Out here around Gilmer, plenty of folks already own a firearm and know how to use it — but knowing how to shoot isn’t the same as holding a Texas License to Carry (LTC). East Texas Security Training Academy (ETXSTA), based right in this part of East Texas, built an online LTC course that lets you handle the classroom work from your kitchen table before heading out for the range portion.
Who Can Apply
Texas sets clear rules for who can hold an LTC. An applicant must:
- Be 18 or older
- Have no felony conviction
- Have no Class A or Class B misdemeanor conviction within the last five years
- Not be restricted by a protective or restraining order
- Have no active or pending criminal charges
- Not be a chemically dependent person
- Be of sound mind
- Be qualified under state and federal law to possess a handgun
- Not be finally determined delinquent on child support obligations
Classroom Online, Range Day Local
The classroom half of the course is fully online and self-paced, covering Texas firearm laws, the legal use of force and self-defense, safe handgun handling and storage, non-violent conflict resolution, and proper interaction with law enforcement while carrying. Once you’re through it, your LTC-104 Certificate of Training is available for instant download — the official Texas DPS record of your training, valid for two years and required for your application.
From there, you’ll need a shooting proficiency test with a certified instructor in Gilmer or a nearby location — not a long drive for most folks in this area. The course of fire is 20 rounds at 3 yards, 20 rounds at 7 yards, and 10 rounds at 15 yards, for 50 rounds total, and you’ll need to hit at least 70% to pass. Applicants get up to three attempts at both the written and range exams within a 12-month window, so there’s no pressure to get it perfect the first time.
Skipping the Range Test
A handful of applicants are exempt from the shooting portion entirely: active-duty military members and veterans with a qualifying range score or firearms familiarization training documented within the past 10 years, plus state correctional officers and county jailers who completed firearms training through their job. They still complete the online classroom course.
Why Get an LTC When You Can Already Carry?
Texas’s constitutional carry law means you don’t strictly need a permit — but the LTC still earns its keep. It gets you reciprocity in 37 other states, covers locations that permitless carry doesn’t, offers legal protections in certain situations, and lets you skip the NICS background check when purchasing a handgun from a licensed dealer. For hunters, ranchers, and anyone who travels beyond Texas with a firearm, that’s a meaningful upgrade over going permitless.