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Just got my first handgun(Glock 19), plan on getting CHL soon. I work for a school district and there is a very hot topic about this scenario.....

An individual, who has their CHL, brings his/her personal vehicle and parks in a pubilc school parking lot. Can they bring/leave their concealed weapon in the vehicle while it is in said public school parking lot.

Reason I ask, I was "told" by transportation director(has CHL), that he was told no. Local LEO who works the high school off duty says no. Local DPS officer who works middle shool says he thinks it is up to the particualr school district. Our resident "knowitall" says you can. We have all read Senate Bill 321 82nd Leg. R.S. relating to the possession of firearms by employees in employers’parking areas. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82 ... navpanes=0 ....and still have not come up with a dinitive answer to the question. Any lawyer types oout there that can settle this? Thanks,

68blackbird wrote:Just got my first handgun(Glock 19), plan on getting CHL soon. I work for a school district and there is a very hot topic about this scenario.....

An individual, who has their CHL, brings his/her personal vehicle and parks in a pubilc school parking lot. Can they bring/leave their concealed weapon in the vehicle while it is in said public school parking lot.

Reason I ask, I was "told" by transportation director(has CHL), that he was told no. Local LEO who works the high school off duty says no. Local DPS officer who works middle shool says he thinks it is up to the particualr school district. Our resident "knowitall" says you can. We have all read Senate Bill 321 82nd Leg. R.S. relating to the possession of firearms by employees in employers’parking areas. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82 ... navpanes=0 ....and still have not come up with a dinitive answer to the question. Any lawyer types oout there that can settle this? Thanks,

Welcome to the forum.


Your local DPS officer was the most correct on this and it is up to the school district to allow or not allow an employee to keep it locked in their vehicle on campus. The parking lot law exempts a school from being forced to allow employees to have the gun in the car, so they can still prohibit it unlike other employers who can't.

Good post and question. I was not aware that school districts were exempt from this. As a follow on, I as a CHL holder and non employee of a school district can have my carry locked in my vehicle when on school property and be legal? I was under the beliefe that this was ok as long as I amnot in a building or attending a school event such as a football game or such...

Grapevinebill wrote:Good post and question. I was not aware that school districts were exempt from this. As a follow on, I as a CHL holder and non employee of a school district can have my carry locked in my vehicle when on school property and be legal? I was under the beliefe that this was ok as long as I amnot in a building or attending a school event such as a football game or such...

Yes you can. You can also carry on school grounds as long as you don't go in the buildings or there is not a school sponsored activity in progress.

Thanks for the welcome and quick replies.....

To be exact, our question is meant for any person(with CHL), employee or not, to be able have concealed weapon in their vehicle on a public school parking lot. Forgot to mention, I also asked a school administrator, the anwser I got was NO weapons allowed on school grounds period, unless they were a commissioned peacer officer. This info supposedly came from TEA.

I was under the beliefe that this was ok as long as I amnot in a building or attending a school event such as a football game or such...

This along with my original question remind me of a Don Henley song...."the more I know, the less i understand..."

Please stop asking people in charge. People in charge telling you no, is as good as a 30.06 sign. Can you park across the street? Read your employee manual. Walk softly and get yourself a lock box in your vehicle, speak of it to no one. You cannot be within 1000 feet of ANY school with a gun without your CHL.

JMPHO - I will not be disarmed before and after work. Would love to be able to carry everywhere, but I will play the game to the rules set forth.

Divided Attention wrote:Please stop asking people in charge . . .

Good advice, in MANY situations :)

Please stop asking people in charge

Understood....had to start the dialogue somewhere, also knew better than to take one persons advice....that is why I came here

Can you park across the street?

Sure can, this question was brought up as a "what if" scenario. Besides, I drive a school truck to & from work, cannot carry in that vehicle with/without CHL.

You cannot be within 1000 feet of ANY school with a gun without your CHL.

Yes sir/mam, that was understood, but the question was asked with having a CHL. Not trying to be a wiseguy, I know there are "ways" to get around certain rules, I may or may not use them, depends on the situation, I also know that "concealed weapon" means just that, concealed. As stated, the question was brought among friends around the water cooler, and it seems that it fell on my plate to try and find a difinitive answer to it...

68blackbird wrote:Thanks for the welcome and quick replies.....

To be exact, our question is meant for any person(with CHL), employee or not, to be able have concealed weapon in their vehicle on a public school parking lot. Forgot to mention, I also asked a school administrator, the anwser I got was NO weapons allowed on school grounds period, unless they were a commissioned peacer officer. This info supposedly came from TEA.

I was under the beliefe that this was ok as long as I amnot in a building or attending a school event such as a football game or such...

This along with my original question remind me of a Don Henley song...."the more I know, the less i understand..."

Any person with a CHL may keep their pistol locked in their vehicle in the parking lot of a school. The issue for you is that as an employee of the school district you are bound by the district's policies. It may be legal for you (as a CHL holder) to lock your pistol in your vehicle, but at the same time it may be against school policy. You won't have to worry about criminal charges, but they can fire you.

Keep in mind you ~can~ carry in a school building IF you have written permission of administration. The Harrold school district authorized their teachers to carry.

Keep in mind you ~can~ carry in a school building IF you have written permission of administration. The Harrold school district authorized their teachers to carry.

Wow....such much for what TEA says ...thanks for that little tidbit, the "administrator" I talked to will be interested in this.

Assuming that the person in question has a Tx CHL, it all comes down to if they are an employee of the school/district or not.

If yes, then SB321 doesn't apply and, unless they have permission from the school/district (make sure to get it in writing), they cannot keep a firearm in their vehicle while on school property.

If no, then SB321 still doesn't apply, but the school/district cannot prevent you from leaving your firearm in your vehicle while on school property.

Seems pretty straight forward (if rather silly) to me.

RottenApple wrote:Assuming that the person in question has a Tx CHL, it all comes down to if they are an employee of the school/district or not.

If yes, then SB321 doesn't apply and, unless they have permission from the school/district (make sure to get it in writing), they cannot keep a firearm in their vehicle while on school property.

If no, then SB321 still doesn't apply, but the school/district cannot prevent you from leaving your firearm in your vehicle while on school property.

Seems pretty straight forward (if rather silly) to me.

That assumes that there is a policy (or that an employee as given written 30.06 notice or oral notice by a person with apparent authority) against car storage by employees in the school district, then you'd need permission for car storage if you were an employee.

I'd think if there's no policy forbidding, then an employee with a CHL is fine with car storage, but the only way to carry in the building/premises is with permission like Harrold ISD gives some certain undisclosed employees.

The problem could come in especially if you exit a vehicle armed when any school sponsored activity occurs outdoors on the "grounds" .... which is probably daily

I'm too tired to think well now ...

68blackbird wrote:

Keep in mind you ~can~ carry in a school building IF you have written permission of administration. The Harrold school district authorized their teachers to carry.

Wow....such much for what TEA says ...thanks for that little tidbit, the "administrator" I talked to will be interested in this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29 ... d=all&_r=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sec. 46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a):(1) on the physical premises of a school or educational institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or educational institution, whether the school or educational institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the institution;