DPS Carry?

[Mike1951]

I live about 500 yds from a DPS DL office / substation, so I thought I'd walk over and take a look.

There is nothing relevant on the front glass, but there is a brick wall about 15' inside where it says 'DL to the left' and 'HP to the right'. Right next to that sign is a big 'ol compliant 30.06 sign.

Whether that is legal or not is another question. As often as troopers come and go, I was hoping to run into one so I could ask why they have the sign.

[rm9792]

If it's not posted.......you can carry......

It does look like a LE Station and you can carry in ANY LE Station in the State of Texas as long as you remain in the public area. You have to disarm if you go inside past the normal public area of any LE Agency.

Slightly incorrect Allen. They are allowed disarm you if you go into a nonpublic area and they have a storage locker but they dont have to. I go into the nonpublic area of APD every day and they know i carry and dont even mention it. I read the CHL handbook today to double check on dog tracks and saw nothing about all LE buildings being off limits(for whomever mentioned that). I would not think a 30.06 sign would even be valid since it is a govt building.

[AEA]

I agree. Thank you.

This report of 30.06 signs at DPS stations is crazy! You would think that they would have better sense! It is a State Owned or rented facility and they cannot post it 30.06!

Of course they publish the rules, and I can respect that, but I don't have to like it when they make the rules as they go along and cannot even afford to update their rule books.

[Commander]

All DPS offices were to have pulled their 30.06 signs when the law changed making them invalid on government owned property. I suspect the Texas City office is an oversite. As to the requirement to disarm - Did that law pass?....The DPS offices I am familiar with have no way to provide a locker or lockup for a CHLs gun and do not do so.

[Mike1951]

Some time back, the TSRA was asking for submissions for locations, I think specifically gov't locations, that were/are improperly posted.

I don't see where they're still doing it.

The DPS office where I found the sign is in Baytown.

Maybe a candidate for one of Charles' ORR?

[ScubaSigGuy]

[Commander]

I can tell you that the sign quoted by ScubaSigGuy is not posted at the DPS Region One Headquarters in Garland.

[longtooth]

Thank you ScubaSigGuy,
I stand corrected.

[Commander]

DPS Buildings are maintained by a Regional Adjutant - a civilian employee. There is one Adjutant per DPS Region. Each individual building is assigned a "building manager" to handle day to day issues. These building managers range from Lieutenants to Troopers to Civilian Personnel. It's possible that the "word" to pull the 30.06 signs never got to the individual building manager. It wouldn't surprise me as some just learned that DPS policy no longer prohibits civilian DPS CHL holders from carrying while on duty. That policy changed with the invalidation of 30.06 in government buildings.

[kitty]

Just thought I'd post to say how it went at the DPS location where my daughter had to go to get her license renewed. Everything went fine. I carried in there with no problems. There were a few really strange looking people in there, but there weren't any problems. There were no 30.06 signs anywhere, no signs about it being a felony for the unlicensed possession of a firearm or anything. So, it was all good. Thanks to everyone for posting your replies to my question.

[kw5kw]

DPS Buildings are maintained by a Regional Adjutant - a civilian employee. There is one Adjutant per DPS Region. Each individual building is assigned a "building manager" to handle day to day issues. These building managers range from Lieutenants to Troopers to Civilian Personnel. It's possible that the "word" to pull the 30.06 signs never got to the individual building manager. It wouldn't surprise me as some just learned that DPS policy no longer prohibits civilian DPS CHL holders from carrying while on duty. That policy changed with the invalidation of 30.06 in government buildings.

I love my job.

[tomc]

When Concealed Carry was first allowed, before 30.06 signs, carry in a DPS office was not allowed. It was not a felony or misdemeanor offense, it was an "administrative" offense. I don't recall if there was even a penalty attached, maybe only a suspension. After 30.06 came into being, and Tx AG Cornyn rendered his opinion that government officed could post 30.06 signs and enforce them, several offices did. Finally, the legislature took care of that with the law that no government entity could post 30.06 and make it stick except for posted meetings of government bodies. Most signs have yet to come down, though!