TexasCHLforum.com

I work for a large private corporation, and used to frequently find myself in similar situations, except that it was my personal vehicle. In short, often running around with co-workers in the truck, or several of us moving around to various sites in convoy-style.

I've never had occasion to use it, but I printed up a homemade business card that reads "I hold a valid Texas Concealed Handgun License, and I am currently carrying. MY COMPANIONS DO NOT KNOW, AND I WOULD PREFER THEY NOT BE MADE AWARE. Your discretion in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!"

It stays in my wallet between my CHL and my Driver's License. The plan has always been to hand over the stack with the printed card on top, followed by the CHL, and the DL (and most likely the insurance card, since I keep them all together) and just hope for the best.

I figure that if I get the discretion from an LEO who is understanding, (I might have gotten it anyway) then great. If not, no loss--I would have been outed anyway. Perhaps it would serve as a "Hmm" moment for an LEO who never really thought about the possibility, and won't hurt anything with someone who doesn't care.

For what it's worth, in all the times (4-5) that I've had to provide ID to an LEO, only once was I asked about where it was and such, and that was with my entire family in the truck . . . and he (correctly) assumed that everyone in the car would have already known, since there was a bucket of brass in the back, a range bag in the back seat, and plenty of "gun-family" indicators in plain view.

Most of the LEO I've encountered act as if they find an armed CHL holder about as unusual as a man carrying a billfold in his back pocket.

I've been stopped about five times in the 16 years that I have had a Texas CHL (btw...only cited twice for speeding). Each time I handed my DL and CHL to the LEO. 3 times they said nothing and discussed the reason that I was stopped. One time he asked "Is it on your person?" I said, "No in the glove box." Other time, LEO said "OK fine, please leave it where it is.".

I wasn't traveling with a work colleague any of these times, but I believe if I was it really would not have been an issue. Unless the cop decides to disarm you in public (which they have the authority to do), I doubt anyone will really know what's going on.

I have been stopped several times, disarmed once. In the majority of the cases, the officer just handed my CHL back to me, in one instance the trooper asked what I was carrying, at the time it was an H & K P7M8,, he had never seen one, so we had show and tell on the side of I 45 near Fairfield.