Question about carrying at Doctor's Office

[bobv]

I am fairly new to concealed carry, having just recently got my license in Texas. I understand about concealed carry being prohibited at hospitals in Texas, but what about at an office not connected to a hospital, such as a dentist or eye doctor? Are these also prohibited?

Bob

[speedsix]

...not unless legally posted as per PC 30.06 or you are given notice as per the same law...welcome to the forum and the carrying world...!!!

[RPB]

Welcome to the forum

I almost always carry at the dentist, doctor and the hospital.
I think my doctor has a CHL, and my nieces doctor has a typed sheet of paper on a window that says guns here are against State Law, or some nonsense, but no 30.06 sign.
I've only been to one hospital that had a 30.06 sign, the others only prohibited smoking.

[Longshot38]

As others have said hospitals are not specifically prohibited per state law. However they can post a 30.06 sign, but I only know of one hospital that is properly posted. The same goes for doctors offices, they are only no-gos if they properly post.

[jmra]

I have been to a number of hospitals in the DFW area that are properly posted. Seems like the number is growing rapidly.

[puma guy]

I am fairly new to concealed carry, having just recently got my license in Texas. I understand about concealed carry being prohibited at hospitals in Texas, but what about at an office not connected to a hospital, such as a dentist or eye doctor? Are these also prohibited?

Bob

Bob, if your understanding is that hospitals are prohibited from CHL that that's incorrect. Only if a statutorily correct 30.06 sign id posted it's not off limits; same goes for churches. Your instructor should have covered that if you are a recent CHL.

[Mel]

As others have said hospitals are not specifically prohibited per state law. However they can post a 30.06 sign, but I only know of one hospital that is properly posted. The same goes for doctors offices, they are only no-gos if they properly post.

Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler is posted with a 30.06 at the front door, but the letters are nowhere near 1".
If you go through the parking garage door, there's nothing.
My 92 year old Mother just had open heart surgery there on Monday.

The "Doctor's Building" at Presbyterian Hospital in Allen is properly posted.

[The Annoyed Man]

Funny you should ask......

I had blood drawn and a checkup just last week, and I had to go back this week to discuss the results with my doctor. Instead of wearing my "doctor's appointment uniform" of loose fitting shorts, t-shirt, sandals, and a Versipack with a gun in it, I was wearing regular street clothes with a holstered gun. The nurse asked me to step up on the scale. Now I know that I'm going to weigh 5 lbs more than I did just a couple of days before, so I said "well, I've got a ton of stuff in my pocket that you don't really want to weigh." She says, "that's OK, just take it all out and set it here on the counter."

I said, "no, the problem is that I can't just take everything out and lay it down there in public. That would be illegal." She looked at me, paused, then understanding crossed her face, and she grinned and said "OH! Never mind. don't worry about the scale. Just follow me into this room please."

[74novaman]

I am fairly new to concealed carry, having just recently got my license in Texas. I understand about concealed carry being prohibited at hospitals in Texas, but what about at an office not connected to a hospital, such as a dentist or eye doctor? Are these also prohibited?

Bob

Bob, if your understanding is that hospitals are prohibited from CHL that that's incorrect. Only if a statutorily correct 30.06 sign id posted it's not off limits; same goes for churches. Your instructor should have covered that if you are a recent CHL.

Just to muddy up the waters a bit further.....anyone have thoughts on University owned hospitals/teaching hospitals?

[jdkinman]

My doctor is considering giving a discount to those who have a CHL and who exercise it. I kid you not. She and her husband are both NRA Life Members and he's a fellow pilot. He's also a big-time reloader.

She has a sign on the door to her practice stating that if you favor Obamacare or any other form of government-run healthcare, turn around and leave because you will not be treated.

My dentist's husband is a fanatical hunter, NRA Life Member, etc and his wife is absolutely pro-gun and pro-Second Amendment.

I have another doctor who is a specialist and he too is an NRA Life Member, owns several guns, has his CHL and is hugely conservative.

