city pages do not list.
Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department public shooting range and target range grant listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.