TexasCHLforum.com

asleepatthereel wrote:I am left to wonder what the difference is between your house, where you can carry, and your vehicle, which under the castle doctrine is an extension of your home.

There's a lot of difference, legally. Your home is sacrosanct. The police cannot enter it or force you to come out unless they have a warrant or someone is screaming inside. They can stop your car because of burned-out license plate light or suspected DUI. They can make you get out of the car, and search you and the car for weapons.

All this is backed up by 100 years of court rulings.

- Jim

In your scenario, you are completely legal.

However, what happens if you have a fender-bender? The moment you step out of the vehicle on a road or in a parking lot, you are carrying illegally.

- Jim

In the first place, no one seems to know how long it takes the information to get into the DPS computer that police use. You might get the plastic before the computer shows that you have a CHL.

If you actually have a CHL and don't show it to the officer, it is not a criminal offense the first time it happens. Most reasonable officers would cut you some slack.

In any case, it's a two-week window at most.

- Jim