In Texas, firearms are generally allowed to be discharged in designated areas, such as shooting ranges and private properties where the owner has given permission. However, shooting firearms in public places, including streets and parks, is illegal and can result in charges for firearms offenses. Owning and carrying a gun is one thing, but using it to shoot is another. Article 229.001 of the Texas Code prohibits municipalities from requiring permits to carry firearms or otherwise regulate “the transfer, possession, use, carrying, ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms”.
This same article also prevents municipalities from regulating the use of firearms at sports shooting ranges. On the other hand, article 229.001 of the Texas Code allows municipalities to regulate the use of firearms within city limits. Additionally, other Texas laws extend the authority to regulate shooting to counties. The Texas Code, article 235.022, allows counties to “regulate” the use of firearms and compressed air guns on lots of 10 acres or less and outside a city.
While Texans have generous rights to own and carry a firearm, they must be careful when firing one. Texas laws regulate shooting firearms much more severely than owning or carrying one. As we approach the New Year, it's important to consider firearm laws regarding the illegal discharge of a firearm. If you shoot a firearm on your property, for example by firing your gun into the air, you can be charged with a class three misdemeanor.
Even if you live in a city with a population of less than 100,000 people, you should check the local municipal code before firing a gun within city limits. If you shoot a firearm in a large Texas city, there's a good chance you'll be convicted of firing a firearm in a municipality. Given the seriousness of the penalty for shooting a firearm in a municipality - up to one year in prison - it is prudent to defend your position aggressively. Firing a gun in New York City can mean something very different from firing a gun in Houston, San Antonio or Fort Worth.
The State must allege that the firearm was shot to the ground or sky in the middle of a crowd of people; or in the backyard of a residential neighborhood; on the grounds of an elementary school; in the direction of a traffic sign; or in a public park. If you're arrested for illegally firing a gun, the first thing you'll want to do after you've been released from jail is to call a Fort Worth bail bond company. If you are accused of firing a firearm in certain areas of Fort Worth or another city in North Texas, it is important to contact an experienced lawyer to learn more about your rights and legal options. It's important to note that municipalities can also create their own laws that prohibit the use of firearms within their city limits.
Let's take an in-depth look at gun laws in Texas and see how discharging one or two bullets at midnight on New Year's Eve could result in needing a Fort Worth bond. Firing a firearm during an illegal act such as robbery carries different penalties than firing a gun illegally. Even if you properly comply with all other Texas laws regarding the use of firearms, if your city doesn't allow it then you could be breaking the law. It's essential that everyone understands that the illegal use of a firearm is usually considered a serious crime in Texas.
When you are on private property outside city limits there is no law indicating how much land or how big your property must be in order to shoot at it. For example, most large cities in Texas have municipal laws that prohibit the firing of certain firearms within city limits.
