Out here in Abilene, a lot of folks already grew up around firearms — but growing up around guns and being legally licensed to carry one aren’t the same thing. If you’ve been putting off getting your Texas License to Carry because you assumed it meant taking a day off work for an in-person classroom, ETXSTA has good news: the classroom half of the course is entirely online, and self-paced.
Two Steps to Your LTC
The path to a Texas LTC has always had two pieces, and ETXSTA is built to handle the first one entirely from your phone, tablet, or laptop.
1. Online Classroom Coursework
This portion walks you through the material Texas requires before you ever pick up a handgun for the range test:
- Texas firearm law
- When and how deadly force may legally be used
- Handling and storing a handgun safely
- Resolving conflict without violence
- Interacting appropriately with police while carrying
Once you’ve completed it, your LTC-104 Certificate of Training — the official Texas DPS document that proves it — is available to download instantly. No waiting on the mail.
2. In-Person Shooting Proficiency Test
Next, you’ll meet an ETXSTA-certified instructor in Abilene or a nearby location for the live-fire qualification. The state-required course of fire is:
- 20 rounds at 3 yards
- 20 rounds at 7 yards
- 10 rounds at 15 yards
You’ll fire 50 rounds total and need a score of at least 70% to pass. If your first attempt doesn’t go your way, Texas allows up to three attempts at both the written and range exams within a 12-month period, so there’s no need to panic. Keep in mind your training and proficiency certificates are valid for two years, but must still be valid on the date you submit your LTC application.
Some applicants don’t need the range day at all. Active-duty military and veterans with a qualifying range score or firearms familiarization training in the last 10 years, state correctional officers, and county jailers who trained on the job can satisfy the requirement with the online course alone.
Am I Eligible?
Texas sets a straightforward, if lengthy, list of qualifications. You must:
- Be 18 or older
- Have no felony convictions
- Have no Class A or B misdemeanor conviction in the last five years
- Not be under a protective or restraining order
- Have no active or pending criminal charges
- Not be chemically dependent
- Be legally qualified under state and federal law to possess a handgun
- Be of sound mind
- Not be finally determined delinquent on child support
Still Worth It Under Constitutional Carry
Texas doesn’t require a permit to carry anymore, but plenty of Abilene residents still choose to get licensed. An LTC gets you reciprocity in 37 other states, lets you skip the NICS background check on future firearm purchases, provides certain legal advantages, and covers you in places where unlicensed carry doesn’t reach.
ETXSTA is proud to serve Abilene with a state-approved online course and a straightforward path to your range day.