TexasCHLforum.com

I hope I'm not missing another thread addressing this, my friend is currently a Florida resident and is a Marine stationed in Texas. He will be in Texas for at least 15 months, can he get a CHL in Texas or would he have to change is residency?

He can get a non-resident Texas CHL, but IMO he would be better off getting a Florida license.

Florida is cheaper and easier to get, and some states do not recognize non-resident licenses from other states. IOW, if he were a Florida resident with a Texas license, the Texas license wouldn't be valid in Colorado.

That kind of exclusion may be likely to become more widespread.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:Florida is cheaper and easier to get...

Hmmmm, I don't think it gets much cheaper than FREE. We are talking about an active duty Marine, so Texas waives the license fee.

But, if he wants a Florida license, he can take a Texas class and get both of them. Florida recognizes the Texas TR-100 as qualification of training.

But, the answer to the original question is YES, he can get a Texas CHL without changing his residence.

Crossfire wrote:Hmmmm, I don't think it gets much cheaper than FREE. We are talking about an active duty Marine, so Texas waives the license fee.

Duh. I forgot about that.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:He can get a non-resident Texas CHL, but IMO he would be better off getting a Florida license.

Florida is cheaper and easier to get, and some states do not recognize non-resident licenses from other states. IOW, if he were a Florida resident with a Texas license, the Texas license wouldn't be valid in Colorado.

That kind of exclusion may be likely to become more widespread.

- Jim

Can't he claim residency in Texas

I don't understand all the ins and outs for military personnel. There can be reasons for retaining another state of residence that have nothing to do with CHL, such as maintaining a homestead exemption or the right to vote in the home state.

- Jim

Liberty wrote:Can't he claim residency in Texas

Why? If his home of record is in Florida and he intends to return there, there's really no benefit to changing his DL and voter registration and all sorts of other documents to Texas.

The easiest and least expensive thing for the Marine is to get a nonresident Texas CHL.

Thanks for the input. He could change residency to Texas but would prefer to avoid the extra hassle. Almost everyone I know now in the military (naval aviators) have passed through Florida and/or Texas, and the vast majority claim residency in one of the two because of the lack of state income tax in those two states.

One more question though. If getting a CHL is free or discounted for active military, how exactly does that work? I assume you would still have to pay something for the class itself?

Only the license fee to the state is waived. Submit a copy of the LES and military ID with the application and the fee is waived.

Crossfire,

What is an LES?

Thanks....

Leave and Earnings Statement

Thanks...