My FAA AME is more conservative than I am, if that's possible.

I qualify my doctors by unabashedly asking them where they stand on the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment and the Constitution. If I don't like their answers, I tell them and then I leave.

JD

[Teamless]

anyone have thoughts on University owned hospitals/teaching hospitals?

If I were going to UTMB or any other "School" hospital, I would disarm, as I believe the University part of the hospital name precludes me from carrying.

A "teaching" hospital, that is not part of a school, well I don't know if Memorial Hermann teaches or not, but unless I see a valid 30.06, I am carrying.

[C-dub]

IMHO, they must still must post a 30.06 sign if they want to prohibit a CHL from carrying there. I think it is similar to a zoo claiming to be a school. Just because there is teaching going on there doesn't make it a school. Now, I will concede that it is somewhat likely that I am wrong on this one especially if the hospital is owned by the university instead of just affiliated with them. However, another muddy puddle is when the hospital in question is a county hospital, like Parkland in Dallas. Thankfully, I haven't had a reason to go there, but I don't think a sign posted on a county hospital is legally enforceable.

[jeffrw]

I had blood drawn and a checkup just last week, and I had to go back this week to discuss the results with my doctor. Instead of wearing my "doctor's appointment uniform" of loose fitting shorts, t-shirt, sandals, and a Versipack with a gun in it, I was wearing regular street clothes with a holstered gun. The nurse asked me to step up on the scale. Now I know that I'm going to weigh 5 lbs more than I did just a couple of days before, so I said "well, I've got a ton of stuff in my pocket that you don't really want to weigh." She says, "that's OK, just take it all out and set it here on the counter."

I said, "no, the problem is that I can't just take everything out and lay it down there in public. That would be illegal." She looked at me, paused, then understanding crossed her face, and she grinned and said "OH! Never mind. don't worry about the scale. Just follow me into this room please."

That's pretty funny. Glad you had a nurse who doesn't freak out at the notion of concealed carry. I will still carry as usual when visiting someone at the hospital or accompanying a family member to a doctor's appointment (unless the facility's properly posted of course). However, when I'm the patient, I put it in my bag so it's off-body. I don't want an anti-gun doctor or nurse discovering it and saying, "Hey, this is a medical facility - you can't bring that gun in here!" Even with no 30.06 sign, that might constitute effective oral notice. Better that they don't know so it never becomes an issue.

Of course it sounds like you do the same as a patient. I guess the lesson is to carry off-body anyway even if you think you're just going to be discussing lab results.

[RottenApple]

Just to muddy up the waters a bit further.....anyone have thoughts on University owned hospitals/teaching hospitals?

Most hospitals are "teaching" hospitals in that they have interns, residents, and other "students" (nurses & doctors) who are finishing up their medical education. Being a "teaching" hospital means nothing in and of itself. Now, if the hospital is owned by a College or University, then it's going to be an issue. So, IMHO, Baylor would be off limits (even if they didn't post 30.06, which they do), but Parkland would not.

[LikesShinyThings]

My doctor is considering giving a discount to those who have a CHL and who exercise it. I kid you not. She and her husband are both NRA Life Members and he's a fellow pilot. He's also a big-time reloader.

She has a sign on the door to her practice stating that if you favor Obamacare or any other form of government-run healthcare, turn around and leave because you will not be treated.

My dentist's husband is a fanatical hunter, NRA Life Member, etc and his wife is absolutely pro-gun and pro-Second Amendment.

I have another doctor who is a specialist and he too is an NRA Life Member, owns several guns, has his CHL and is hugely conservative.

My FAA AME is more conservative than I am, if that's possible.

I qualify my doctors by unabashedly asking them where they stand on the Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment and the Constitution. If I don't like their answers, I tell them and then I leave.

JD

I LOVE Texas! (And yes, it does seem that there are more pro-gun medical/dental professionals here than in a good number of other states.)